Katelyn Gurley's report on her Second Tour at Adtran in Huntsville, AL

Katelyn Gurley is an Electrical Engineering major. She graduated from Lexington Catholic High School .

Summer 2007

Tour 2

  "Being a co-op at Adtran is a good experience for any engineer in the electrical and computer engineering fields. The community of co-ops is fantastic, and there is always somebody ready to help you out, show you the ropes, or just hang out. The really nice thing about working at Adtran is that you get experience in several different departments, working on several different projects, and the large community exposes you to various positions and work experiences. While the first term work content may not be exciting, the subsequent terms are usually more enjoyable, as I've discovered. The later terms also demand a bit more leadership, as you are expected to set an example for the new co-ops and interns, and help them to get acquainted with the company, as older co-ops would have done for you when you started. Another unique leadership opportunity presents itself in the form of the Adtran ambassador program, in which one person from each university is selected to represent the company and aid in recruiting.

  My first term was in the EN Training department, and this term I have spent in DSL Development. The DSL Development department deals heavily with software development, and lots of coding is involved. This group is actually a design group, and co-op engineers are given the opportunity to design features and products that are on par with the permanent employees', under the guidance of a personal mentor. My department assignment this term demanded quite a bit more initiative and technical knowledge, as well as the ever-important time management than my previous department, which I feel contributed significantly to my professional development.

  If I were to repeat this work term department assignment, I would probably take time to look over computer programming skills before I came, specifically speaking, I would review and learn as much about data structures as possible. The most challenging thing for me this semester, by far, has been understanding the code. The files are vast and intertwined, and surprisingly lacking in comment lines, and therefore, it takes a long time to comprehend what is really happening at the heart of the code. I would recommend this group to a computer engineering major or a computer science major, but I would warn electrical engineering majors to be wary of the type of work that is involved here.

  A typical work day for me starts at 8:00am, when I come into my office, unlock my computer, and check my email. I then usually grab a cup of coffee and look out my window for a couple minutes until I wake up. Then I'll start taking care of some administrative stuff, and getting myself caught up on the work that I was doing yesterday when I left work. Around 8:30, some of the other co-ops come knocking on my door asking if I'm ready to go to breakfast. At 8:45, I start plunging headfirst into some code, trying to make progress on my project. As the morning continues, I may go help somebody else with a problem, or get someone else to come help me with something I don't thoroughly understand. Around 11:30, I head to lunch break, in the cafeteria or one of the surrounding eateries. At 12:30, I head back to work to continue with whatever project I'm working on. 3:00pm means break for 15 out by the lake, then it's back to work until 5:00pm. I have a great deal of freedom in how I decide to spend my time each day, and my supervisors are there to help me, rather than hound me.

  Huntsville is a small town, but there are things to do if you look for them. The co-ops tend to hang out together, and we play a lot of Frisbee, watch a lot of movies, and have a lot of get-togethers. The town offers most entertainment you would look for, with a lovely park downtown. For the people who like the outdoors, there is great hiking in the mountains surrounding Huntsville . The cost of living is low, but I would definitely recommend having a roommate. My first term I lived alone, and it was much more expensive than this term, where I have two roommates (one another Adtran co-op, and one a NASA co-op). I spend about half of one of my paychecks per month on rent, utilities, food, and other living expenses. I was able to save a good deal, and did not have to live especially frugally.

  All in all, Adtran is a good place to learn, and a good place to develop professionally. If you are at all interested in the telecommunications industry, then Adtran is the place to go. You get a diversified technical experience, with a great community of co-workers to give a diversified social experience."