Build stuff. Modify things. Be stubborn when they don't work. Take things apart and figure out why they do work.
Here are some fun project ideas, drawn from stuff I actually did when I was growing up/learning electronics. For reference, I almost completely skipped college, and am a hardware engineer at a company you've heard of (I can't believe it either).
-Lego car with electric motor scavenged from a floppy drive + 9V battery (grade school first project)
-High voltage generator (10kV?) using CRT flyback transformer and 2n3055 transistor circuit.
-Pocket audio amplifier using an OPAMP circuit. (search: mint tin amplifier)
-Countdown timer that can set off fireworks (don't end up on a list please).
-Worm robot using ATMEGA328, hobby servos, cardboard and masking tape.
-Disassembled hard drives and built a laser-scanning XY galvo system from the parts, fed by an amplified audio stereo pair (easy, fun and psychedelic)
Here are some fun project ideas, drawn from stuff I actually did when I was growing up/learning electronics. For reference, I almost completely skipped college, and am a hardware engineer at a company you've heard of (I can't believe it either).
-Lego car with electric motor scavenged from a floppy drive + 9V battery (grade school first project)
-High voltage generator (10kV?) using CRT flyback transformer and 2n3055 transistor circuit.
-Pocket audio amplifier using an OPAMP circuit. (search: mint tin amplifier)
-Countdown timer that can set off fireworks (don't end up on a list please).
-Worm robot using ATMEGA328, hobby servos, cardboard and masking tape.
-Disassembled hard drives and built a laser-scanning XY galvo system from the parts, fed by an amplified audio stereo pair (easy, fun and psychedelic)