Why do we hate Electromagnetics?!

Electromagnetic Fields and Microwave Theory

Perhaps the most loathed/daunted subject for any Electronics Engineer! People simply cant stand it. They dread even at the thought of mentioning the name.

But WHY?! Some of the immediate answers would be, 'Its too much math!', 'Its too complicated and confusing to understand', 'So what is the point in slogging so much anyway? I am not going to use it anywhere!'

But are these the true reasons?? Why do people dislike History then, it does not have any math right? Why dont people like to take a sweeper or a watchman job, arent these simple and easy? Why do we slog so much in solving Sudokus everyday, are we using it anywhere??

So what matters the most for you to like something? two things...
1. how much interest do you have in it?
2. what are the returns/benefit in learning about it?

Do all of us who sit and write pages and pages of lousy C code in the office actually like it? How many of us pursue what we are 'really' interested in at least as a hobby?? Feels sad to think about it...

Lets get back to electromagnetics... so what are the returns/benefits in knowing it? Hmmm just take a look around you. You will probably have your mobile next to you tired of shooting SMSes at a mad pace, you will probably be reading this blog on your laptop connected to a WLAN, you might be listening to the latest hits on FM, you might find the Dark Knight showing on your Digital (Direct) TV with all its brilliant clarity of video and audio...

Well do you realize that these systems can not be fathomed without understanding Maxwell's equations?? Its only because of the horrible math and physics rigorously developed by our beloved great grandfathers - Marconi, Faraday, Gauss, Ohm, Ampere, Hertz (and their family, children, cousins and thereforth) that we are enjoying all the luxuries of seamless mobility and unlimited connectivity!

Phew now that sounds interesting! (I hope I managed to invoke atleast a faint hint of it!) So what is wrong with people? Shouldnt electromagnetics and microwave theory be the most sought after field?? Why dont we show the interest that it seems to easily demand from us?

I feel the answer is in the way it is being taught! (I mean no offense to the teachers who have taught me electromagnetics. They were brilliant!). Anyone who teaches this subject (apparently claimed as the most dry and boring subject ever!) seem to suffer from one of the two problems stated below,

1. Sadly, they themselves have not understood the subject! - due to lack of interest, (or) not spent enough time on it, (or) our grandfathers were too brilliant, (or) unfortunately they also suffered from similar teachers!
So when they themselves donot know what Maxwell tried to convey, how do you expect them to make us realize it? Hence they resort to introducing verbose jargon all the way along, make even '1+1 = 2' sound like the most complicated equation to grasp, make sure nothing makes true sense and thus convince the students not to try and develop the least of interest whatsoever!

2. Even more sadly, the other reason could be that they know the subject too well to teach others! They simply get drowned in the magic of vector calculus and how just a couple of differential equations can go all the way to describe any physical property of all the materials known to mankind! Well a little overdose of math and physics can always cause brains to radiate EM waves you know! :P
Sure, we have to admire these teachers for their love of the subject and perhaps they are following the footsteps of our forefathers. Unfortunately, the dimwit student is made to look even more dumb in the class!

Actually I was torn apart while choosing the topic for this blog. I wanted to have it as 'Why cant anyone teach Electromagnetics properly?!' I still feel its more apt but nevertheless I am okay with having 'hatred' on the title.

To conclude, I would certainly vouch for the fact that if you really develop interest and learn electromagnetics in all its true glory, you will find that you understand how the entire universe works! (And others will start calling you 'geek'/'mad')