Dear all UW Engineering students,
I was told that creating computer simulations was a useful skill in engineering (and an invaluable skill for freshmen).
Can anyone tell me more about this?
Creating a simulation requires that you know quite a bit about the process being simulated and are then able to model it using computer programming.
What software do students use?
You’d have to ask people in your particular department. In the old days we used simple programming languages - everything from BASIC to C, etc. . Nowadays, there are entire packages like Autodesk and Solidworks that facilitate the process.
Were you required to understand DirectX/OpenGL too? I’ve got some basics in C++.
I’m even older than that. :-B
Oh, I didn’t consider that 
Have you got any other advices for me? I’m now considering using Autodesk software. I’m targeting EE/CE. Do you know any good textbooks?
Check with your major department.