Meet our International Engineering Ambassador - Ruxandra Mindru

Last time I was asked to describe my experiences from within a tight time-frame, I wrote a 3-stanza limerick, containing the immortal phrase

“After Electric Castle,

I don’t mind the hassle

Of packing galoshes with flowery skirts.“

Just as my summers are defined by how tired I am at the end of them, my Uni experience is as diverse as it is crowded. The first semester of the first year saw me doing Czech, Mandarin, Gospel, Tango, a web-design course, fake money trading (and earning of a small fake fortune after the USA elections), sneaking into a philosophy class, bouldering, yoga, K-Pop dance, let’s not forget UNIVERSITY… The usual. To understand why, you’ll need to know a few things about me and why I came to Sheffield.

Self-described Youtuber and Enthusiast of Life

Coming from what Romania calls a city (100k people) and my London-bred colleagues define as a village, there were limited opportunities for extracurricular activities, so I learned foreign languages, I started working as a freelance video editor, I wrote scripts and stories, all because, honestly, it would have been too easy to get bored. My laptop became my weapon against the apathy of Eastern Europe, my window into a world where people went to London Comic Con and met Benedict Cumberbatch on the street.

Therefore my passion for tech. Studying in England had always been the plan. Math became my one true love in my final year of high school, psychology already thrilled me, and, since I enjoyed coding and puzzles and challenges, coming to Sheffield for CompSci was the natural step.

Sheffield

Between Warwick and Sheffield, the decision ultimately came down to finances. You can do so much more in Sheffield when you’re on a budget, from accommodation to theatre nights and dance classes. London and Edinburgh are just two hours away, Cambridge is within reach, flights to Oslo are 40 pounds, it’s ideal. (I’m telling you to come to Sheffield and listing all the places you can run away to. I’m really selling it, am I not?)

Point is: it’s a good city. It’s safe. It’s lively. It’s supportive of its students and their dreams. It’s got lots of trees, by some people, and better weather than the rest of England. You may be in your last year of high-school, thinking “All I like is video games and walking my dog, what can I possibly do at Uni?” Oh boy, read the first paragraph again. It’s much harder to find something you can't-do in Sheffield than the vice versa.

The choice

When making the choice, remember: you’re not supposed to already be an expert at it. The Uni’s entire point is that they’ll teach you how to build airplanes or split the atom or dissect Shakespeare mercilessly. “Appetite comes eating”. I had no idea what coding-related-thingy I could create when I came here, but now my head is buzzing with start-up ideas and networking potential. Choose what you’d wake up at 5am for. Create. Experiment. You’re coming to an environment with plenty of safety nets. You’re in England, mother of all European possibilities.

The journey is all about loving what you do, be it art or engineering. Once you’ll find yourself in Sheffield, looking after yourself, the future suddenly stops being “what my parents want for me” and becomes just “what I make it”. The endless possibility is not a myth. It’s a daily reality.

A reality which I love and bring to life with all my might, even if I do end up with little sleep and a blood stream of green tea. I’m a restless spirit, the kind that feels better in the train than in her apartment, at the top of a mountain during a blizzard than in a warm bed. I can do both, I like both, but why settle for the easy when the difficult gives you such an amazing story to tell? 

Meet Our International Engineering Ambassador - Ritwesh Chatterjee

Q: A little about me first …

A: I am an undergraduate student studying the course Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science with a Year in Industry. I am from India and have, for better or for worse spent my entire life over there before moving to the UK.  I have been awarded one of the five Sheffield Undergraduate India Merit Scholarships and also received an Engineering Excellence Scholarship by the Faculty of Engineering. I love listening to music of all genres, but some psychedelic progressive rock will always get my attention first! An offer for a session of music and gossiping is something I cannot refuse.

Q: Why far away from home? And Why University of Sheffield?

A: I neither did trouble my parents too much nor did they trouble me. So I came to UK of my own free will. The motivation behind this was the system of education that is practiced in the United Kingdom. They manage to teach us a lot more with the least pressure, providing us with capabilities to work in an industry or work in a team of highly qualified professionals.

However, the curricular education isn’t enough. Being a high achiever in exam papers but losing sight of the things that makes us human is not ideal. The cultural history of Sheffield and the ambience is really very influential and makes us grow as a person. Being a Russel group university, the University of Sheffield provides the highest standards of education but also has its own warmth, and is very welcoming to international students. You never feel abandoned or isolated like Mark Watney from The Martian. The staff and students work in unison trying to figure out what’s best for the students and constantly work on developing themselves and the system. I promise you won’t find it difficult to find a home away from home.

Q: What I love about my course …

A: Since I hate clichés, I won’t say ‘everything’. I’ll be specific. I am in a department with over 40 teaching staff. Each of them has their own areas of specialisation. Their expertise is reflected in their way of approaching topics. How making paper planes can help understand Agile Methodology of Software Development, is something I couldn’t have guessed otherwise! The unconventional approaches, yet keeping the flavours and advantages of orthodox methods, blending them to perfection is really an art one admires. Professors of their experience, being open to new ideas coming from students and actually paying attention and helping them to work on those, is also something worth noting. Lack of encouragement is something you can never complain about. I study a curriculum which is designed so that everyone from novices to people with experience in a certain area will have enough to gain from it and not feel deprived in any way. The assignments are planned and designed in such a way that they give us the feel of working in the industry and help us develop each aspect, starting from professionalism to group work.

Q: A typical day in Sheffield …

A: Yes, you do miss your mom or occasionally curse the decision to go abroad when you have to do everything from cooking your own food to buying your own medicines when you are sick. But then rest of the day brings life back to you. Waking up in the morning to rush to lecture theatres … yes, you might want to take a short nap during the lectures but then again, you need to pay attention. A sandwich, a cookie and some Latte from the Diamond Café might just work. The bright smiles and people warmly wishing you good morning might even make up for the morning shivers! As the day goes by you may dread the upcoming exams, but you might also come up with a brilliant logic to make your robots work in the lab. So you end up finishing the two days’ work in one and you feel on top of the world! Just then you are reminded of your upcoming Quiz in the next week but we are students, and that’s what we do. Some lectures make you sleepy, some are better than alarm clocks! But an evening in the café with a cuppa and friends is must. Even better, go to the studios and have a jamming session with friends. The moment I pick up sticks and sit behind the drums with the other guys up with their keys and six-strings, the tiredness fades away! After a couple of hours, you’re tired but recharged at the same time. And if it’s a weekend? There are always clubs and pubs you might want to go to. Sheffield, with its distinctive music culture, is sure to refresh you and get your energy back to ensure you can work even harder the next week!

Q: Something I would like to say …

A: Before I sign off, a few final words. If you are a new comer, make as many friends as possible. The first year of your undergraduate education is going to be the easiest. You should try and join as many Societies that interest you and get actively involved. Time will fly. Try and make the most of each moment as university life is something you won’t get back. And please, don’t study so much that you forget to enjoy life. Grades are important but so is fun! Have a passion to pursue. Who knows, your passion might one day be your profession someday!

Meet Our International Engineering Ambassador - Uddhav Agarwal

Course: BSC Computer Science
Nationality: Indian

Hey all! My name is Uddhav and I am a first year Computer Science student. I am from India. Me
and my family often changed cities, so I am a little bit from everywhere in India. I will keep
this short and hopefully interesting for you.
Choosing the right university is a big decision and can be a daunting task, especially if you are
an international student (I know! I’ve been there). I’ll answer the main two questions, that
personally made me choose Sheffield. Here goes:

Why Sheffield?
I believe being a university student, one of the first lessons you learn is living on a
budget and the best thing about Sheffield is that it is very forgiving on your wallet.
Whatever you like- food, drinking, nightclubs, plays. Everything is very cheap, as
opposed to other bigger cities i.e. London or Manchester.
If you’re more of a nature fanatic, just like Rome, Sheffield is said to be built on
seven hills and is a very green and beautiful city in and around.
If you’re a sports fan, Sheffield is perfect for you. It has two football teams (Sheffield
United and Sheffield Wednesday), one national ice hockey team (Sheffield Steelers).
Also, Sheffield also hosts the World Snooker Championship every year.

Why Computer Science at University of Sheffield?
Be it computer science or any other subject, being a Russell Group university grants
you access to published papers and several resources from other Russell Group
universities.
In addition to that the University of Sheffield has great services and resources of its
own. From personal experience in Computer Science, we are currently programming
these robots called NAO which costs £7000 each, so you know your fees is being well
spent. There is a whole building dedicated to the engineering department with state
of the art equipment that you only find in very few top-tier universities.
I hope this helps your decision. But trust me this information is merely a taste of what
Sheffield has to offer. Please feel free to contact me anyway you want. Just add me on
Facebook if that’s more convenient (this is not a scam to get me more friends on Facebook)

Interview with a Postgraduate Student

By Muhammad Shuja

This blog is a transcript of an interview I took with a Postgraduate Engineering student to give you an insight about postgraduate study at Sheffield.

Question: Tell me about yourself.

Answer: My name is Fahad Zulfiqar and I am from Pakistan. Currently I am enrolled in Masters in Advanced Computer Science at University of Sheffield.

Question: What did you study at undergraduate level and where?

Answer: I completed my Bachelors of Engineering Sciences from Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology in Pakistan.

Question: Why did you choose to pursue a postgraduate degree?

Answer: I was greatly intrigued by the Engineering Sciences stream and felt a need for Master’s Degree to further hone my skills. With computer science stream on the boom and the paucity of computer scientists, I strongly felt a need to differentiate myself from the masses with a postgraduate degree from the reputed institute.

Question: What were you reasons of choosing Sheffield to do your postgraduate course?

Answer: With a top-notch faculty and state-of-the-art labs, University of Sheffield is a Premium institute with a top rank in Computer Sciences stream. The breadth and depth on Computer Science curriculum further helped me in my decision. Moreover, an eclectic mix of people would enable me to improve my communication skills and groom myself.

Question: How has your time in Sheffield been so far?

Answer: Considering both academics and extracurricular activities, my time in Sheffield University has been great so far. I got a chance to groom myself together with mastering the concepts in the field I absolutely love.

Question: How would you compare your current course to your undergraduate degree?

Answer: The difficulty level of Masters in Computer Science is immense as compared to my Bachelor’s degree. This was partly due to the fact that the Computer Science program at Sheffield is directed toward the market trends and requirements. Facilities such as 24/7 library access and a serene environment made it possible for me to achieve my goals. Support from my faculty and friends is always available, making it a fun learning experience.

Question: What do you plan on doing upon completion of your course?

Answer: My goal is to work in a reputed software corporate and further hone my skills as a software developer.

Question: What advice would you give to prospective students or perhaps students thinking about going into postgraduate study?

Answer: The most important thing in life is to proceed in a field for which you develop a strong aptitude. With competitive job market and more computer scientists pouring out, postgraduate study is definitely a safe bet at the least. Postgraduate qualification from a Russell Group institute will definitely improve one’s chance of landing in a well reputed corporate.

Question: Do I have your consent of posting a transcript of this conversation online?

Answer: Yes

Thanks a lot for your time.

Department of Computer Science @Sheffield

By Muhammad Shuja

This blog is to give you more information about the Department of Computer Science at Sheffield and the variety of courses it offers.

Sheffield’s Department of Computer Science, hosting about 140 undergraduate students every year was founded in 1982 and is a member of the Faculty of Engineering. It’s situated in the Regent Court building.

The Department offers a huge variety of courses to both undergraduate and postgraduate students so that students can explore every opportunity possible. Though most of the courses might start of the same to lay the foundation for you, they do drift apart eventually. 

Most students tend to go with Computer Science, a fantastic course which mostly deals with addressing a variety of problems in the field alongside understanding the theoretical concepts to tackle them. You are educated to graduate as an analytical thinker with an insight into working as a team. 

Sheffield also offers more Computer Science courses with more emphasis on particular aspects of the field depending on your interests. You could choose Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science if you fancy working with robots or dream of building your own Baymax to fist bump you! Not sure about Baymax but Sheffield does have really cool robots you get to play with in some of the modules! You’re taught “biologically inspired algorithms” along with various specialization opportunities like robotics or speech recognition. 

The Department also offers Computer Science and Mathematics, where you get a chance to realize and appreciate the role of Mathematics in Computer Science and how the involvements of Mathematics have resulted in huge advances for Computer Science. This course is taught in collaboration with the School of Mathematics and Statistics. In summary, you get to experience the mathematical and theoretical side of the field with a taste of hands on engineering as well. 

Another course offered is Physics and Computer Science. As the name suggests, you study a combination of modules from both fields giving you a platform to showcase you skills in a multi-disciplinary and practical environment. This and CS and Mathematics are few of the dual honours offered at Sheffield. 

If you think you’re interested in Computer Science but have an edge in management, we’ve got ITMB (Information Technology Management for Business). This course is Sheffield’s fascinating blend of Computing with business and project management skills where you get a chance to work in a business to get real-life experience of dealing with clients and building business management software. Another similar course is Software Development for Business, which deals more with marketing and business strategy.

Last but not the least, we’ve got Software Engineering, where you learn concepts like software design and work collaboratively in teams through project management techniques to complete projects for clients to develop your team-working skills. In your 2nd year, you get to choose in specializing in 3D graphics, computer security, forensics and many others.

Of course, most of the courses come with an option of a placement year, foundation year and also MEng and MComp degrees. Hence, there’s literally no limit to the number of options you can explore, and this applies to all departments including Computer Science!

More details on the department webpage: https://www.shef.ac.uk/dcs

Meet Our IEA Alumni: Yineng Gordon Zeng

Department: Computer Science

Course: MComp Enterprise Computing: Information Technology Management for Business

Nationality: Chinese

When you were born and where you studied in China

I come from Changsha, China where I studied at high school. In order to seek a greater stage and make full use of the English I have learnt, I left my previous university course and transferred to the University of Sheffield.

The course you are on & Particular aspects of the course you enjoy

Now I am a third year student studying Enterprise Computing: Information Technology Management for Business. This course consists of 2/3 computer science modules and 1/3 business modules, and most assessments are based on coursework rather than a single exam. Personally, I do like this kind of education system very much. Because you can put what you have learnt into practice along with course, and you will not be overwhelmed in the exam period. However it also means that you need to work hard consistently to get a good grade.

Your hobbies and outside interests

In my first year, I was living an international community which is provided by the university. I made friends from all over the world and natives as well. We keep in touch on Facebook, travel around UK and had picnics in parks.

This year I am living in a house with my previous flatmates, so I get a chance to do some flowers and herbs in our backyard garden. On the weekend, I often go to the gym to take exercise especially swimming; sometimes I visit my friends who are living in a different area of Sheffield and ask them to show me around.

Individually, I would like to join the interesting activities and seminars that I received from our university email. They are not only about computer technologies and business, but also some topics in sociology, music, health and so on. I did make new friends with common interest and even meet some of them weekly.

Your future plans

My course is four year programme, and I plan to go on my fourth year for a master degree. Besides I am looking for a part time job for the summer vacation, ideally I hope it can be an internship in software development or business management.