Check out what Vic Hassan, a final year student, has to say about studying Computer Systems Engineering at Kent.<\/p>\n
First, I was looking for a specific course that would express what I love doing. Technology is very wide, and I enjoy the coding side, the software side, and I also enjoy the engineering aspect. This course has computing elements and engineering elements and they\u2019re very equal so I never feel like I\u2019m leaving one out. I have friends in the year above who also recommended Kent. Socially, and in terms of the facilities the School [of Engineering and Digital Arts] offers, it\u2019s good.<\/p>\n
I enjoy it a lot. Choosing a course you love is really important because it makes the work feel less like work, if that makes sense. My favourite module so far is probably the coding module. The lecturer is incredible. He\u2019s just so cool, and he\u2019s smart too. He wrote a book that the University actually uses for the course. He also has YouTube channels where he talks about the different exercises in the books and shows you how to do them.<\/p>\n
The library, first of all, is incredibly big. There\u2019s so many places you can go. If you want to work with friends, there\u2019s an area where you can work and talk, or there are silent study areas, which are really good, really productive. If you forget to bring your laptop, you can rent one out. In the lab, any equipment you need is provided. There are instructions on how to use it and there\u2019s technical support too, so any question you have, they will answer it for you. And then the actual lecture halls are spacious, comfortable and just designed quite well.<\/p>\n
On my course, I\u2019ve found a lot of people who have similar interests to me. We formed a group very quickly and we walk to lectures together, we even live near each other. It\u2019s very easy to make friends.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m involved in the Engineering Society, University of Kent Football, and the African-Caribbean Society (ACS).\u00a0 Some of my friends are on the ACS committee, so I help them promote it. They do a lot of different stuff: games nights, parties at clubs and they recently won a really big award for their charitable activities. Wherever you look, there\u2019s always something to do in terms of being social and meeting new people and stuff. You just have to be open-minded to it.<\/p>\n
I have a LinkedIn account and on there I update different things that I do. Employers or recruitment agencies would then get in touch and ask if I\u2019m interested in work they\u2019ve got. Over the year, I do insight weeks or vacation schemes. I did a summer internship last year as a software developer with [financial services company] Legal & General. They were really friendly and taught me a lot. I was able to see the things I was learning at university being placed in a real-life experience.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s so much you can do. I\u2019ve managed to knock it down to three main things, and I\u2019m still trying to pin it down to one. One option would be software development, so that\u2019s just pure coding and on the software side of things, front end and back end. The second option would be software engineering, which is more practical stuff, with a more physical and hands-on aspect to your work. And the last one would be cyber security. So that\u2019s just focusing purely on networks and watching out for different threats. I\u2019ve got an internship at a cyber defence company this summer but they\u2019re open to me learning about the other areas I\u2019m interested in too. They really like to employ Kent students.<\/p>\n
I would say be positive, be open-minded, be active, be involved in societies because it\u2019s always good to have a hobby. Sometimes uni work can get to you, so it\u2019s always good to have something to relieve stress or release tension and just calm yourself down so you\u2019re ready for work again. Don\u2019t waste any opportunities, and enjoy first year because it goes by very quickly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n