Check out what Ayo Rajitola, a final year student, has to say about studying Computer Systems Engineering including a Year in Industry BEng<\/p>\n
Originally, I wasn\u2019t sure whether I wanted to do computer science, software engineering, or electronics. Computer Systems Engineering gives me a really good blend of all of them. I chose Kent because it\u2019s not too far from home, it\u2019s got good links into London and I liked that everything is on one campus and it isn\u2019t scattered.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s quite demanding but I\u2019m really happy that I chose it. The great thing about it is that it gives you the opportunity to try out different areas and then decide whether you want to develop expertise in that area. At the beginning, I wanted to do software-related work after graduation, but now I think I want to go into the business side of IT. Having the technical knowledge means I can change my career path at any given point in time. I really do like that.<\/p>\n
I think the lecturers are quite friendly. There\u2019s not been a time when I\u2019ve asked for help outside of timetabled hours and they haven\u2019t helped me. Regardless of whether they\u2019re busy or not, they\u2019re happy to just pull out a seat and make sure that you understand the content. They\u2019re really friendly. EDA [School of Engineering & Digital Arts] is a very small school so, because of that, you get all the attention that you need. You don\u2019t have to wait a long time to get responses from people. I think the support in EDA is very, very good.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re quite close-knit. Everyone feels quite comfortable asking each other for help and we just bounce off each other because you know some people are good in this and some people are good at that. So we all come together and help each other when we need to. I don\u2019t think this is the kind of degree you can do on your own; we have so many lab sessions, so much project work, that the course forces you to build relationships with people. I feel like the teamwork is what gets you through and that\u2019s really good, because in life you\u2019re never going to have to work by yourself.<\/p>\n
I worked as a technical account manager, which involved looking after clients with regard to support, managing their projects and stuff like that. You didn\u2019t necessarily need to have a technical background to do that role, but having a technical background meant I was able to speak to both parties and communicate with both sides. From that, I realised that, actually, much as I love software, I prefer a client-facing role. So now, going forward, I want to go into IT project management and areas like that. I think going on the placement was really helpful because I\u2019ve saved myself all that time in trying to work out what I want to do.<\/p>\n
The role was in London and my family home is in Essex, so it was only 40 minutes on the train. But my role did require me to travel to different parts of the country, all over the place really, and I could also work from home so it was quite flexible.<\/p>\n
If anything, you\u2019re at an advantage over the permanent staff. Because you\u2019re an intern, they admire the fact that you\u2019re there, that you want to get experience, and they\u2019re a bit more flexible in terms of letting you get involved in other projects. If I\u2019d been interested more in project management, I could get experience there, or if I\u2019d wanted experience in sales I could have spent a week there. They were happy for me to get the most out of the year. Placement students get two visits from the University\u2019s placement team as well, so if you\u2019re having any issues you can talk to them.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t really get involved in much when I started \u2013 I started at 16. Over the course of my time here, I\u2019ve really come out of my shell and I\u2019m trying to be proactive in different ways. I\u2019m a student ambassador for EDA, engaging with visitors at open days and trying to give people a feel for what it\u2019s actually like at Kent. I\u2019m also a placement ambassador. Because I\u2019ve been on placement, I understand how demanding it is, so I\u2019m here to assist with anything people need, whether it be advice, encouragement, opportunities to practise, and so on.<\/p>\n
My other role is as a student mentor which, again, is all about providing support and assistance, but in this case providing help with the course for people in the years below me. Maybe someone is not really getting the content or the lecturer\u2019s teaching style isn\u2019t right for them, or they feel like they need more time. Explaining things to other students reinforces the knowledge I already have, and it feels good to be able to help someone in the same way that other people have helped me.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve already secured a graduate role. I\u2019m going to be working on project management within IT for [major supply chain and logistics company] DHL. Although it\u2019s in a different industry, it\u2019s still tech and it will give me a more rounded approach. I started applying for jobs from October because I\u2019d learned from my placement year that applications take up a lot of time. As well as CVs, applications, you have to do a lot of tests. You have to do interviews. You have to do video interviews. You have to do assessment centres. It\u2019s quite a long journey and sometimes you don\u2019t even get the job. I got the first job I applied for but the whole process took three or four months and I knew I wouldn\u2019t have the time later in this final year.<\/p>\n
Make sure that this is an environment that you think you could live in for three, four, five years. It\u2019s not just about your studies, it\u2019s also about your mental health and being happy. And don\u2019t be afraid to ask questions, utilise people. We pay money to be here \u2013 get your money\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"