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| Richard Palmer. |
I'm in my 4th year (honours) of CS and plan on commencing a PhD next year.
I chose CS because I've always been interested in computers, programming and mathematics and I felt that CS provided the best way to study all these things in one degree. I've always had a great deal of respect for programmers and people who are able to understand how very complex machines work; I guess I just wanted to be one of those people!
My goal at university is to come away with an excellent academic record and learn the most I possibly can. In the longer term, I plan on becoming something along the lines of chief software architect at a major software development company. I want to help make software development into the professionally creative enterprise it deserves to be.
The course has provided me with a diverse and thorough understanding of the discipline, and has really heightened my interest and enjoyment of software development in general. I feel I am sufficiently well grounded in computer science now to keep at the leading edge of technological developments in the field.
I have enjoyed my time at Curtin tremendously. The campus, staff and facilities are all first class. I find it a very relaxing learning environment, and a great place to be even when not studying. I even come to campus on occasion during semester breaks just to enjoy the fine food at the Angazi cafe!
I have tutored classes in PLDC and SE252 during my honours year and am finding the experience to be very fulfilling. I find the students really open up to me and want to learn. It's also helpful for me as their tutor, because in teaching the material, the information becomes cemented in my own mind. I find it really helps to clarify ideas when you have to explain them to others!
I am yet to find employment within the industry, but then I'm not looking particularly hard. It's just too nice here. Perhaps after my doctorate... |
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| Michael Seddon. |
I'm in my last semester of a Software Engineering (BSc) at Curtin University. Throughout my three years here I've gained knowledge and skills that can be directly applied to industry. The structure of the SE course has taught me the fundamentals of the Software Engineering discipline whilst allowing me to explore my own areas of interest in great depth. I feel extremely confident in my own abilities, and am excited about branching out into the workforce to make my mark on the industry.
During the last three years I have had the opportunities to work for both BP and IBM as a direct result of my education at Curtin. I not only have theoretical knowledge about my discipline, but have also been given the chance to demonstrate and improve my skills by working with two of the largest companies in the world. The employment opportunities that this presents in the future are very exciting, and throughout my degree I have never been concerned about the strength of my skills or the quality of education I have received. At the end of the year I will be travelling to Europe where I will be very well placed to find work due to the strength of my degree and experiences. |
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| Dhuha Al Ghanimi. |
I'm a third year student in an IT course. I chose this particular
course because I liked working with computers. When I started
university, I found out that I hadn't the suitable knowledge that was
required to study such a course, so I didn't feel confident enough about
continuing with it. But help was always there, starting from the
activities of the Orientation Week, passing through mentoring, and
ending with the help given by other students and lecturers.
At the moment, I feel much more confident, and am planning to continue
with the course to the end and achieve the best I can, even though I
still sometimes feel worried that I might not do as well as I hope to do.
My experience at Curtin is incomparable to any other I have had. I enjoy
the environment, and the people in computing and elsewhere in uni are
really friendly and helpful.
I am hoping that one day I might study a different course here in
Curtin. One that has nothing to do with computing, but that still allows
me to use my knowledge in computing, such as journalism. So, if one day
you read an interesting article about a new software being developed,
you'll know who wrote it. |
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| Paul Gresser. |
What am I doing?
I have previously completed a Bachelor of Commerce(Finance) at Curtin
and (after working long enough in Finance to discover I didn't like it
very much) am now currently studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Software
Engineering). I tutor part-time at University, work part-time as an
undergraduate software engineer for a private defence related company
and I'm involved through university in a project for another private
defence related company.
Why Software Engineering?
I was looking to get into an industry which would challenge me
intellectually and in which I could be creative and solve problems. I
was also interested in the flexible working conditions and wanted to get
out of an industry that was all about image and into an industry that
was all about quality of work.
Software is not only about computers! These days everything in the world
is in some way related to software. White-goods to music recording to
spacecraft and about a zillion things in between. I'm not tied to one
industry, through Software Engineering I can become involved in any
industry I choose. I can constantly become involved in new problem
domains, it can always be new and interesting.
Why Curtin?
Curtin has a good reputation in the industry and also a good
relationship with many large and well known Industry Partners. Curtin
Computing also has a strong focus on learning about the practical
application of the material taught (Some other universities can have a
stronger focus on theory at the expense of practical application). The
ultimate example of both the ties that Curtin Computing have with
industry and the exposure students have to the practical application of
the material in a real-world environment is the final year project
(BSc-SE and BEng-SE) in which students work in teams and in conjunction
with an industry partner going through an entire software lifecycle,
ultimately producing a complete and working (hopefully) software
solution for that partner.
Advice to people considering a career in ICT
IT is a broad term so become aware of the various aspects of IT, it is
important to understand that different people and personalities are
suited to different areas (for instance Software Developers are very
different to Network Administrators). Don't assume that any 'IT
stereotype' is necessarily true, get out and try to meet some real life
people who are working in the fields you are interested in. (approach
firms directly if you can't find anyone via relatives or friends). If
you are currently studying then start doing things which will
distinguish yourself from your classmates, most importantly find
part-time work in the industry (meeting real-life people already in the
industry helps with this) and get involved early. |
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