James Gregory
Name: James
From: Huddersfield
Degree: MEng Software Engineering
Status: James was interviewed during the third year of his degree
Why did you choose the Software Engineering course?
I chose my particular course because I see Software Engineering as having an emphasis on actual programming, whereas Computer Science is more about the mathematical aspects of computing and the background research. I´m a very hands-on person and I like to concentrate on the more practical and less abstract side of computing.
Why Sheffield?
I wasn´t initially going to apply to Sheffield. I´d never visited the city, and always thought I´d stay closer to home. However, I attended an open day and was just blown away by the department and facilities. I also like the fact that Sheffield doesn´t feel like a huge city. The University is close to the countryside and you can look out of the taller University buildings and see the Peak District.
Which topics have you enjoyed most?
Of my first year topics I found object orientated programming the most enjoyable. This involves writing in Java and I really enjoy just getting stuck in and coding something. Software Hut is the one of the main focuses in the second year. Teams of four students undertake a project for a client. Software Hut is a scaled down model of how businesses work, and gives you your first experience of working through a project from the analysis stage, through to design and finally testing a finished product. My team had to design an interactive website. It worked reasonably well and the client seemed pleased with the end result.
You´re now in your third year. How does this differ from previous years?
The first and second year of the degree teach you the fundamentals skills that you need to know. In the third year you apply these skills to the areas that interest you most and almost half of your time is taken up with a project. For my project I´ve chosen to extend the functionality of the testing server. The programmes created for Software Hut are tested by submitting the programme script to a testing server which identifies if any faults are present. The current system is a bit basic so I´m going to be extending its functionality, add more testing environments and making it more user-friendly.
What do you do in your spare time?
I´m involved in the Dancesport society - primarily Latin and ballroom dancing. We have two practice sessions a week and also take part in inter-varsity competitions against other Universities. We also host the biggest dance competition in the UK outside the nationals. Last year I was society treasurer and this year I´m in charge of publicity.