Oliver
Name: Oliver
From: Leeds
Degree: BEng Software Engineering with a Foundation year.
Status: Oliver was interviewed at the end of his final year
Why did you choose your particular course?
I´ve always enjoyed computing, and a family friend works as a software engineer so I knew what a career in computing involved. When I chose my A level subjects at college, I didn´t realise that I would need A2 maths to study software engineering. I therefore came in through the foundation year route.
How did you find the first year?
In the first year most of your time is taken up with the core computing modules which form the foundations of your degree. I enjoyed the Artificial Intelligence topics, including the theoretical and philosophical issues surrounding AI. For example, when a robot performs a task can its behaviour be classed as intelligent, or it is just a machine carrying out our instructions?
Did your degree involve any project work?
I did a third year project with Prof Mike Holcombe. In 2012, a NASA mission will take place to map the asteroid belt in our solar system, and Mike´s research is part of the preparation. The theory is to use swarms of robots to map the asteroid belt. Swarm based intelligence is a biologically inspired idea based on ant behaviour. Individually, ants aren´t very intelligent but collectively they achieve a great deal. My particular project involved producing a computer simulation to replicate the robot-asteroid interaction. A simulation allows us to estimate how successful a mission would be before it´s carried out. I produced a prototype simulation– a finished model was outside the scope of a 12 week project, but the work will be carried on and could be used by NASA one day.
What are your future plans?
In the summer vacation I worked at a technology company in Leeds, which carries out disaster recovery, and they have offered me a job. The company were happy to employ me with a BEng, rather than the MEng. I´ve therefore decided not to stay on for the fourth year. The work is an interesting mix of meeting clients and using my technical qualifications. I started work as soon as I finished my final exams, and next week I´m going on a business trip to Canada.