Ricky Barefield
Name: Ricky
From: East London
Degree: MComp Computer Science
Ricky was interviewed during his third year
Why did you choose to study at Sheffield?
One of the main reasons was because of the city. I looked round a few Universities and straight away Sheffield had a really nice feel. I also really liked the option of Genesys in the fourth year.
Can you tell me about the second year Software Hut project?
Software Hut was brilliant. You work in a small group and get a real software problem from an external client. We worked for an overseas property agent and created a website for him that customers could search and that he could add property details to. We had to interview him about what he wanted and then develop it. These sorts of websites are dynamically created, so there´s lots of programme code running in the background, not just a simple website you could do with Front Page. The client has offered us work since, which is great.
You're currently working on your third year project. Can you tell me about this?
I'm finding a method of converting between Java and Haskell. The reason lots of different programmes exist is because they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Java is good for computer graphics and e-commerce but for something basic like storing representations of websites you've browsed it would be better to use Haskell. The idea of combining is to use the strengths of different programmes together rather than choosing one or the other.
Do you also have lectures in your third year?
Yes - there are loads of module topics to choose from. I've chosen Java E-commerce, 3D graphics and Natural Language Processing. One of the nice things about the department is that the staff are actively researching and then teaching you what they've developed, particularly in the third and fourth year. I´m also doing some maths based courses as you need a strong foundation in maths. You do some pure maths for things like 3D graphics, but mostly its applied maths. I wouldn't say the difficulty went much higher than A level standard but you need to be able to work comfortably at this level.