Xenia - Full Interview

Name: Xenia
From: Nicosia, Cyprus
Degree: BSc Computer Science with a Foundation year.

I´m from Cyprus and went to high school in Nicosia, where I took the Apolyterion qualification, English Language GCSE, and the Pancyprian examinations. I have always been interested in computers and the way they work since I was a child, and I enjoy that way of thinking. A computer science degree has very good career prospects, which also influenced my choice of degree. Every business in the world involves computers so there are lots of opportunities for computing professionals. I was undecided as to whether to go to University in Cyprus or abroad but I believe that a degree from a UK University will give me greater career opportunities once I graduate because it covers a breadth of topics and also put these skills into a business context. The experience of living abroad helps you to develop as a person, improves your language skills, and makes you more independent.

I hadn´t visited the UK before I applied so I researched different Universities on the web. I didn´t want to study in London because of the higher costs of living involved and I was particularly attracted to Sheffield by the choice of topics offered by the department.

Moving to a different country was difficult at first - the language and culture are strange and even something as simple as travelling by train is something that you can´t do in Cyprus. In particular I found the style of studying very different to Cypriot high school. Over here you need to be much more independent and organised and it´s up to you as an individual decided how much effort to put in. It takes a while but everyone settles in and it helped that I got to know many other Cypriot students, and students from other countries who were all in the same situation. For the first year I lived in Victoria Halls which are University owned self catered flats situated very close to the department and the city centre. The University and Union are a welcoming environment and the different events and activities put on in Intro week helped me to settle in and make friends. I soon stopped feeling like a stranger. The foundation year teaches you a combination of mathematics and sciences. It also allowed me to become accustomed to living in the UK and studying in a different style before I started my degree.

In the first year of my Computer Sciences degree I started learning to programme using Java, and also learned about networks and system design, as well as mathematics and artificial intelligence topics. Two of your first year topics can be options from anywhere in the University so I studied some French as I think having additional language is always an asset.

The first year crossover project was an interesting exercise. We worked in groups of six to design a piece of software which would organise and keep score of a tennis tournament. At each development stage we handed over our work to a different team and worked on theirs so by the end of the project we had worked on five different systems. Seeing how different teams had approached the same problem in different ways gave me a real insight into problem solving. A lot of the practical exercises are carried out in groups because a good computer science degree isn´t just about learning technical and programming skills – it´s also about learning how to work well with other people.

Although all the first year topics were new to me, I didn´t find the work too difficult. I certainly wouldn´t say it was easy, but as long as you´re prepared to work hard then you´ll be fine. The lecturers don´t expect you to have any prior knowledge of computing and everything is taught starting from the very basics. The theory is covered in lectures then we work through problem solving exercises in practical sessions, tutorials and assignments. The tutors also have surgery hours so you can go and see them for more help if you´re finding a particular subject difficult.

I´m now in the second year and a topic I´m enjoying is system design. It´s a very practical module which teaches you some of the essential techniques used in industry. If I go on to work as a professional software engineer these are exactly the sort of skills I will need so to have so its good to start learning them now.

In my spare time I´m a member of the Hellenic Society which organises social events for Greek and Cypriot students. When I first came to the University I found it a useful way to meet other Cypriot students I´ve been a member ever since. This year I´m the Public Relations representative for the society, which involves helping to organise lots of parties.

My advice to new students, especially those from overseas, is to be prepared to make the most of all the opportunities that studying in the UK offers to you. Everyone says that your years at University are the best years of your life, and I believe that they are.