I am currently a software engineering student in Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK. It was my first time ever going to the UK; I did not have anyone in the UK and went solo. It was a long journey from Malaysia but I was more excited to meet new people and travel to a new place to settle into. It helps that I'm a very social person. Once I arrived and got to know the place, I met so many wonderful people and made lots of amazing memories. Along learning Software Engineering from my courses, I learned a lot from my classmates and friends; most have worked in this field before coming to Uni and others are just as knowledgeable. University for me is an exciting learning experience because I get to do projects in something I enjoy doing while going through it with inspirational and friendly people.
My completed modules are: Programming, Web Development, Database and Systems Modelling, Software Projects
My current modules are: Systems Programming, Introduction to Software Engineering, Mobile Applications Development
You can view my uni projects in the projects page.
During my first summer break of uni, I took this time to expand my learning through personal projects and courses. I began by writing a list of everything I want to complete on my own, in order of urgency before my classes begin. My list included of languages I wanted to improve on such as JavaScript, Python, React.JS, etc and some small projects such as a portfolio website and task manager. I was able to complete this portfolio website to my liking and started doing JavaScript courses on YouTube and LinkedIn Learning. These courses helped me feel more confident in my JS abilities. After that, I continued onto learning React for the first time with my new knowledge on JS. I am now able to create small projects on React and am proud of the progress I made over the summer.
After graduating IBDP, I spent a year before going to University to work on my computing skills because my school did not offer classes in that field. I took online courses on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to start my self-learning journey in website development from scratch. I started creating websites for fun and to improve on my skills. I then took Harvard's CS50 as a recommendation from some people I knew studying computer science. It helped me realise I have a great passion for coding because I can create anything. The possibilities and creativity are what keep me interested in constantly learning.
I studied for my diploma in Fairview International School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. My HL (high-level) classes were Maths, Physics, and Business. My SL (standard-level) classes were Chemistry, English, and Mandarin. To pass and receive my IB diploma, I completed a project for every class called an IA (internal assessment), one big project in the subject of my choice, which was Maths, called an EE (extended essay), and an exam that consisted of at least 2 papers for each subject.
This was one of the more difficult parts of my journey because I was not in Malaysia for my first year of IBDP, due to Covid. I was in Tbilisi, Georgia. I joined online classes for that year with a 5-hour time difference. Waking up at 2AM to join classes and write my first-year exams was a big physical and mental obstacle. I managed to push through and achieve one of the toughest accomplishments of receiving an IB Diploma
I started taking student ambassador jobs in July 2024 and continue to take them whenever possible for more experience. My first one was the July open day where I was stationed at the computing building, along with 2 other ambassadors. Our main task was to greet guests, help or direct them to the event/talk of their choice, keep track of the scheduled events to be prepared to guide guests between them, and make guests feel welcome to the University and answer any questions honestly. Since then, I've worked multiple days giving campus tours and being involved in welcome talks.
My strengths as a student ambassador is having a positive attitude being friendly and approachable when talking with guests and giving tours. I enjoy making every student's visit entertaining and memorable. During my tours, I try to talk with the students about their plans for uni or any topic they might be interested in, while also talking about my experience in Sheffield Hallam.
This opportunity has made me more outgoing and confident. I've built my communication, teamworking, and leadership skills through campus tours, talks, and keeping other ambassadors and managers up to date. I also improved on my time management and planning skills through staying on a strict schedule we are given for the day. Our tours start and end on a specific time so we need to plan the destinations accordingly but not rush through it.
The skills I used in or learned from this experience: Organisation, Teamworking, Communication, Leadership, Planning.
Our main mission is to support students with all matters either through passing on feedback, redirecting them to the appropriate location for their need, or one-on-one chats for more minor situations. We keep regular communication with the department representative on feedback and conduct meetings to discuss if any further actions need to be taken.
A more specific example of a task assigned to me and another course rep in computing was to organize, plan, and host an autumn social event for all representatives in the computing department.
The skills I used in or learned from this experience: Organisation, Teamworking, Communication, Planning.
A volunteer's main job was to direct competitors, other students, and guests arriving to their respective area. We had a schedule to follow and ensure everyone was on time to the events. We communicated between other volunteers and staff in different areas to verify everything goes as planned. During each competition, some volunteers, including me, were assigned to prep meals for lunch and label them accordingly for different diets.
The skills I used in or learned from this experience: Organisation, Teamworking, Communication.