Engineering & Computer Science

Nandita Sharma

Bachelor of Software Engineering

There is an increasing demand for engineers, computer scientists and ICT professionals, and the ACT region can’t meet its skills requirements in these areas. To me, this is the perfect time to study these programs, and in my experience ANU is the best place to do it.

I did a 4-Year Software Engineering degree and I was attracted to it because it is interesting and challenging. The program is structured so that the study correlates very well with what is out there in the real world, which makes it an easy transition from university to profession. My passion for computer science and mathematics means the program fits me well.

Software Engineering involves teamwork and I enjoy working in teams and in leadership roles. Because the design and implementation of projects requires creativity and innovation, teamwork provides opportunities to collectively analyse and solve problems. It also makes studying fun and interesting. The whole experience prepares us well to be work ready after graduating.

Career prospects are great and because of the intellectual environment, independent thinking, support and encouragement provided to us by lecturers I am confident that I will be able to realise my career aspirations.

People sometimes ask why I chose ANU. Well, mostly its because of ANU prestige and because it is intellectually inspiring. ANU offers a vast range of courses and opportunities to work with high profile academics. Also, the structure of the Software Engineering degree program covers the whole software development cycle and gives us a better understanding of what we may expect when pursuing our future careers. We have state-of-the-art IT facilities, and the ANU setting provides a study environment that is very conducive to learning, teaching and research.

It’s not all work either! Life at ANU is as memorable for its social activities too. There are all sorts of things to become involved in and this is where friendships and networking start, both at a personal and professional level. For instance, none of my school friends are my classmates at uni, but I’ve made many new friends from different schools and with diverse backgrounds. I think this prepares us well for the global village we live in.

I had so much inspiration here that even though I could walk out into a top job I’ve decided that I want to do my PhD here. My main interest is in artificial intelligence and although I have a while left to decide my final career preference, I’m certain that, for me, any job that requires research and innovation in the computer science, engineering and mathematics areas is what I’ll be aiming for.

ANU has prepared me well and has opened doors for many opportunities and challenges and I’m looking forward to a great future.