Wei Eyu

What are you studying at Kent now?

I’m in the final year of my Computer Science degree. I always had a passion for computer science and Kent was well recognised for this course when I was weighing my options. Having a dedicated School of Computing with experienced lecturers and even authors of textbooks caught my attention.

How well do you think the International Foundation Programme prepared you for your degree?

The Foundation Programming and Mathematics modules taught me everything I needed to know for the first few weeks of my first year, as they covered similar ground. That gave me confidence in pursuing the rest of the year. The English classes gave me an opportunity to practise my English speaking and boosted my confidence in communicating in English.

 How easy was it to settle in and make friends?

Settling in was easy for me as I arrived in Welcome Week so I had ample time to settle down. I lived in Parkwood student accommodation. It gave me an ‘off-campus’ feeling as it was about 10 minutes’ walk away from main campus, separated from the ‘hustle and bustle’, but I got to enjoy the convenience of living on campus – best of both worlds. The University organised a few events but it is up to you to make the effort and step out of your comfort zone to make friends.  I joined Taekwondo Club and Malaysian Society, and made friends with whom I still keep in touch.

What are you enjoying most about your degree?

The sense of achievement from successfully solving problems in assignments using the knowledge that I have gained. More specifically, when my code runs successfully.

 What impact is the coronavirus pandemic having on your studies?

I haven’t been able to return to Kent because of travel restrictions so I am studying online in Malaysia. I believe it is not having too much impact on me as I am in my final year, which requires self-learning and heavily depends on me being proactive and motivated to work on my studies. I believe the support by the University is always there, it is up to me to fully utilise it.

How do you think you have changed as a person since you arrived at Kent?

I have become more confident in voicing my opinion and more independent.

What are your career plans? What do you hope to do in the future?

The industrial placement I did last year has given me an idea of the specific area I believe I would enjoy in the vast field of computer science and that is data engineering. I hope I’ll have the opportunity to gain more working experience in the UK before ultimately returning to work in my home country.