Vezika Kotelska BSc Computer Science, 2019

Technology Graduate Engineer at American Express

Studying at Southampton was amazing. Although my course was quite demanding, the lecturers did a great job at teaching the material and provided a lot of support for assignments. Having great work-life balance, I was able to be part of societies, try out new sports and participate in different events. The university gave me a lot of opportunities for learning, professional and personal development and I believe it prepared me well for a successful career.

The university has given me a lot of opportunities for learning, professional and personal development and I believe it has prepared me well for a successful career.

I chose University of Southampton because it offered all the things I was looking for – a variety of modules, great employability rates, modern computer labs and a relaxed and friendly environment.

I knew that studying Computer Science at one of the top universities in the UK would be quite challenging and I had some doubts whether I would be able to handle the difficulty of the subject while settling in a new country and making new friends. But we had loads of welcome events where I met people on my course and found out where I could find support if I needed it. It was quite reassuring to talk with course representatives and other students who gave me some insights into student life at Southampton.

Highlights

I had a lot of great moments during my time at university. It was great to successfully finish projects I thought were beyond my capabilities and to have the chance to do a few work placements which gave me the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned and develop new skills. A particular highlight was qualifying for the North West Europe Regional Programming Contest and getting the chance to compete for the university in Eindhoven.

Studying at Southampton

The university has great teaching and sports facilities – the large main library offers lots of study spaces and group study rooms for students, the Jubilee sport centre has facilities for all kinds of sports, etc. I think most ECS students enjoy the computer labs the most – apart from the teaching labs, we have access to a great social lab with quite powerful computers. In 2018 the university opened brand new social computing labs for ECS students, which offer great atmosphere for working on coursework assignments and group study spaces with modern equipment.

I really liked the balance between theory and practical work – we had loads of coursework which improved my programming skills and helped me learn better the concepts taught in the lectures. I had the chance to study modules outside of my core subject but preferred to take Computer Science modules. Some of my friends took modules from Psychology, language modules, etc., and they were quite happy to have the chance to expand their knowledge in a different area.

I really like the balance between theory and practical work – we’ve had loads of coursework which improved my programming skills and helped me learn better the concepts taught in the lectures. I’ve had the chance to study modules outside of my core subject but preferred to take Computer Science modules. Some of my friends have taken modules from Psychology, language modules, etc., and they were quite happy to have the chance to expand their knowledge in a different area.

Student life

Southampton is a really student-friendly city – it offers quite a lot of things to do and places to go to like cinemas, parks, restaurants, pubs, clubs, etc, without the hustle and bustle of huge cities like London. It also feels quite safe and it’s rather budget-friendly for students. I stayed in halls in my first year of studies – it was quite nice to have everything nearby and 24-hour support and security. It is also an opportunity to meet people on different courses through the various social events organised.