Rosie Freeman

When I was a kid, I enjoyed making games in Roblox Studio and as I got older, I became more interested in the scripting side and eventually tried coding. It was fun learning about how computers work and programming some small projects. I applied for Computer Science to continue learning about computers and practise coding, as well as to gain a qualification that would enable me to apply for a career I’d find interesting.

Edge Hill was my favourite choice because it’s a beautiful campus university with great student reviews, and the website’s description of the course content and available equipment and resources was reassuring. I was particularly interested in the programming and calculus modules, as well as the optional modules in second and third year. During the open day, I really liked the Tech Hub, Catalyst, and accommodation.

The most memorable moment of my degree so far has been winning the Hackathon! They told us the theme would be an Adventure Game, so I made up a character called the Odd Wizard and some puzzles I could maybe code on the day. When we got there, we watched a presentation on some of the University’s achievements at big events and then started coding. It was a bit intimidating coding competitively and under a time limit, neither of which I’d done before, but also really fun and exciting.  We watched each other demonstrate our projects, it was great seeing what everyone made. When they announced I was 1^st, it was awesome! It was a great experience, and I look forward to future events by the department.

My favourite thing about my degree is learning new programming concepts and best practices in the lectures and then applying them in the seminars and my own time. We also get extra challenges sometimes, so it’s fun to play with those. I like doing research, reading documentation and experimenting with different coding methods. Even in our other modules, there is often room for practising these concepts, such as the programming task at the end of the Calculus coursework, and the maths itself is fun too.

As part of the course we practiced procedural programming, modular design, documentation and planning, best practices and other essential programming techniques. This included logic, control flow, LBYL and EAFF, as well as clean code, PEP8, flowcharts, and collaborative coding with GitHub. The group project and seminar sessions allowed us to practise these skills, as well as attempt independent research on content we were less familiar with, such as JSON syntax and further capabilities of python.

The coursework has required problem solving, research and reasoning and collaboration when writing the report and collectively coding the Programming module’s group project. It has been fun developing these, and they are invaluable for a career in Computer Science, which requires problem solving and flexibility in adapting new skills and languages. Having important coursework with strict deadlines has helped me develop my attention to detail, as well as other soft skills such as time management. While we’ve practised coding more, I’ve noticed it’s easier to recognise syntax errors quickly, freeing up time for the more difficult areas.

The best thing about Edge Hill University to me is that everything is always well-organised, with great communication and easy-to-access resources. Whenever there’s an event, change in the schedule or a piece of coursework, all the information is quickly available in emails and on the Learning Edge website. We’re frequently reminded of how and where to get any required content, such as in the Catalyst or with DiscoverMore. I’ve never been unsure of what to do, where to go, what to use and know who to ask if I have any questions. Tutors have been very quick to respond when we do have any questions. Also, the frequent events hosted by the University are a great way to take a break and have some fun!

My favourite place on campus is the Tech Hub. We have our seminars there, it’s the location for Games Club, and it’s where we had the Hackathon. It’s associated with some of my favourite memories this semester! There’s a welcoming feel to the whole place, like how there’s an arcade machine on the table to play Tetris with your friends after class. Also, you often see the campus cat on the way there.

When I graduate I really hope to get a good internship to learn more and eventually get a job as a programmer. Though I’m still considering different areas, like web, games or security, I have considered that a job with Microsoft and working on Minecraft updates would make younger me very proud! However, it’s not a concrete goal yet, as I have yet to experience a lot of the modules that will help me make a decision. I plan on focusing on enjoying the subject as a whole this year, and making more concrete decisions in 2^{nd and} 3^rd year.

My advice to someone considering computer science at Edge Hill is go for it, Edge Hill is great and Computer Science is really interesting! If you have free time before starting, I’d recommend learning and re-familiarising yourself with some basic coding in python and maths, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself if you can’t as the course and resources allow room for all levels of experience, including beginners. Once you start, I’d recommend getting familiar with GoogleScholar, where you’ll have free access to academic papers through the university, and the Harvard Referencing Style Guide, as well as making a RefWorks account with your university email.  Finally, I’d recommend checking your email regularly, as there’s often advice on coursework and fun events to take an important break from studying.

There are frequent events on at university, including fun events such as Film Friday and academic events such as  Careers Fairs, which both contribute to a excellent learning environment. All lectures and slides are recorded on Learning Edge, so it’s possible to revisit previous content or look ahead for next week. Tutors frequently provide up-to-date information and respond quickly to emails. Discover More and module-specific reading lists make researching easier. Finally, the campus is a great place to live and study!