Hi, I’m Başak. I’m currently studying
computer science as part of my integrated masters. I have been in Leeds for
four years now and I have been involved in so many clubs and societies during my time here. There are over
300 societies and there’s something for everyone. This year I’m involved in the Volleyball Club, Turkic Society, Climbing and Mountaineering society and computing society and making the most of my last year!
For the past 2 years I have been the captain of the Women’s Second team for volleyball, but I have decided to step down this year in order to focus more on my studies. This meant that I was responsible for many things for my team including arranging transport, rescheduling any matches of needed, decide the players for each match and coach the match in the absence of a coach. I loved my role at the time but I cannot wait to be a player this year as well and see where the next committee takes the society. I have also attended a referee course and awarded a Grade 4 referee qualification by Volleyball England. I now referee the BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sports) leagues matches for the Leeds University Volleyball Club. Since then I have been upgraded to a Grade 3 (Regional) referee after being assessed by a Volleyball England referee.
If you’re going to study computer science but find it intimidating, I can tell you that there is no need to worry. Many people seem to think that you NEED prior experience with coding to study it but the course assumes no prior knowledge and teaches everything from scratch. Of course a bit of familiarity is going to help you and you can move on to more complex stuff if you are feeling confident, but the most important thing is to be able to teach something to yourself and be able to study independently. The modules are evenly balanced between theory, coding, maths and industrial knowledge. Not only you will learn a plethora of coding languages like C, C++, Python, HDL, Javascript, you will also learn about the context these are used in and be familiar with how a project is run in a workplace.
Although our courses are important to us, we are not limited to the modules in our faculty. In my second year of university I had 20 more credits which I could use to take either
optional modules from the school of computing, or
discovery modules from other schools. I chose to take History of Psychiatry and Mental Illness and it was very refreshing to have in a schedule packed with computer science. I found it very insightful and interactive with its reading materials dating back to 1800s. My favourite part of the module was the
seminars where we discussed the reading material to have a deeper understanding.
There is also a lot of support when it comes to finding internships and graduate jobs. Faculty of Engineering a Physical Sciences has a department dedicated to helping students find employment with CV and cover letter checks, mock interviews and newsletters. They have helped me a great deal in finding a placement and they make sure every student is properly supported throughout our placements.
I love Leeds as a city and I love our campus. There is always something to do and there’s people from all around the world. I really enjoy my time here and I’m happy to help you make a more informed decision and get rid of any concerns you might have. So whether you just want to chat with a current student or have questions, don’t hesitate to drop me a message!
If you want to chat with me about anything, feel free to message me on Unibuddy or through email ayse-link@leeds.ac.uk. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Chat to Başak
