The layman looks at a graphical interface to interact with their computers and never stops to question the development behind it. When I found out that the fundamentals of computing were written in binary base 2 number system composed by simple 0s and 1s, I was astonished and began to understand more and my curiosity in mathematics began to broaden. Building my first few programs using C++ gave me a glimpse into the possibilities of programming and how effective they are at making processes more productive and efficient. Using Visual Basic, I created an E-bay fee calculator and a basic calculator. From building these programs I found that at the element of programming, true understanding, mathematics is fundamental. During that period, I realised that if I wanted to learn more I needed to dedicate my time to computing and mathematics which is what motivated me to apply for Computer Science.

My interest in computers has led me to attend lectures and open days held at UCL and Imperial College London including “What is Quantum Computing?” By realising some indecipherable problems as well as prospects for the future, my desire to bring that future into the present increased. For a long time, computing has been set according to Moore’s Law; the number of transistors doubles every two years. I am enlivened to see that a destined alternative path may slow down or even stop that pace for a number of years. While studying mathematics I was able to develop a logical thought process that I applied to ICT and biology. I have been able to interlink these subjects to gain invaluable analytical skills. Also, through independent studies I have been able to learn a substantial amount on networking basics. These skills combined allowed me to apply what I have learnt in my own home.

One of my more recent projects of them has been running a NAS and virtual Windows on the same machine using UnRaid. Thus not only giving full performance in Windows, using Cinebench as my benchmark, but also allowing full access to network storage at any time. I was fortunate enough to go on a school trip to CERN in Geneva and I was able to grasp how vital computing is to interpret data, through logical computation and statistics. The terabytes of data that is collected needs to be processed and stored, this requires high levels of networking skills to be able to set up. In July of 2015 I was able to secure a work experience placement in the Product Design and Development department at Sky where I was given responsibility for setting up Sky Box racks used in automatic testing. This allowed me to understand how computing is used in a working environment and how they have implemented an ADGILE work flow which allows them to work better as a team and contribute to making a better product. What struck me the most was the emphasis on direct communication between colleagues, every morning a staff meeting was expected where progress was discussed. I appreciated the amount of time and patience it takes to develop award winning software for hardware that is more than 5 years old; the same patience skills I gained from my own projects. In my free time, cooking and baking creative desserts for the family has always been a favourite. It allows me to explore my creative side as well as allowing me to further improve my problem solving skills when something goes wrong.

In addition, I play basketball regularly with friends where I find this an excellent stress release. Throughout the past two years I have seen how computing and mathematics play an important role in our everyday life and within a decade alone it has revolutionised not only the computing industry but the way we learn altogether. I will not only be equipped with the skills necessary for a successful career in Computer Science, but also be surrounded by people who share the same interest as myself if I study Computer Science.