Hello its me again ʕ ´• ᴥ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔ,
Welcome to the last blog of the semester! I hope everyone has been doing well during this busy time of year with exams underway. 🎧☕📝
Initially, I was only going to do an FAQ, but I thought I might as well get more personal for this final post and share my overall experience during part II of software now that the year is finally wrapping up! ٩(^ᗜ^ )و
My average week as a software student…🤓
Compared to first year, the timetable for part II is a lot less busy – where generally, there is a lower density of lectures, but the content gets harder. Another notable difference from first year is that most of my courses are in the afternoon, so it’s much better if you are a night owl 🦉.
The semester one and two timetables slightly differ in the way that semester one has many more lectures due to having more exam-based courses than project-based courses. If you want to learn more about each course, I covered semester one and semester two courses in my previous blogs too😉😉.
“How much time is dedicated to studies??” 🥹👉👈
Free time is unfortunately limited… 😿. As an engineering student, especially if you want to do well in all your courses, you will likely be constantly at work doing assignments or studying for various tests/exams. To give you a rough estimation of the time I work, it is definitely >10 hours a day sometimes (of course, depending on the semester time). But on average, it is definitely more than a 9-5 job – especially considering weekends are also used for study.
That being said, the courses become more interesting – as they are relevant to your specialisation of choice (and it is a lot harder to study something you have zero interest in)! The content of each course is also fairly difficult compared to first year, so it can feel a little overwhelming to start. Although everyone adapts well to the workload over time so, do not worry 😌.
Even with the large workload, there is still time to have fun away from studies. Throughout the year, I attended various club events hosted by tech clubs like WDCC, SESA, DEVS, WEN, and more, where they host a lot of fun academic-related AND social events. For instance, I went to the WDCC x DEVS K-pop Dance Workshop (note: I cannot dance💃), but it was lots of fun to move around and meet new people! Honestly, I have met so many new people and made many friends through clubs, so I really encourage all of you to attend these events! Plus, free food at these events is always a win if you want to avoid cooking like me😋🥟🍕🥪.
FAQs 🤔🤔🤔🧐🧐🧐
To wrap up this blog, I decided to end with some FAQs. When I was choosing my spec, I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask but had no one to ask. So, I thought I’d help you guys be in a better position than I was a year ago by sharing my wisdom as a second-year software engineering student. 🤓☝️
Q: How does software engineering compare to other specialisations/degrees?🤔
(Disclaimer: The comparisons between each degree may not be 100% accurate, but the following is based on what I have heard from friends from these specialties/degrees.)
Software Engineering🖥️ vs Computer Systems Engineering⚡:
- Most people think of computer systems as an alternative to software engineering if they do not meet the GPA requirements – and there’s valid reasoning behind this thinking. Computer systems engineers can do software developer roles after graduation, so it is not a bad choice if you fall under the subset of people who may not have made the cut regarding grades.
- However, the main difference between Compsys and Softeng is the course content. Compsys focuses more on the electrical side of programming, such as embedded systems. They have compulsory Electeng papers, which are not required in Softeng.
Software Engineering🖥️ vs Computer Science🖥️🧪:
- To be honest, the degrees are essentially the same. Many of the courses overlap with the computer science faculty (like SOFTENG 284, which is analogous to COMPSCI 220 and even run by the same lecturers in the computer science faculty). Although there are subtle differences:
- Software engineering has a heavier emphasis on design, so the actual development part of coding, whereas computer science is often more theoretical, with less projects-based work.
- Software engineering also has more clout. At least in NZ, people with software engineering degrees are often slightly more favored due to their being a more competitive course with grade boundaries.
- Software engineering is one year longer due to the first year of general engineering. If you already know that you want to do software engineering and get your degree done as soon as possible, I recommend computer science. Although, if you are not 100% certain about what you want to specialise in and/or want a slight boost in title/prestige, I would choose software engineering. But the only downside is that you need to be reasonably confident that you can meet the grade boundary to be offered a place in the specialty.
Software Engineering🖥️ vs Engineering Science📈📊:
- I have already delved into the difference between software and engineering science through my other post!
- Although as a TLDR: the main differences are that engineering science is more theoretical and math-heavy while software engineering is more coding-based and allows for more creativity🧑🎨🖼️.
Overall, regardless of your speciality you often are not limited by what you choose to study. Plenty of people get jobs in other fields that are not related to what they studied. Of course, if you truly are passionate about a certain specialisation like software, you should definitely go for it! (ง •̀ω•́)ง✧
Q: Will AI make software engineers obsolete?🤔
I touched on this in my first post and I still stand by what I said. LLMs are getting increasingly more intelligent – it’s lowkey kind of scary. BUT it’s not over for us yet, LLMs are still great tools for software engineers, mostly for handling simpler, more repetitive tasks like finding syntax errors or going through data.
Will this impact entry-level developer roles? Probably. But software engineers are still essential for implementing and reviewing the code that LLMs generate. As AI gets better, there may even come a time when engineers don’t need to code as much. However, we’re a long way off from AI being able to fully replace everything a software engineer does.
I’m no fortune-teller 🧙♂️✨, but I’m optimistic. LLMs are here to stay, but software engineers won’t be obsolete – at least not anytime soon.
Q: What do software engineers do apart from coding?🤔
While coding is an important part of being a software engineer, it is not everything to it. Software engineers need to design applications to meet the criteria of stakeholders, implement them in a way that is both efficient and easy to maintain, write and read documentation, test code, debug code, maintain, add features, fix current codebases, and MORE. 🤯🤯
Q: How many people get into software each year and what’s the GPA requirement?🤔
It’s usually around an A-, but it did fall a bit last year. Find the exact GPA requirements here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/engineering/current-students/undergraduate/choosing-engineering-specialisation.html
Q: I am a lone wolf 🐺 and want to do software engineering as a way to not interact with other people. Does software engineering involve collaboration?🤔
Yes. To succeed as a software engineer, you need to be able to work in teams and communicate with others regularly. Don’t see this as a downside though! I consider myself to be an introvert, but I really enjoy the social and collaborative aspects of software engineering. Often, discussing ideas with fellow developers can be super valuable for your learning and the software you create! Plus, as cheesy as it sounds, the friends you make and people you meet are what makes working far more enjoyable 🤝 Networking is crucial to landing jobs and branching off to other fields as well, so make sure to form as many connections as you can😳
Q: Is software engineering difficult?🤔
Yes, unfortunately, all engineering specialisations are difficult 🤣😭. But despite it being difficult, I like to think it’s what makes it all the more fulfilling. If you love a challenge and problem-solving, software is an excellent choice.💯 You will be on the grind throughout your degree and likely your career, too, as software engineering allows for lifelong learning. But embrace the challenges, take breaks, and I am sure you will have no regrets🤩
Final remarks from me:
We have finally made it to the end of the year! It was a pleasure to be a part II blogger for 2024! It was a lot of fun making these posts and sharing my experiences with you all. I hope that you all can take something useful from these blogs! Also, many apologies for the delay… I was meaning to upload this last week but was busy with exams… (｡•́︿•̀｡)(╥﹏╥).
In a field like software engineering, it’s easy to feel a bit intimidated when you’re surrounded by super talented and sharp people. But don’t doubt yourself, everyone starts somewhere! Especially if you’re just getting started, remember that confidence builds with practice. You’ve got this! (ง •̀_•́)ง
My final piece of advice before I sign off: University will go by fast, so make the most out of it, get out of your comfort zone, try new things, and meet new people – leave university with no regrets! ♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡
Best of luck with the rest of exams and maybe I will meet some of you around campus next year! 😀
Have a great summer break! 🌻🐝😎
Kimberley