I’ve been interested in software engineering for a long time. My dad, a software engineer, got me started – I was nine years old when one day he took me to the family computer and taught me basic HTML and CSS. As a kid, I had loved using “the computer”, playing around in Photoshop, Word, and seeing the magical world of information on the internet through a screen. Now I was able to make my own website? I was immediately hooked and have been coding ever since.
It wasn’t long until it became something that I wanted to do as a career. At first, I didn’t know it was software engineering – I just referred to it as programming or making apps. I didn’t really think about what I needed to study, or how I would become a programmer, until high school. I remember my physics teacher asking me if I would rather do engineering or med. At the time, I did not know what engineering was and thought it was, well, building engines. But that seemed cooler than becoming a doctor, so that was my answer. Only later on did I learn that software engineering was what I wanted. If it was the path to becoming a developer, then that was what I wanted to study.
But there was another option: computer science.
I had heard that computer science is more theory-based while software engineering is more hands-on and practical. Being the nerd I was, I thought computer science sounded like a “fun” and interesting challenge, and learning how computers work on a low level? Sign me up.
What I didn’t realise is that at least in New Zealand, software engineering and computer science are essentially the same degree, with the same jobs by the end of it. So why did I choose software over computer science, despite my original leaning towards computer science?
I had two years after high school to decide what degree I wanted to pursue. Meanwhile, many of my friends went into engineering, specifically software, and I didn’t know too many people doing computer science. I had also heard that software engineering was “better” than computer science (from a software engineering lecturer… certainly a biased take!). That led me towards software engineering. After some research, I learned that the two degrees are very similar. Still, I figured there’s probably a reason my friends chose the engineering path, so I should follow in their footsteps. And being an “engineer” just sounded much cooler than being a “scientist” (very superficial, I know). And once I learned that engineering was more than just building engines, the other specialisations looked interesting to me. They were my backup plan if I ever decided that software wasn’t for me.
Being two years into my degree now, am I happy with my decision? Absolutely. It may be an unpopular opinion, but I greatly enjoyed first-year engineering, getting a taste of different fields and reliving memories from high school calculus and physics. I got to meet many lovely, like-minded people from diverse backgrounds. Even if we’re not both interested in software, the love of problem-solving brought us together. Engineering Revue allowed me to fulfil my dream of playing music for other people, performing three nights at SkyCity Theatre – something the science faculty, unfortunately, does not have.
One of my highlights from this year at uni was attending events run by the Software Engineering Students Association (SESA). Their industry night was my first exposure to software companies in New Zealand, and it was at this event that I realised that networking is an important career skill in which I was severely lacking. Since then, I have made an effort to practice, and after going to several more networking events, I like to think I am now much better at networking.
This year, I also participated in my first-ever hackathon, the WDCC x SESA Hackathon. If you haven’t done a hackathon before, I would highly recommend it. Hackathons always sounded fun when I had heard about them online, and my experience certainly was. While it was tiring, I had a blast working with my friends to bring our idea to life and present it at the end. I loved seeing everyone else’s ideas, and I left feeling inspired to build cool stuff. It was a reminder of why I chose software in the first place.
I’m happy with my balance of assignments, extracurriculars, and social life this year, but there’s room for improvement next year through better study habits – specifically, taking more breaks and restricting study to specific periods of the day. Sitting in front of your computer for hours on end, or working on assignments late into the night can be tempting, but this is not sustainable long-term. It’s essential to, well, touch grass so I can keep doing what I love for many years into the future.
Speaking of which, where do I want to be in the future? I’m happy to do any work as long as it involves working on software. Still, I find myself particularly drawn to user-facing products. I’ve been using Mac computers since 2012 and iOS devices shortly after that, and over the years I fell in love with the polish of Apple’s software. The rich ecosystem of third-party apps like Apollo, Tweetbot, Launcher, IFTTT, and Workflow (now Shortcuts) fuelled my inspiration to make high-quality software products. I hope the software I build can bring value to people’s lives, whether empowering them to work more efficiently, connecting them with their loved ones, or adding joy and inspiration to their day.
I hope this reflection was in any way helpful in deciding your specialisation. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments or you can reach out to me on LinkedIn.