Teodora studies Computer Science at Worcester College

From medicine to game design, artificial intelligence and machine learning, computer science offers so much opportunity for improvement. Learning this subject at University made me feel like I could actually have an impact on people’s lives. This is exactly what makes me fall in love with what I do every day. 

In a typical day at university, I would go to lectures in the morning and get the information that I need to know from our professors. Everything that I learn there, needs to be applied in the weekly homework. For each module, we then have tutorials where we get the chance to discuss that week’s topic. As there are only 3 of us in a tutorial group, we have the chance to get an answer to any of our questions. We also have practical work, when we actually sit down at a computer and try different programming tasks. There are some older students there who make sure we get over any challenges that we might find throughout. At the end of the day, I would just go home and relax, maybe do some sports or just watch a movie. 

I don’t have a clear idea of what I want to do after University, but what I do know is that I want to use my knowledge to improve someone’s life. I am currently trying out working for several different companies (financial, medical, software development ) just to see what I enjoy doing the most. I know there is no rush in deciding, so having several internships and joining graduate programs would probably be the best idea for me.
 

If you're interested in learning more about Computer Science, Teodora recommends...

Introduction to Algorithms - Thomas H. Cormen et. al, 3rd edition (2009)

This is probably the main book that I've used throughout my degree. You are not meant to read all of it, but the first few chapters give you a great introduction into some programming concepts. It is worth having a look at it, especially if you haven’t done programming before.

Learn You A Haskell - Miran Lipovača 

This online book is a very interesting and light-hearted introduction into Functional Programming and Declarative languages. I found it really interesting and helpful for my first term at University, as I’ve never used Haskell before. It has a lot of examples and it goes from the very basics of things to some really complex features of the language.  http://learnyouahaskell.com/

EdEx.org 

This platform has so many interesting computer science courses that you can complete at your own pace. You don’t need a certificate, so you can enjoy all of them for free! Have a look at the courses available and just try some out. There are some really interesting topics discussed there and you also get the chance to practice your knowledge through quizzes and projects! https://www.edx.org/