My fascination with computers

My fascination with computers

We are currently in the midst of the era of technological and computing revolution when no industry or business remains untouched of the drastic changes that technology has brought in. One of them is Big Data produced massively by companies and users every other moment. Most organizations apprehended the significance of applying big data technologies and initiatives to analyse data, get significant value from it and make strategic decisions. I enjoy dabbling with computers and experimenting with different applications together with gaining insights into the modern computer industry through extensive reading. This helped me realize that big data technologies are being used at a large scale by businesses to make innovative and well-informed decisions; however there are still tremendous developments to come in this field. Having a passion of problem-solving and enthralled with object-oriented programming, I feel motivated to be a part of this evolving field and desire to pursue my masters in a more competitive, elite, and international environment to gain profound knowledge and professional skills in data science.

My fascination with computers emerged in my childhood and I still remember the good old days when I used to spend most of my time working with computers. The first few things that made me interested in computers were the operating system, the graphical user interface, and the applications, including some of the most graphically intensive programs such as games. I later became fascinated with the internet and was curious to know about how these computer networks functioned outside in the real world. After completing XII from Sri Chaitanya College in Vijayawada with 89%, I chose to pursue B.Tech Electronics and Communication from SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, and secured 81.24%. During the course, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about programming and system analysis and got enlightened about a plethora of career options in the world of Electronics along with Computer Science, especially after the recent advancements in research and development in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.

Realizing that programming will play a vital role in becoming a thorough Electronics and computer professional, I got engaged in learning various programming languages like Java and Python and then worked hard towards finding the right job, which gave me both the challenges and opportunities to grow as a programmer. I started my career in the field of IT software as ‘Junior Software Engineer’ in ‘Infotors Consultancy Pvt Ltd’ from April 2019 to till date. Currently, I am working in the “Digital Transaction Report” project that requires using technologies, tools, and frameworks like Python, Jira, Confluence, Sprints, Estimation, Sizing, and Programme reporting.

Besides academics, I have also been active outside of the classroom, participating in extracurricular activities and pursuing new experiences to push myself and broaden my horizons. I took some time to travel across India with friends, an experience which, although at times difficult, ultimately made me a much more independent and confident person. I am now comfortable adapting to new situations and interacting with people, who are different from me, qualities that will be tremendously useful when studying in the UK. In my Final year graduation, I was elected as Class Leader and conducted technical quiz, detective game by famous detective “Sherlock Homes” and conducted technical training from IEEE. My effective communication skills allowed me to secure the position of the publisher of the monthly newsletter of my department, a role in which I excelled as CR. Partaking in non-academic activities developed my interpersonal, communication, persuasive, and leadership skill and ability to appreciate diverse cultures, customs, and traditions. Now I desire to enhance my knowledge and skills further by pursuing Data Science from the prestigious Royal Holloway University and avail the lavishing global opportunities, which could then support the growth of my career as a data scientist/software professional.

Pursuing Data Science in the UK will be an incredible study experience in the context of the opportunity to get surrounded by the intelligent minds of the country. The UK is acclaimed for world-ranking universities, research excellence, solid infrastructure, and world-famous academics providing quality education and the powerful & rare skills ornamenting students’ profile and keeping them abreast of their competitors. The master graduates from the UK gain the potential to be leading data scientists of tomorrow, considering the focus of curriculum on imparting the technical skills appealing to the potential employers. A unique opportunity to merge in the cosmopolitan and multicultural environment will bestow me competency to work with an international cross-cultural team having diverse beliefs, opinions, and mindsets.

There is no better choice than Royal Holloway, University of London for me to pursue my Masters in Data Science. The department of Computer Science is one of the oldest computer departments in the world and ranked 11 for world-leading research output in the most recent REF and offers a dynamic research environment influencing the students to learn and contribute their share in research. The most alluring element is university’s location in the close proximity of M4 corridor ‘England’s Silicon Valley’ bequeathing unparalleled placement & networking opportunity in one of the UK’s top tech companies. The research-engaged faculty and methodical teaching methods, including weekly seminars, individual & group projects, workshops, and computer lab-based practices, will develop the practical skills essential for handling and analysing data in a range of industries including manufacture, healthcare, administration etc.

The highly-flexible Masters in Data Science and Analytics course at Royal Holloway offers a wide range of core and engaging optional modules administering beneficial prospect to the students to tailor-made the course as per their competencies & choices. The modules such as Data Analysis, Programming for Data Analysis, Ethics in Advanced Computing & Artificial Intelligence and Data Science and Systems are apt and considerably relevant for the contemporary industry, and work requirements. My specific interest lies in studying Machine Learning, a branch of Artificial Intelligence augmenting my knowledge about modern machine learning techniques through multiple approaches and examining machine-learning algorithms, thus enhancing my expertise to apply them to produce reliable results. Data Analysis will develop my skills in data analysis, including data mining & statistics, and Computation with Data will provide exposure to object-oriented programming and impart a comprehensive understanding of the basics of algorithmic thinking and problem-solving using them. I am looking forward to attend a lecture by Prof. Gregory Gutin, Director of Centre of Algorithms, and gain insights into his research work. At the end of the course, I will be able to work on structured, unstructured, and time-series data using modern tools, methods & techniques like clustering, regression, decision trees and design solutions for intensive data-analytics problems.

Concluding, I will say that the UK is the only logical destination for me to pursue my masters as the country accommodates the most innovative and successful companies in the computing field, allowing me to gain insights into real-life situations. Studying overseas will provide me international exposure, change my perspectives, transform my personality, and help me emerge as a global professional with a broader outlook. After graduating, I desire to work on Big Data in a multinational company such as Google, Amazon, JP Morgan, Shell, Microsoft, etc. In India, this industry is rapidly growing and shows great potential, yet compared to other more advanced countries, it is still in its relative infancy. I have a few friends possessing par excellence skills in computer science and having similar life-goal as mine that is to lead our industry into a new era. This is my firm belief that one day we can collaborate to put our country on the map as an innovative force in the computing world.