Paul Tucker is doing a degree in Computer Science with Industrial Experience. He has just completed his placement and is now in his final year and will be graduating in 2025.
Why did you choose to study your programme? Computer science is one of the most ‘in demand’ degrees there is. I love technology, and knew it was my passion since studying it at A level. Whilst more specific degrees do exist, I knew computer science was right for me as it does a great job of covering the huge umbrella of topics that fall under the realm of the technology sector, giving me a broader knowledge base than other, more specialised candidates.
Why did you choose to study at Queen Mary? I chose to study at Queen Mary because of the huge depth of topics covered in my course, as well as being able to have access to world class facilities and academics. Queen Mary offers a fantastic degree program that I knew would support me in becoming an industry professional at the highest level. Each of the modules are well structured – the lecturers encourage you to view problems (and even solutions) from different angles, gaining a detailed understanding of the concepts at hand, and allows you to apply this specific knowledge to other areas. Queen Mary also offered a massively diverse range of activities and societies, many of which caught my interest. Being a London based university, I could experience student life and be close to home if I ever needed it. Being based in one of the world's most interesting cities also allowed me to explore and experience new culture, something I'd never have achieved had I gone elsewhere.
What do you most enjoy about your course? I most enjoy the fact that I’m constantly challenged with new ideas – there’s always something new to learn about everything! Each topic inside the umbrella of computer science could be a degree itself, and I love that I have the freedom to pursue any of these. My favourite thing about my programme is the breadth of topics that it covers, from delving into the depths and intricacies of computer design (and the miracles of engineering that allow them to function) to understanding fundamental concepts in programming, good defensive design and systems structure to ensure projects are sustainable and clean to maintain, to the mathematical concepts that push the limits of computation, there's a topic to catch the interest of anyone. Additionally, students are encouraged to do their own reading and study, pursuing knowledge in areas where passion for your subject can thrive and grow.
Can you share an example of a project, assignment, or activity that stood out to you?
Without a doubt it would have to be my software engineering project. This spanned a full 12 weeks and involved working in groups to design and deliver a full stack web application for a client. We worked through the full agile process, interacted with clients, designed and built our app, just like engineers would in industry! My group also were awarded best project at the end of the module which was amazing to receive.
Which modules do you enjoy the most and are there any academics that had a strong influence on shaping your time and studies here?
I’ve enjoyed every module so far! I love that no matter what a module may cover, I know what I'm learning is always useful, and that there’s endless knowledge out there if you have the passion to pursue it. An academic that stands out to me clearly must be Tassos Tombros, he’s a fantastic lecturer that I had to learn both operating systems and Probability and matrices from, both extremely difficult subjects!
How do you hope to apply the skills and knowledge you have gained in your programme to your future career?
I plan to use all the learnings I’ve taken from my programming modules to build fantastic applications, whether that be web applications, cloud computing services, or even my own compiler! The various modules covering the intricacies of computer and embedded systems will be extremely useful when applied to technical roles focused on low level engineering, and knowledge of networks and database systems is a must when working as a software engineer. If I ever wanted to move into academia, I know the content covered in my discreet maths and theory of computation modules would be extremely useful to have!
Are/were you a member of any societies or attend any industry events during your time at Queen Mary? If so which and what did you gain from them?
I was a member of the Barbell society for two years, with a year on the committee too. Now that I’m in my final year, I’m a member of the Brazilian Jiujitsu society and loving it! I think the societies massively boosted my capacity to socialise and make new friends through my hobbies and interests. They made my time at university a great experience and allowed me to network and meet new people with likeminded goals and hobbies.
Tell us more about your placement year
During my studies I was heavily supported by the careers team – I often scoured the weekly careers newsletter that allowed me to find open applications for programmes and jobs relevant to my degree/experience. I often utilised the careers “mock interview” service to allow me to get some interview practice with industry professionals, as well as having them review my CV to ensure it was up to scratch.
My placement year was in Belfast, working as a software test engineer for Visa as a part of their newly acquired subsets – Cybersource. I worked on two teams as part of their payment acceptance platforms, building out and maintaining their large set of products.
I chose to go on a placement year whilst still in sixth form because I knew that experience in the industry coupled with knowledge from my degree would make me extremely attractive to employers. Having a chance to see what professionals do for work at the highest level was a once in a lifetime experience.
I’ve learnt an unbelievable amount! Experiencing professional development allowed me to work following best practices, learn the underlying concepts at hand, understand system design, and just how development works with so many stakeholders involved. I’ve taken my learnings over to my own personal projects, which has allowed me to create my own startup! I believe this placement has prepared me for both the real world of work and the final year of my degree better than anything else could have.
Among the myriads of technical skills gained from working on maintaining professional code and working with industry standard tools, I think that my professional working skills (i.e. soft skills) have taken the biggest boost – how to effectively manage my time, learn new complicated things fast, how to understand the difficult things and make them less daunting to follow.
I think without this placement, my employment prospects would look rather grim and bare! Had I not completed this placement, I’d not have any relevant experiences to discuss in interview, as well as a limited understanding of how the industry worked, the expectations of a developer. Without the experience gained from the placement, I’d have not had the skills to create my own startup, which has opened so many doors for me, and given my CV a massive boost.
What do you hope to do after graduation or what are you doing now?
I hope to re-enter the industry as a software engineer. I loved my time as an engineer before, and hope to enter a company that works on projects that can challenge me daily and help me grow as a developer and computer scientist. Additionally, I hope to scale and maintain my startup, bring on more employees, and see how far I can go! I love developing!
What's one piece of advice you'd offer to someone considering studying your programme at Queen Mary?
I’d tell students to work hard. It sounds simple and obvious, but you really can put yourself ahead of the crowd by exploring every opportunity, dedicate yourself to your studies, be curious and ask questions, aim to understand everything, not memorize! Build and develop your own projects! Employers love to see candidates that are proactive and can create value for them with their skills, projects are a perfect way to show that you’re capable, and you can use these as discussion points to demonstrate deeper understanding of required skills!
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience?
I loved my placement; I’d STRONGLY encourage students to take on a placement year if they get the chance. The return on investment from your time is outstanding, and will teach you a huge amount, give you relevant experience and help you make contacts to break into industry when you graduate.
Learn more about studying Computer Science with Industrial Experience at Queen Mary.