Michael Powell
Michael Powell
Derby has some of the best facilities and staff around. They have the expertise and the passion to bring the subjects to life.
”Michael studied BSc (Hons) Computer Science.
Why I chose to study computing
All computer programming jobs require employees to have a degree in computing, so I decided to study at the University of Derby.
I started studying Computer Games Programming before changing course to Computing in my final year when I realised my interests lay more in web development than gaming. I have studied everything from basic console applications to interactive 3D programming.
The best resources around
The staff have the expertise and the passion to bring the subjects to life. They are supportive and offer help and provide extra tuition for any student who requires it.
The facilities are excellent with plenty of computers available for all computing students, as well as extra items such as PSP development kits and computer labs that are open all day, giving you plenty of time to get your work done.
My placement year
I took part in the placement year at Chiasma Data, creating websites for clients so they could log on and edit their databases, giving the clients a simpler interface to use and direct control over their information.
This was extremely useful, not just for learning new programming languages and techniques, but also finding out more about me and my style of work in the world of work. It was there I realised I am more suited to web development rather than games development.
My student experience
Studying computing gave me the opportunity to go to conferences, talk to leading people in the industry and receive real world and up to date opinions of the industry and what companies are looking for in graduates.
My new job
I am now a graduate development engineer at NICE Systems. In this role I develop new systems, while maintaining legacy systems, test systems and modules that have been developed, and train in project management tasks.
If it wasn't for the skills and knowledge I have developed, coupled with the technology and applications I have used during my time at Derby and on placement, I wouldn't have got the job. The course taught me how to work as part of a team, under pressure, and helped me develop a variety of skills and disciplines that I can now apply to my new role. My lecturers and friends at Derby have helped me to become the software developer I am today.
I recommend Derby
I would highly recommend Derby to anyone looking to study computing. The lecturers are industry professionals and who have contacts in the industry. All the students are friendly and always willing to help anyone in need.
