On the right path

Dan was looking for course that would help him towards his goal of a career where he could use both Mathematics and Programming. Now, not only is he learning new skills through his Mathematics and Computer Science studies, he's been on a placement where he's been building websites in the real world of business.

He says: “I’ve been interested in computer science and programming since I stumbled upon some YouTube programming tutorials during sixth form. With this degree and the experience I’ve had during my placement, I will be able to have a career that I am interested in, something like software development.”

The real world

Dan’s work placement was with United Pallet Network (UPN). He was a junior software developer and worked on the back end and front end of various websites run by the company. He says: “This placement really improved my skills and taught me some new ones.

"I became more confident with database design and development and I got really good at ES6 (Javascript) programming. I got hands-on experience in reading, understanding and working with existing code written by my colleagues and I learned industry standards like build scripts, source control and TeamViewer/Slack which are crucial in the IT profession.”

Making a difference

Dan also learned how to create and improve various aspects of the company’s websites in both how data is stored and how the users interact with the websites and services. He explains: “These websites are really important as they provide customer and delivery information to the depots, customers and drivers in the network.”

Dan finished his second year with an average grade of a first in his course – but he is not resting on his laurels. He says: “I have skills which I learned in placement to improve my efficiency during my course and I am more motivated to succeed in my third-year studies for the career that I want.”