Oana

What made you choose Electronics?

I initially wanted to study Computer Science, as I was highly enjoying my GCSE Computer Science course. I also liked Mathematics and thinking outside the box, and it seemed it would offer fantastic career opportunities.

After attending numerous university open days, I realised that there was a strong division between Computer Science and Electrical & Electronic Engineering (EEE). I thought that in order to completely understand a system inside out, I would need the programming knowledge from Computer Science, in conjunction with an understanding of how the system physically functioned, which could only be gained from EEE.

I looked for a course and university which were in line with my views on the need to combine Computer Science and EEE, rather than approach them as separate subjects. Therefore the best option for me seemed to be Electronics, which I see as the necessary bridge between Computer Science and EEE. It felt this approach to engineering would help me perform better both in industry or if I decide to start my own business.

Electronic Engineering at the University of Southampton is so far proving to be the perfect choice for me.

What are your hopes and career plans for the future?

My plans for the future have yet to fully take shape, as I have only just finished my first year of university. I am strongly considering applying for a UKESF Scholarship next year, which will also allow me to have a summer work placement. After graduation, I may think of starting my own business, or perhaps first joining a company in order to gain more experience. It is difficult to say without having had any work placements yet, which I hope will enable me to appreciate the ways in which theory translates into practice.

What do you think about the future of Electronics?

We’re living in exciting times, with electronics at the heart of our dynamic and globalised society. Progress in this field is so steep that I believe by the time I graduate, careers which do not even exist today will become available to us. Especially exciting to me are the advances in AI, deep learning, autonomy and swarm robotics, and maybe other technologies that we haven’t even begun to think of right now, all of which are inherent to the fourth industrial revolution. Electronics in my view represents the foundation for them all.