Tell us about your university.
The University of Edinburgh (UoE) is in the heart of Scotland’s capital. It’s a very friendly place with a large international community, which is a major reason for why I chose it. It is also very highly ranked in the study of artificial intelligence which I partly major in. Many of the founders of the field studied at the University of Edinburgh or conduct research here. The University also invests heavily in other cutting-edge technology; for example, they are currently working on a blockchain and technology laboratory.What is life like at UoE?
It was very difficult adjusting initially. I didn’t quite understand British humor at first. For example when someone says “It needs a little work”, I thought that means it needs improvement, but apparently, here it means “it’s rubbish”. Little nuances like this left me quite confused. This is also my first experience truly living in the west. I have lived in Asia, and specifically, South East Asia for most of my life and I was surprised by how stark the difference was. Coming from ISAK, however, helped me adjust and made me aware that I was feeling uncomfortable and needed to be aware of it, but not stop me from taking action. I initially found a home with the computer science students who taught me about realms of technology that I had not known existed. The students here are so passionate about the technology and I often see them creating new apps and software for simple tasks just because they wanted to experiment or “play” with the tech. I then started meeting other UWC and IB students.How has UWC impacted your university experience?
Being able to say that I took the IB and that I attended a UWC immediately helped me find a family with many other students who had similar experiences as I. Some of my closest friends are those that attended UWC Costa Rica and UWC Atlantic. Trading stories about what experience was like at our respective UWCs often leads to interesting similarities and contrasts. This network is something I urge other UWC ISAK Japan students to utilize when they go off to University.What are some highlights from your first year?
- I was able to get a part-time job as a programmer for a company called Consensys. They focus on creating block-chain applications on the Ethereum network. From there I learned so much about cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
- I became the first year rep for Edinburgh’s Computer Science Society (CompSoc). I organize and facilitate many events, and work with big tech companies in reaching out to students. Many of the skills I apply in this position I actually learned while in ISAK.
- I have participated in several hackathons which are 24-hour project creation events. I was flown in by Manchester University’s Computer Science Society as well as invited to the J.P. Morgan Chase “Code for Good” hackathon. I have learned so much and met so many talented individuals by participating in these hackathons. I have myriad of projects planned with various teams and people that I have met and I am excited to tell you about them as we progress further in the individual development processes.
