As a Master of Computing student at The Australian National University (ANU) from Mumbai, India, Devansu Yadav said his first year of uni was full of new experiences, challenges, and long-lasting memories as he adapted to a new education system and environment.
“Canberra offers a calm and less chaotic environment that has allowed me to fully immerse myself in my studies and make the most of the enriching academic environment at ANU,” Devansu said.
“The city is quite vibrant, especially during festive times, offering the opportunity to explore and appreciate different cultures.”
Devansu found his true calling in computing from his interest in playing video games. It inspired him to choose ANU to dive deeper into Software Engineering and building robust computer systems.
“If you’re truly passionate about computing and programming, I believe you have made the right choice by choosing to study computing at ANU.
“You can dive into any area of Computer Science - be it Software Engineering, Parallel Computing, HCI, Machine Learning, or AI - while gaining the right skills through hands-on projects, research, or internships.”
Journey to study computer science at ANU
Ever since Devansu was a kid, he has been captivated by computers.
“I spent countless hours playing some of the most classic games, like Pinball, Super Mario Bros, and Road Rash on my old Windows XP machine,” he says.
“I was quite curious about how computers worked, and that’s when I started exploring them during my free time.”
His interest peaked as he dabbled into programming during school, later choosing Computer Science electives in high school.
“My fascination turned into amazement the first time I wrote and executed a simple program on an 8085 microprocessor during one of my first Computer Science lab practical in high school,” says Devansu.
“After spending that entire year in the lab programming, I realised the tremendous potential of programming and Computer Science to solve real-world problems and engineer remarkable things.”
This passion has led him to pursue further study after completing an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering in India.
“I did my research about all the postgraduate courses that ANU offered which matched with my interests and career goals,” he said.
“ANU offers opportunities for me to pursue both practical and academic research experiences with state-of-the-art facilities.”
Home away from home
The diverse background of residents at Burgmann College has enriched Devansu’s on-campus experience. He has enjoyed the lively atmosphere with fun activities and festivities, has made meaningful friendships as well as fulling his own intellectual growth. He has also found the health and wellbeing services extra helpful during stressful times of the semester.
He is also finding student clubs, such as the ANU Computer Science Students Association, and playing sport (ANU Badminton Club anyone?) helps give him the support from his peers that he needs to keep focused on his studies.
Apart from on-campus clubs, Devansu contributes his time to be one of Gold Student Ambassadors across Australia at Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors community.
“I help students explore their passion for technology while making positive impact by building and leading their own student tech communities.”
Build positive impact through technology and open to new experiences
Pursuing the Master of Computing at ANU has been a rewarding learning experience for Devansu.
“I find inspiration in the idea that I could build technology that has a positive impact and empowers people, which keeps me driven and curious to pursue new learnings every day.”
He has really enjoyed the focus on programming courses in his computing program at ANU.
“The assignments and individual or group projects not only equip me with the latest industry practices, but also give me the practical experience I need to succeed in the field,” he said.
“I also liked that some courses have guest lectures, which focus on connecting what I was learning with what’s being used in the industry.”
One piece of advice that Devansu likes to share with prospective students is:
“Make the most of your time as a student at ANU. Be open to gaining new experiences by exploring all the opportunities offered to students at ANU and making meaningful connections by actively joining student clubs or meetups alongside academics.”
Are you interested in studying a Masters of Computing at ANU? Find out more