Meet Leo – Bachelor of Computing Science Honours Alumnus

Most of my work was either assignment based or open book approach which somehow complemented my hands-on approach to learning.

Bachelor od Science (Honours) alumnus - Leo

Before commencing his degree at UTS, Leo did not know much about Computing Science as a course, nor did he understand the difference between this course or a Bachelor of IT. To him, any of the two courses would allow him to pursue a course in his area of interest, computers.

With further research, Leo opted to study a Computing Science Honours course, which would allow him to focus on a more scientific oriented computing approach. He initially started his study majoring in Enterprise Software Development before switching to Cybersecurity where he found subjects that aligned better with his interests.

Learning at UTS

Leo's decision to attend UTS was influenced by a friend who successfully applied to the university despite having a slightly lower ATAR score compared to him. His decision was greatly appreciated, in hindsight, because UTS provided him with a great holistic experience that would serve him well in his career and life journey.

“I’m glad I got into UTS. I found that the uni is open to a lot of things, especially related to current trends. For example, we would have open conversations with our lecturers on generative AI which showed the element of a very personal approach by the faculty. The amount of engagement the lecturers would have with the students, not just focusing on academics to get the best scores but on understanding student’s perspectives and thoughts, was exciting.”

Leo also grew to appreciate being at a uni that filled his knowledge gap, considering how he enjoyed teaching himself programming,

“I programmed a lot before starting this course. However, there was only so much knowledge I could acquire on my own. It was great to fill my information gap at uni. I was once advised to choose subjects that I cannot learn on a personal level; the best advice I could have received before joining uni.”

Leo’s approach to studying was very hands-on and he believes that UTS supported this style of learning.

“Most of my work was either assignment based or open book approach which somehow complemented my hands on approach to learning.”

A personal approach by UTS faculty

“Connecting with Luke Mathieson, a lecturer for some of my units and my honours supervisor was great. He really provided me with the support I needed for my studies, which made my UTS journey better. The opportunity to work with a lecturer who I could identify with made my learning process smoother.”

The impact of being in a UTS society club

Leo’s experience with the Anime Society fostered a practical approach to learning that he is appreciative of.

“I was the webmaster for the Anime Society. I looked after the society’s website, uplifting web content and managing all web related tasks. It was good to use my acquired knowledge in a practical setting.”
Leo was also the president of Programmers Society, a role that taught him management skills on and off campus. For example, during the Covid 19 era he learnt how to uplift a group of people from a downtime period in pandemic era to a more vibrant club post pandemic.

The programming competition events for Programmers Society were also memorable experiences for me. Last year’s competition was the first of its kind, which I organised. Although the faculty gave us great advice that we used as we prepared for the event, the big chunk of the work, which included speaking to sponsors and securing one was the biggest achievement for me. This year’s event ran smoothly compared to the last, because we now knew better what to do and what not to do. We also had more people participating, indicating a more successful event compared to last years.

Both experiences, management and setting up events, connected Leo with students in a more impactful way as he learnt to encourage and share knowledge with some of them on how best to approach computing science subjects. Especially first year students who are just getting their footing on the ground.