Computer Science Personal Statement
Computers have revolutionised our lives. They are now essential for everything from forecasting the weather to monitoring cars’ fuel consumption. As computers have become smaller and cheaper, they have become accessible even to the poorest who in the future are likely to be the greatest beneficiaries of the IT revolution. Studying IT, I discovered I had a passion and talent for software development. So I wish to become a software developer at a global IT corporation, such as Microsoft, so that I may contribute my talents to the ongoing technological revolution. Studying Computer Science at university is the next logical step to fulfilling my ambition. To prepare myself for the degree, over the last few years I have studied various aspects of computing intensively at college. I am currently studying for a Level 3 Diploma in ICT Professional Competence, from which I have learned how to operate with the utmost skill Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008, one of the most important operating systems for business. I am now able to configure the server’s Active Directory Domain Services, perform backup and restore as well as monitor its Active Directory. I also did a lot of my own research on network security and virtualisation, two subjects I very much look forward to studying on the degree, especially given the growing importance of cryptography and cloud computing in business.
Earlier this year, I gained a Microsoft Technology Associate Pass, from which I developed a significant talent for solving practical mathematical problems on MS Excel and similar packages. The mathematical and problem-solving skills I exhibited were developed when I studied for a BTEC in Software Development, for which I received a strong Merit grade, which indicates my affinity for programming. To gain a broad knowledge of various aspects of IT, I also completed an NVQ General IT Professional Pass.
I have mastered a number of the most significant and difficult programming languages, such as C++, Java and Visual Basic, both inside and outside the classroom. I hope to strengthen my mastery of various programming languages on the degree so that I may be prepared for the challenges of being a software developer in the business world and so that I may create my own computer games.
Apart from the academic and technical side of computing, I have learned how computers are used in day-to-day business from working on accountancy software within a corporate accountancy firm. I had regular contact with clients from whom I learned about the IT needs of small and medium-sized businesses. The experience also greatly improved my communication skills so that I am now able to clearly articulate technical matters to business people in plain English. To strengthen my customer service skills, I also worked for a time in a department store, where I was responsible for managing customer queries and complaints.
Outside of the workplace and the classroom, I love to read books on Computer Science, such as Goedel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter, which explains how technical developments in logic led to the computer revolution, and to play tennis at my local club. I compete professionally in tennis tournaments regularly. I particularly enjoy the team aspect of doubles and I hope to find an able partner at university with whom I may enter tournaments. I organise social and fund-raising events for the club and I hope to continue such activities for the university’s team. Managing all my academic and extra-curricular activities has called for great time-management skills, which should stand me in good stead for when I enter the highly-pressurised business world.
I hope at university to not only gain the requisite technical skills, shown in this personal statement, to succeed in my chosen career but to meet and work with like-minded students with whom I can start various computer projects, just as the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg did when he was at university.