In September, 2023 TIES granted four new Kenya University Scholarships to deserving young women. Below you’ll find a great article from Anifa, who shares how she is adapting to university life.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A STUDENT- Anifa’s story
A student’s life is an exciting ride of learning, self-discovery and experiences. It’s a blend of early morning classes, late-night studies especially when exams and CATs are around the corner, and thrills of getting lifelong friends. These phases teach a student to balance academics with extra-curricular activities, fostering their growth as individuals.
My name is Anifa S., a 1.2 student in Meru University of Science and Technology which is located in seventh largest urban center in the country (Meru county). Doing a degree in Computer Science. Computer science focuses on the development and testing of software and software systems. It involves working with mathematical models, data analysis and security, algorithms, and computational theory. Computer scientists define the computational principles that are the basis of all software. Principal areas of study and careers within computer science include artificial intelligence, computer systems and networks, security, database systems, human-computer interaction, vision and graphics, numerical analysis, programming languages, software engineering, bioinformatics, and theory of computing.
OH, MONDAY AGAIN!
The waking time for students is notoriously erratic and varied depending on your course of study. The morning routine for students is different and largely dependent on their daily schedules, character, personalities or even hobbies. I personally wake up at 6 am. Take a shower and dress for my day. I don’t go for early morning breakfast, this really shows am quite independent and have control over my own schedule.
I can’t skip lectures since I personally consider that every lecture is important and essential to my course. I have 8 hours in class every Monday to Thursday which all begin at 7am and end at 4pm with intervals of thirty minutes in between each. In between 9:00 -9:30am I go for breakfast and lunch between 12:30-1:00pm. Some days are for learning lots of theory and calculations while other days we are in the computer laboratories for practicals.
At 4pm classes come to an end. It’s time to team up with some of my friends and walk lazily to our hostels, discussing the week’s activities and how the day actually went through. In our rooms it’s time to navigate the internet through several ways like typing in a web address, following links, finding websites using search engines. At times I watch clips on Tiktok, YouTube reels and Instagram or rather chat with friends and talk on phone calls, check up on family members and many other internet relaxing activities. This time never lasts, it usually feels like a few minutes.
Soon it’s 5pm- time for sports, clubs, rehearsal debates and hobbies. The sheer spectrum of extra-curriculum activities seems all amazing. This semester I tried skating; it wasn’t easy at first since I kept sliding and at a certain time got knocked down! On Mondays I go for Bible Study, Thursdays I go for Debates and the rest of weekdays for skating practice.
Fridays are my best days- few classes and academic stuff going on, it’s a day to relax, meet for class groups, go for hikes, watch series and movies of interest, meet spiritual friends and prayer partners, go watch drama acts in the school theaters …. usually a lot of non-academic and fun activities. Saturdays are wash days; a lot of cleanings and charity works like compound cleaning, attending meetings for class representatives since I am one. And of extended sleep hours than the rest of the week!
I prefer studying in the library between 7-10pm after I am done with other activities and taking my evening shower since I live inside the school grounds.
CHALLENGES FACED DURING STUDIES
Computer Science is an interesting course but it also has some challenges;
1. Initially, Computer Science felt and seemed hard because learning to program in my first language was and still is challenging. This was a bit discouraging, I felt like dropping it at the start. I took much longer to learn it, grasp concepts and even thought I was a slow learner.
2. My biggest challenge is the need to constantly update skills and knowledge due to improving technologies in every internet aspect. This requires a lot of exposure and research with extra personal navigation through the internet.
3. Slow Internet. The hardest type of coding is relative and depends on a variety of factors, such as the complexity of the task, the language being used and the skill level of the coders. Computer science can be very stressful. Slow internet speeds at times discourage and frustrate me until I get bored and decide to procrastinate tasks.
4. Being a Computer Science student can be stressful sometimes; with all the projects you have to hand in, exams you have to take and all the extracurricular academic related commitments you need to attend to. It can be a lot!
5.Peoples’ misconception that Computer science is a tough course also affected me when I first joined University.
6.This semester I encountered a massive challenge- General Slowdown of my laptop. One of the most common problems users have with their computer is that it is “running slow” My laptop at a certain point couldn’t run some programs and its operating speed generally slowed down.
7. Another challenge was that my laptop had an abnormally functioning Operating System or Software accompanied by strange noises. Finally, it did could not turn on, just went blank.
8. At first, I also feared we were very girls in a midst of over 45 boys- that was intimidating.
9. In the early days of admission in school, I was afraid of the fact that I had not studied computer back in high school when almost all my classmates had. I was discouraged and thought I wouldn’t manage to be at their level of study. I had isolated myself and read a lot privately.
HOW I OVERCOME/OVERCAME MY CHALLENGES
1. Continuous improvement frameworks, and effective project management practices, which also helps me get more skills and knowledge.
2. Having a positive attitude enabled me to view computer science in a positive way and avoid other peoples’ negative opinions.
3. I also identify my problems, understand them, determine how to solve them and finally find a way out.
4. Gratefully, the TIES family does a lot to solve many other issues affecting my studies, such as the one of failure of my PC.
5.The urge to make myself a better tomorrow pushes me to work harder in my academic endeavors.
6. I also need to become a proud alumni of TIES and TIESK.
I view Computer Science an awesome course because most the important aspect of it, is problem solving, an essential skill for life. We study the design, development and analysis of software and hardware used to solve problems in a variety of business, scientific and social contexts. The world needs computer scientists. Computer programs directly affect every aspect of our lives.
Studying at University can be a fantastic opportunity; I meet new people from lots of different countries within Africa, and learn about different cultures and broaden my horizons. University also help students, like myself to build their self-confidence and independence. It is a chance to make new friends from different backgrounds. Living independently has nurtured and increased my level and sense of responsibility. I ENJOY BEING IN UNIVERSITY AND SPECIFICALLY DOING COMPUTER SCIENCE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY BEING A TIES BENEFICIARY. Above are some of my photos during class, gaming, with friends and also in the laboratory, in front of the library, cafeteria where our meals are served, administration block and also while walking around the school.