Annunziata Kinya Kobia did a Bachelor of Science in Informatics and Computer Science (BICS) degree and is a #Classof2020 graduate. She recounts her #StrathmoreExperiences with a glint in her eyes…

I initially was not passionate or drawn to technology as such until I joined the University to do a Diploma in Business Information Technology (DBIT) as I waited for KUCCPS university placements. We covered a C++ introduction to programming and since I really enjoyed it, I did my research on a suitable degree to pursue so I could do a lot more programming. That’s how I landed on BICS. It has been an enjoyable ride since then.

My first year was a breeze but getting into my second year, I missed a semester and coming back I had to juggle regular day classes and a few units in the evening to catch up with my classmates. This was a bit challenging since I did it for three consecutive semesters. I had a great group of friends who kept me up to speed with everything and the lecturers came in handy.

Indelible moments

I enjoyed taking part in hackathons in and out of school which helped me grow my technical and soft skills beyond class. I was not that much into sports, but I enjoyed random school events like flash mobs, flea markets and movie nights. I really enjoyed the great University culture.

Classes during the first week of the semester would entail introductions (if the specific lecturer was new to the class) and an overview of what the unit was about and its importance/application in our field in general. We had one specific lecturer whose first reason on the bullet points would always be “To pass and graduate”. My friend used to joke he should also include “Because knowledge is power” to his list which was totally hilarious. I still laugh whenever I come across that “knowledge is power” phrase.

An on-campus graduation

I could wrap my head around a virtual graduation and for me it was more gleeful emotions to commemorate this milestone with my peers. Looking back, I could not trade these moments for anything and I appreciate every step of the journey. It made it all worthwhile.

A lens into the future

I am passionate about software engineering and currently more inclined to Android development. I hope to get into more of that moving forward. Strathmore was a great foundation for the basics of what software engineering is about. I believe we gained a lot of knowledge preparing and working on our group/personal school projects and also fitting and understanding other fields of technology. I know this will be monumental getting into our first year in the industry.

A message to prospective students

Find out where your interests lie and, if you can, get someone experienced to advise you on the different choices that are there, what they entail, and how they can fit into your interests. I personally decided to do a Diploma in Business Information Technology after a session with one of the staff at the Admissions Office. The University also organizes “Open Days” where people can get to inquire on all the courses and what they are about. Go armed with all sorts of questions you want clarified.

I hope you can top my enjoyable university experience.

 

This article is written by Francis Kabutu.

 

Would you like to share your experience of living through the circumstances brought by the Covid-19 pandemic? Kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu