Princess Terin Ighedosa

It was crucial to me that I chose a university that valued sports, student satisfaction and academia and Loughborough has a healthy balance of all three. I went to an Athletics Camp here in 2016 and 2017. This was a big influence in my decision to study at Loughborough as I loved the campus facilities and the community. Coming from a big city where everything is very fast paced, living in Loughborough was a nice change.

I chose computer science because I wanted to challenge myself and gain experience within a new academic background. I always had an interest, but I never took the step to study it as a subject. I mostly focused on humanities at that time. However, I was often shown how computer science had the potential of creating solutions to many of the socio-political issues I was passionate such as like healthcare and privacy. I like how the discipline can be applied to a variety of areas and can also generate creative experiences for others. 

I enjoy how multidimensional Loughborough allows me to be. The LUARTs creative workshops and courses like Jewellery and crochet have been a ton of fun. Experiencing sport at all levels from Athletics Union to My lifestyle. Creating societies, joining societies, volunteering and being voted into leadership positions. As a student with many interests, I feel extremely lucky to have so many opportunities to explore and learn new things. However, what’s even better is that Loughborough students are great to interact with. They are all resilient, ambitious, hard-working, and friendly and I think that is indicative of the whole Loughborough community. I’d recommend everyone to go out of their comfort zone and take part in at least one new society, sport and extracurricular!

Being a Loughborough student has been a very fulfilling experience, with all the highs and lows, there’s been a lot of personal growth, and I’ve learnt a lot about myself, the things that hold me back and how to dismantle them. I’ve got a long way to go but my experience here has provided me with a lot of lessons that I can use well into the future.

My advice to anyone thinking of studying CS at Loughborough is to have a good look at the varying computer science courses and the modules offered throughout the degree. Making a constructive choice will help you understand exactly what you will be studying and improve the learning experience.

Secondly, build a strong growth mindset and enjoy the process. Studying at university can be very demanding and It’s easy to want to rush things and get them done quickly but you often find that slow and steady usually wins the race. Like the quote “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”. Make sure to use the many support resources available: go to tutorial sessions, and office hours, and talk to your coursemates, wellbeing advisors, and success coaches – there’s a whole arsenal of support in your corner! There will be many frustrating nights but the knowledge you gain when you pull through will always be worth it. However, if you arrive and are unsure if this is the path for you, that is absolutely fine too. There are many helpful people to talk to in and outside the department. They want to see you thrive whether that is in computer science or a different degree. You’ve got this!

The student services and facilities here are great. There are a lot of study spaces, I find that I’m still discovering them! The student services such as the Careers Network, Specialist Study Support, the Library team and most notably the Student Success Academy, have helped me to enjoy my academic journey by helping me find ways to reach my potential and get me further than I could on my own. It’s really good to know that the support is always there and that it's pretty effective.

I’m not sure yet but this course has opened so many paths for me and I’m interested in a lot of them. However, I am leaning towards studying a masters and starting a business.