Jessica Suleiman

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Applied Computing

Donegal – Letterkenny

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to choosing your course?  

Hi, my name is Jessica Suleiman. I am 19 years old currently studying at ATU Letterkenny. If I could tell you about myself, I would tell you about how kind and amazing I am but the list of positive traits are too long. Instead, I will talk about how indecisive I can be! Whether it is choosing between burgers and pizza or ketchup or mayo, the decision will take ages for me to come up with! (We all know ketchup wins always). On a more serious note, my inability to make quick decisions definitely did not help 17 year old me with her CAO choices. I was completely lost and had not one single idea in what I wanted to pursue in university. I knew I definitely wanted to go to university or college, but I just did not know what to pick. The Letterkenny ATU open day was something I had not originally planned to visit as I was so busy with my Leaving Certificate revision but my amazing mother told me to stop by the open day and get a feel of the university; I have never been happier making that choice. The sheer amount of people that were there to give information in a vast variety of different modules was outstanding! I was fully expecting to just be handed a leaflet and be on my way, but there were both lecturers and current students that were studying each course all there to answer any questions and give insights into what choosing different courses would entail. Something about the Applied Computing talk/presentation made me want to dive deeper and learn more. I did not know much about computers or computing at all and one of the skills is quick thinking; which if you have read up until this point, you know that decision-making is not my strong suit, so that was definitely a big concern of mine and I had voiced this to them. They told me that I would learn, and that this was the point of college- to learn and try out new things. They told me that they would be there to teach and your classmates would be there learning with you. In that moment I knew that I had an interest in not only this subject(Applied Computing) but the university as a whole. As I walked out of the campus, just catching glimpses of people chatting to one another, different clubs and society groups coming up with new ideas and people using the many facilities that the university possessed, it just felt right. It felt like everything had clicked in that moment and I knew in that moment what my decision was. 

What are your favourite modules on the course?   

I love almost all my courses despite them having their own challenges like everything in life; picking just one is quite difficult! I would choose Client Side Development. In this module we focus on using JavaScript to create pretty cool websites! Using HTML and CSS was very new and daunting to me in my first initial year in Applied Computing but you learn and I learned to love it! Applying my knowledge in these programming languages(HTML,CSS and many more) to my Client Side Development module was very cool and allowed me to use a sense of creativity and critical thinking. 

Is there anything else about the course that you particularly enjoy or find beneficial?   

In third year, you have an opportunity to take part in an Erasmus year where you get to study for one semester in a different country which I think is pretty cool! In the beginning the idea of moving to another country and away from what I was familiar to was intensely daunting, but now, I am seriously considering it as it would be an amazing opportunity to continue learning but also get to see a new country and get a little mini holiday. 

What is the best thing about your course that you think new applicants should know?   

The best thing about my course I would have to say is the different modules each semester has to offer. Applied Computing covers a lot of the different programming languages split into different modules that each have their own projects and assignments. For example, In first year, I had a Web Fundamentals module where I created my own website using HTML and CSS. I will be completely authentic here and tell you that is very fast paced due to the course covering so many programming languages but you will adapt and learn so much about many different aspects that exist in computing today! 

If you were speaking with a first year student about to start your course, what advice would you give them?   

Do not freak out like me. Everything will be okay. In the beginning it can feel tough, it can seem as if everyone knows more than you and you find it difficult but do not focus on other people. Focus on your own work, your own experience and always ask questions! That is what you pay for, so you ask as many questions as you need until your tongue falls off. Do not worry about others, take your time, do what feels right to you and always focus on learning. My faith personally helped me so much, just leaning on God to guide me down the right path and voicing my concerns to him was very beneficial and saved me during each new semester! Whatever that is for you, always have an outlet to voice your opinions and calm down, keep it light and just enjoy university. Remember to always be present also, you are gifted and you have got this, the only one who can stop you is YOU, you can do this! 

Are you involved in sport, volunteering or have other passions you pursue outside of your academic life? 

I am apart of the International Society and the volleyball club. I love both societies so much as there is always such a great display of sportsmanship, community and just utter kindness. When I first joined these club/society, it was scary because I did not know anyone, but both club/society were so welcoming and ensured that everyone was involved, ensuring no one was on the sidelines. There are so many other clubs and societies that you can join, you find the one that makes you most comfortable and happy and you can be apart of it if that is what you desire! Do not be afraid to take that leap! Some people will be like ‘that is NOT a big choice’ but when you are in a new environment with new people, it feels like such a huge choice. So, if it makes you happy and interests you, take that step, I believe in you, you have got this! You even have the choice to create your own society or club if you feel like there is one missing in the university! 

What are your plans after ATU and any long-term goals you are aiming for?   

My plan is unwritten. I do not know exactly what I want to do and that is okay. My main goal right now is to learn, just learn and practice as much as possible and when the time is right God will guide me wherever I need to go!