What I like the most is how different all of the courses are!
Audrey during the IC Open House © 2014 Alain Herzog
AUDREY LOEFFEL – student in third year of Bachelor's degree program.
How did I choose to study at the EPFL's Computer Science Section? I just loved binary code!
Seriously, I had studied computers at baccalaureate school. That was where I found out what computer science, programing, etc. were really all about. I felt that I wanted to continue my studies in this field and the EPFL seemed to be the obvious choice. Why choose another university when you have one of the best right next door?
What I liked the most about computer science is how different all of the course are. Students have access to courses in every field. They can attend courses on theory, take part in projects, etc. We touch upon a little bit of everything before deciding what to specialize in for the Master's degree program. This diversity allows us to gain an overall view of all areas of computer science before deciding the specific path to pursue.
One of the courses that I liked the most was on network security. It was really interesting because it covered recent phenomenon, real attacks, the latest hacking incidents, etc. There was also a course on software engineering where we do group work on a project and develop an application for Android.
I also greatly enjoyed working on my Bachelor's thesis. I developed an application for Android that allows you to view the latest information on controversial subjects depending on one's point of view. Working on a specific project requires more time and energy than studying a course devoted more to theory but it is also more enriching and satisfying.
I would be lying if I said that studies at the EPFL are easy: you have to work really hard! However, studying at the EPFL does not mean cutting out leisure activities, nights out, free time... you simply have to know how to organize your time and maintain a proper balance. You have to attend classes and study regularly alongside everything else for the entire semester. You can't just say "Oh, I have three weeks to review before exam week, so I'll just cram everything in then."
You have to stick to it during the first few years. At the start of your studies, there are a lot of courses that all of the students share, regardless of the section that they are in. These courses do not seem to have any clear relation to computer science. It's not until the third year and the start of your Master's degree program when you start attending more targeted courses in your field. But it's really worth it. If you are still thinking about it, don't wait any longer. Go for it!
And what do I want to do after graduation? I want to work for a future start-up company. I am thinking about the current start-up company that I am partnering in, which is related to the project for my Bachelor's degree thesis. In this project, we are creating a system to view current events. We are using artificial intelligence techniques to find out the points of view of articles dealing with controversial subjects. The project also includes a social network devoted to debates. I hope it will all work out as planned! :-)