Computer Scientist

Hello World!

I graduated on 02/25/2013, from the Computer Science (CS) program.

In February 2007 I started college, my first semester of CS at FCG, where I studied for 3 years. I paused the course in October 2009 — beyond the program not meeting my expectations, FCG's administration was terrible. I wanted to study at UFMS, but didn't get in. I transferred to Uniderp; things didn't change much regarding administration and the CS department, but in other areas it more than made up for it. I don't want to criticize the institution — what's past is past, and each one has its pros and cons.

Computer Science was a dream come true. I knew I wanted to take this path at 12 years old, when I took my first computing course. From then on I kept liking it, getting better, and learning more about computers. I wanted to know more — I didn't want to just be a user of programs, I wanted to know how to build them, understand them, see how humanity got this far…

The course was very hard, especially calculus and physics. I was never great at the exact sciences; I did CS out of love for computing.

The subjects I enjoyed the most were Programming Languages, Web Programming Techniques, Advanced Topics, Compilers, Algorithm Analysis, Operating Systems, Computer Architecture, and the Capstone Project — all related in some way to building algorithms in a programming language.

Since 2009 I decided I wanted to be a programmer. I knew almost nothing about programming, only "barely" Visual Basic and even less C. Java? Not even on the radar. Then in 2010 I joined Uniderp and started studying Java — I liked it. In 2009 and 2010 I attended Javaneiros, and that settled it: Java it is!

I took a course at HighTech, and that confirmed it — I wanted to be a Java developer. I kept studying and doing internships in parallel to college. Honestly, if I hadn't moved to Uniderp I wouldn't know what I'd be doing today, because FCG would have just handed me a diploma. At Uniderp I got involved in more events; the professors were tuned in to what was happening out there (especially Robson Soares, a great professor), and I had more contact with technology.

I studied 3 years at FCG plus 3 years at Uniderp — I graduated after 6 years of college. I have my reasons; the program itself is only 4 years.

During the Uniderp years I was more mature. I knew what I wanted, I focused, I paid attention in class, I took it seriously. I had no patience for wasting time playing "truco" during break and missing class on top of it — I actually studied.

And from late 2010 until the end of my degree I was even more motivated, because I was already dating and had a lot of support from Carla Suzana (my beautiful one).

2012 was the year of the Capstone/Monograph — and yeah, I went for it. I did it on Android: I built a working prototype for real-time monitoring of urban public transport buses. In the capstone I focused on building the system, presenting Android and other basic and advanced concepts I had to pick up during the degree to deliver it. It was a great project to work on, but very hard — 10 months of work that ended in a perfect 10 grade, the only one in my class to get that score.

In conclusion, the Computer Science degree is nice, cool — a dream come true. But today I would have done a Systems Analysis program; I would have spent less money and less time, and I'd be doing the same thing I do now: writing programs, web systems, mobile apps, hehe.

Look, Computer Science is no joke — even when the professor loosens the reins, it still gets rough… I could write for hours and hours, but enough.

To wrap up,

I thank God for giving me life, Jesus Christ for rescuing my life by giving His own, my parents for the education and so much love over the years, my sisters for the company and the "sister stuff", my girlfriend whose mature conversations gave me the strength to keep studying at a good pace toward our goals, the church that was praying for me, and the relatives, friends, and classmates who helped me study and chat to unwind.

Thank you so much, S2 family, and wonderful Carla Suzana!!!

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Holy Bible