Chib is a final year student at Warwick University, incoming software engineer at J. P. Morgan and co-founder of IT enterprise TAPintoTech. In this interview, we discuss her interests in computer science including some of her favourite applications such as steganography and ethical hacking. We also learn about how she and her team are using TapintoTech to popularise technology applications.
What sparked your interest Computer Science?
I think my interest stems from church, my dad would always ask to help out in the tech department with tasks like projecting songs on the main screen, turning down the mic when it was too loud etc. These little introductions into these appliances I guess ignited an interest in technology. I was also tasked with creating an app for the church at the age of 15 and found this to be an exciting project to take on, I'd say this is where my interest in Comp Science began.
I think in 10 years’ time, being able to programme is going to be a necessity and I feel very strongly about allowing these opportunities to be available to people in a way that is very easy to digest and very user friendly
What do you enjoy the most about your Computer Science and how are you most looking forward to applying it in your career?
I’ll answer the second question first! I am excited about using the computational thinking and the logical and analytical skills that studying computer science has been able to give me. Being able to approach seemingly complex problems and being able to deconstruct them into the most important things, these are the key skills I have gained and I am excited to see how I can use them in my career.
And in regards to what I enjoy about my degree, if I am being totally honest, my degree is
not the easiest ride and it’s not been completely enjoyable but I’d say that the thing I enjoy
the most is probably the group work. We have a software engineering module in which we're assigned a very complex product to develop in a relatively short space of time. I find it exciting and interesting to see how you start from having no idea of what they are asking for to say a couple of weeks later, you’ve understood the problem and you’re now working towards the right technology to use and then a week later, you are now beginning the coding. So, seeing the progression and the timeline of initial confusion to implementation and the final product, to me it is a beautiful journey.
Can you share examples of aspects you don’t enjoy as much?
Some of the things you’re asked to learn, or produce can be very abstract. For example,
programming in languages that are not used on a day to day basis. Also, some of the
concepts you learn about are not practical or applicable. For example, the mathematical
concepts can be abstract and discrete which makes you question why you have to learn
them.
What aspect of Technology do you find most exciting and why?
I am interested in cyber security on a large scale, so things like the dark web and seeing how
countries and big organisations must protect themselves from these potential hackers. Do
you know about the concept of the dark web? It’s essentially internet underground for criminals, it’s like an untraceable kind of internet for people who carry out illegal operations. It’s interesting to see how companies and even countries must protect themselves from these criminals and the infrastructure they must put in place to stop it e.g. steganography - the concept of hiding information within pictures. If a criminal wants to send out a mass message to the rest of their group, he or she can actually hide the information and post it online, to the normal eye, the information just looks like a picture but for someone who is trained in steganography, they can look at the picture and decode the picture and see the message inside it. I also find the concept of ethical hacking interesting, I'm fascinated by the transformation of people who were once on the bad side use their skills in hacking for good.
I am excited about using the computational thinking and the logical and analytical skills that studying computer science has been able to give me. Being able to approach seemingly complex problems and being able to deconstruct them into the most important things, these are the key skills I have gained and I am excited to see how I can use them in my career.
You are also one of the co-founders of TAPintoTech, an organisation with aims to educate, up-skill, and promote equality within the technology sector, can you tell us more about it?
Tap into Tech like you said is a growing organisation looking to educate, up-skill and
promote equality within the Tech Sector. Basically we’ve seen the importance and power
lying in education as a means to break social barriers and I think it is really important as our
world becomes increasingly technological that people are given the opportunity and access
to learn these skills that will help them in the future. I think in 10 years’ time, being able to programme is going to be a necessity and I feel very strongly about allowing these opportunities to be available to people in a way that is very easy to digest and very user friendly. A lot of people are scared of computer science, tech, and coding - I don’t know whether it’s because in the movies you see a hacker typing away and on his screen, you see a bunch of words and code that makes it look confusing but that’s just not the case. I want people to understand that being able to programme and understand technical concepts doesn’t have to be difficult, scary or hard. That is one aspect but I also think that people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds or possibly under-represented ethnic groups, I feel it’s even more important for them to have these skills so that they are able to break these social barriers that confront them. From my personal experience, I have observed how education can allow you to break out of the confinement and expectations that someone may have of you based on where you come from.
We are particularly interested in helping to provide infrastructural resources to students from developing countries or areas that are deprived and girls too, this is another aspect. The underrepresentation of females within the technology sector is ridiculous, it’s almost a joke - I have seen these at events I have attended where there is an underwhelming low number of females. Even in my degree, I have made the same observation and I just want us to explore how we can change the face of Tech from one that is dominated by a specific group of people.
What sets TAPintoTech apart from other IT enterprises?
That’s an interesting question, I would say that we are also very interested in the intersection of technology with other disciplines. So, for example, a third of our team study computer science and the rest are from non-STEM Backgrounds. Our team is made up of people enthusiastic about Tech but not all of them study computer science. Not only are we trying to sow how accessible Tech is to people from different backgrounds, but we are also trying to show how Tech intersects with other disciplines. I would say that Technology is often tied to a means to an end. People don’t code for the sake of coding, they are coding for a reason; for example, if I were a software engineer, I could use my skills in a law firm, an investment back etc. So, we are always exploring how these two worlds can come together. We produce weekly content on our social media and cover the intersections of Tech and other disciplines.
How did you turn this from an idea into something real?
I would say that with any good idea, you need a good team. It’s very rare to come up with
an idea and execute it without any sort of involvement from other people. We relied on the synergy of different minds and ideas!
This idea began when a friend approached me, we were both at a conference, it was a great
event and at the end of it, everyone was in high spirits. He shared it as an idea for a Tech
Conference and I thought it was great and agreed to be a part of it. We wanted a diverse set
of skills so reached out to a few people to join the team.
We held regular meetings and continued to brainstorm, causing the idea to evolve from a
mere tech conference, to a society at university into an organisation. I think that the reason
why we are at the stage we are at now and in the quick amount of time is the manpower of
people we have, and from different backgrounds - Law, Economics, Psychology, the
different approaches made it an enriching process.
The moral of my story is that having people you can bounce of ideas with is important!
..but I also think that people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds or possibly under-represented ethnic groups, I feel it’s even more important for them to have these skills so that they are able to break these social barriers that confront them.
Can you share any tips for any young person who is considering going into a computer science related degree?
I would say if you are female or from an under-represented group, try not to be intimated
by the people you are bound to meet on your course on in your workplace. From my
experience, you will find yourself in situations where you can be intimidated or patronised.
You must continuously remind yourself that you are worthy to be found in some of the
places you may find yourself. For example, in university, you have to remind yourself that
you have got the grades to be there rather than questioning why you are amongst some of
the brilliant people you may encounter on your course or at an internship, it’s because you
passed your interviews.
Another thing is to practice as much as you can so for example, before university, try to get
an understanding of computational concepts, things like object-oriented programming, Java
or python so you have your technical grounding covered. It will help your confidence!
Here are some of Chi's top recommendations on resources for learning about coding and technology applications:
Hackerrank - particularly useful for learning about the fundamentals of Java
Leet Code - great for students and graduates who are applying for software engineering roles or internship where you may undergo coding tests
Udemy
TapintoTech - if you are interested in tech or are a new programmer or startup seeking technical consulting, TapintoTech will give you the right support. Visit the website and join the TapintoTech community on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn to get regular updates and join in the conversation!
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