MSci Computing Science student Scott shares his experience taking part in the annual RGU vs University of Aberdeen Inform Prize competition.
Each year, RGU and the University of Aberdeen (UoA) students go head to head in a showdown of ideas, technical expertise, and presentation skills. After students from the School of Computing, Engineering and Technology teams entered the competition via a course module, three teams were shortlisted.
Hear from him:
Why did you want to take part in the Inform Prize?
I wanted to take part in the Inform Prize because I felt inspired after previously attending with my group last year to see what the event entailed. At the time, I was astounded by the level of project creativity and video demonstration production quality, so this encouraged me to apply for this year.
I was excited about meeting with companies to share the project my group and I had been designing last year. I had also been aiming to build my professional network and skills (not to mention hoping to win one of the prizes of course).
What are the key lessons you have taken away from being involved in the competition?
From being involved in the Inform Prize, I have learned that effective communication about a project and the benefits the project can have for its intended target market is just as (if not more) important than the software itself and how it was engineered. This has reinforced to me that being able to answer questions promptly and accurately about a project is such a useful skill.
By watching the demo videos that the groups had submitted for this competition, it has opened my mind more on how to deliver a message in video format that is both informative and entertaining whilst omitting technical jargon to provide easier understanding for all viewers.
How did you find competing with students from UoA?
Competing with University of Aberdeen students did bring a slight sense of competitiveness inside. I was particularly interested to see the kinds of projects the UoA students were developing as well as any similarities or differences between the group modules at both universities. Additionally, I was curious about the technologies they used for developing their projects as well as the individuals or organisations who worked with them.
Will being part of this help inform your studies, future projects or dissertation?
Being part of this experience will help with this year when it comes to my Interdisciplinary Team Project module where I will be working with clients in teams again. This will also help when it comes to my upcoming final year project through combining innovation with project development. Finally, this experience will also serve me well for going into the computing and IT industries.
Scott Soiza
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