My Experience Studying Computer Science

Hi, I’m Michelle! I’m a current fourth-year student studying Computer Science with concentrations in Human-Computer Interaction and Machine Learning. My experience studying Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon(opens in new window) has been characterized by exploration and collaboration.

I entered college knowing that I wanted to be in the School of Computer Science, as I had really enjoyed my computing and math classes in high school. However, I couldn’t discern any specific interests outside of that. Once starting at CMU, the curriculum encouraged me to explore fields regardless of how much they seem to connect to my future goals. In my first two years, I enjoyed taking classes that challenged the way I viewed films, that helped me understand the hardware and software of sound recording, and that overall shaped how I applied critical thinking across disciplines. Though their impact on my Computer Science studies isn’t immediately recognizable, I believe that flexible thinking is a necessary skill in any space! I was pushed to take classes out of my comfort zone by the SCS requirement that can be fulfilled by an interdisciplinary minor, combined with the sheer amount of courses offered by the university.

In my sophomore year, I enrolled in an introductory Human-Computer Interaction course to fulfill one of my core breadth requirements. I was unexpectedly captivated by the combination of utility and creativity that it entailed, ultimately leading to my HCI concentration declaration. This sparked my involvement in research on campus in Explainable AI through the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (with a soon-to-be presented paper at an international conference!) This research then inspired my interest in human-centered AI, finally resulting in my Machine Learning concentration. I’ve even been able to take numerous classes at the intersection of my two concentrations! My academic journey here has been thoroughly supported by CMU’s extreme breadth of offerings both inside and outside of the School of Computer Science.

The connections that I’ve made during my time here have been arguably the most valuable asset I’ve gained over these past four years. Collaboration is heavily emphasized from day one of the Computer Science curriculum. In my first semester, I took Matrices and Linear Transformations, where I was required to work with a new randomly assigned student on my homework each week. I met people through this system who have become my best friends, and who I still work with on most of my group assignments today. All of the toughest classes here are highlighted by their encouragement of peer support, and I have made some of my proudest projects through group work.

As I approach graduation, I am grateful for the experiences I’ve gained at CMU, and I’m excited to see learnings translate into industry applications!