Student in the Doctor’s Program (Graduated in FY 2002)

Student in the Doctor’s Program
(Graduated in FY 2002)

Why did you choose to study in Computer Science Course?

I selected Computer Science Course because I was interested in computers as a high school student. I already hoped to study at Computer Science Course when selecting universities and schools before the season of entrance examinations.

Did your impressions about Computer Science Course change after starting to study in the Course?

I did not expect that I would need to take the classes provided by the Applied Mathematics and Physics Course and other departments and schools along with those provided by Computer Science Course; however, today I think that it was good to have the opportunity of studying a wide range of fields.

Could you describe your experience in the Computer Science Course?

Classes that were impressive and/or informative:

I was impressed that I was able to deepen my understanding not only through classes but also through workshops and other occasions where I was given opportunities of programming independently.

What impressions do you have about the time you spent as a member of a laboratory in fourth year?

Until the end of third year, I was "passive" in the main part of study; namely, learning to how to solve the presented problems that were actually already solved. However, after becoming a member of the laboratory, I was expected to be engaged proactively in research, trying to find solutions to as yet unsolved problems. Study during fourth year was thus very different from study during my first three years. Although the degree of students' independence in research may differ depending on the policies of individual laboratories, some students even write research theses about the problems they find by themselves. (Of course advice and guidance of a staff and senior associates are available.) Research is highly laborious, but at the same time it is very interesting. Even those who are not planning to become researchers will have very valuable experience.

What did you do when you were not studying?

Compared with other schools, the students of the School of Computer Science are not occupied by experiments for long hours, and can find time to be used for leisure. Students can have part-time jobs and participate in extracurricular club activities.

Advice to Freshmen

Computer Science includes many fields. During the first academic year, students will be informed of those fields. I recommend studying a wide variety of subjects, thinking about what fields you are interested in and what knowledge you need.

Advice to High School Students

It is advisable to select where to study by referring to the curriculum information publicized by universities and to the specialty fields of faculty members, carefully thinking about what interests you.