Why I Chose Computer Science by Eric

Why I Chose Computer Science by Eric - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

I open the clamshell screen of my laptop. The backlight behind its million pixels slowly brightens, illuminating a world that knows no bounds. With three taps on the touchpad, I open up the folder for Faker.js, a software project I’ve extensively worked on.

Faker is used for testing— generating mock data and using it to test code. But beyond the technical specs, Faker is an open-source project. Improving Faker requires a team of engineers, all of whom need to understand how we interact with computers to create a good user experience.

From working with this team to create useful tools for software developers, I’ve become interested in human-computer interaction (HCI)--- the study of how humans interact with computing systems. By pursuing this field, I hope to eventually design easy-to-use computer systems.

After my experiences in software development, I wish to major in Computer Science, weaving together computational theory with HCI. Through the major, I’ll take courses such as Data Structures and Algorithms, giving me a rigorous grounding in computational thinking.

I believe that technology is not just about devices or tools— to properly harness its potential, we have to make it accessible to everyone. By majoring in Computer Science, I can further this goal, building human-centric systems that improve the human condition.