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It’s never too late – I returned to uni after 12 years to study Software Engineering at Cardiff Met

, It’s never too late – I returned to uni after 12 years to study Software Engineering at Cardiff Met, CARDIFF MET BLOG
, It’s never too late – I returned to uni after 12 years to study Software Engineering at Cardiff Met, CARDIFF MET BLOG

My name is Mohammed Saeed. After 12 years of finishing my first degree in Computer Science, I decided to return to education. I had considered studying Software Engineering for a while before I took the plunge. I wanted to fulfil my passion of learning programming languages and improve the IT skills that I had obtained through my first degree and professional experience.

In 2016 I finally started the BSc Software Engineering degree course at Cardiff Met as a mature student. Balancing intense study and other life commitments was the most significant challenge I’ve ever encountered – life can be hectic and takes a lot of planning. However, the experience has proved incredibly rewarding.

Many people say that social life is the best part of attending university, but for me, it was learning as well as meeting new people from different backgrounds. I have made many friends for a lifetime at Cardiff Met, enjoyed the course, the way of teaching, and lecturers are really supportive and so friendly. Practical labs and workshops have developed my coding skills and valuable transferable skills further.   

Mohammed facing the camera and smiling inside the School's building
As a mature student, university was challenging, but so worth it

When the time came for my dissertation project, I decided to develop a mobile app to help people learn the English language. The experience of this research project enabled me to gain analytical skills that underpin lots of professional contexts. These valuable skills have made me ready to pursue a range of career opportunities such as a software developer, web developer and applications developer.

Working on my dissertation and studying at Cardiff Met made me more confident, and I’m proud of my 1st class degree and the Software Engineering Student of the Year prize for the best overall performance. I hope my achievements will encourage others like me to positively think that it’s not too late and yes, you can do it.