Flexibility and opportunities made Adelric chose Software Engineering
Adelric Wong moved from Singapore to Gothenburg to study the international bachelor’s programme in Software Engineering and Management. It was the flexibility and the close contact with the industry that made him apply for the programme.
“My background from high school is within electronic and computer engineering. Although I was good at hardware, I thought software had a better potential and was more fun.”
Sweden is a good place for tech startups
Adelric just started his final year at the Software Engineering and Management programme. He has been in Sweden for a little over 2 years and has already won a Hackathon, formed a startup company and made lots of connections with the industry. It was the similarities with his home country and the successful tech industry that made him choose Sweden.
“When I was looking for a bachelor’s programme, I wasn’t just looking at the programme itself but also at the industry as a whole and the status of it in the country. When I checked, Silicon Valley was the place with the most billion-dollar valued startups, often referred to as "unicorns". But actually, number two is Stockholm, in terms of the most "unicorns" in the world. That’s one of the main reasons why I chose Sweden as opportunities are abound.”
Free to be more than a student
The academic world is a bit different in Sweden than in other countries. It’s more independent and you study fewer courses at the same time.
“You get a lot of freedom and can manage your own time. Because of that you have the opportunity to be involved in things outside of your studies. That opportunity has given me a lot of valuable connections as well as career opportunities. That is something I think I wouldn’t have accomplished if I did university studies elsewhere. I would still be just a student.”
In Sweden they kind of encourage ideas and innovation. Not just speaking about it, but in terms of actual policies. If you want to be an entrepreneur you can attempt your idea, and you don’t have to be afraid of failure.
You will struggle, but you will realize what you like
The Software Engineering and Management programme gives its students the opportunity to complete collaborative projects, work with partners in industry and participate in hackathons – gaining the skills necessary to improve the world with software.
“The programme is difficult but fulfilling. You will struggle, but when you realize that there are areas within it that you like, you see the opportunities. With this programme, you can become an entrepreneur, a manager, a consultant or a data scientist as well as a developer. You get a good overview of the various aspects of software, and that will help you determine what road you want to take in your journey ahead.”
Adelric’s 3 best tips to other students
- Compromise: You have to weigh your commitments day-by-day and decide which has priority over the others.
- Try not to be overwhelmed, just break down your tasks into simple day-by-day tasks.
- Do as much as you can to the best of your ability, so you don’t have regrets later on!
