Testimonials

Previous education

VWO Gymnasium

Nationality

Dutch

Programme

Computing Science

Study start date

01 September 2020

Study end date

30 June 2025

Bachelor’s student Jord Cluitmans is studying Computing Science at Radboud University.

Why did you choose Radboud University?

I chose Radboud University because of the friendly atmosphere that the city and university both convey. Nijmegen is a great city for students, where the whole life is built around students. The university also has a very open and friendly atmosphere, which made me feel right at home here.

How did you experience the transition from high school to university? How did the university/programme assist you with this transition?

The transition from high school to university was quite a big step for me. Suddenly I was given a lot more responsibility of my own and had to take care of my own business. Fortunately, in your first year here you are assigned a mentor who guides you well and helps you with that transition. There are also study advisors who are always available if you run into problems in that transition.

What do you like about the Bachelor's programme and why? How has the programme challenged you?

Mainly the diversity! Computing Science is an incredibly broad field, from very theoretical mathematics to practical courses on how a processor is put together, you learn a bit of everything. The challenge is to see how everything is connected, which makes it interesting.

What do you think about the atmosphere in class?

Between students, the atmosphere is incredibly friendly. Everyone is willing to help each other and answer questions. The same goes for contact with teachers and researchers. They also know what it is like to be a student, and just enjoy having a chat and helping you with questions.

What are your plans once you have received your Bachelor’s degree?

I don't really know yet, the field is so broad. In any case, I want to complete a Master's first.

Are you involved with the study association of your programme? If so, in what way?

Definitely! I did a year on the board and was president of the association. In addition, I am still active in a number of committees and regularly go to activities. The study association (Thalia ed.) is a super active and is open to everyone. I think it is of added value for every CS student to be a member while studying.

What do you like about Nijmegen?

That it is secretly such a small town. This gives you the feeling that it is secretly also a bit ‘your town’. It is a very pleasant and lively city with a vibrant student life, where there is actually something to do every day.

Did you visit any information meetings at the campus before you signed up for your studies? Did you find them useful and why?

Especially the Student for a Day and Open Day. On the Open day, I definitely recommend visiting the student talk. There, current students tell what it is like to study Computing Science in Nijmegen, and what is involved. The nice thing about the Student for a Day is that you participate in a ‘normal’ day, so you really get to see what a normal study day looks like, without it being dressed up for an Open Day. Highly recommended!

What would you advise students when choosing a study programme?

Follow your gut! Secretly that tells a lot more about which study and/or city suits you than you think. Don't let promo talk fool you, but find out for yourself if you see yourself studying somewhere in the next 5 years. Nothing is more annoying than making a difficult choice and finding out halfway through the year that you don't feel at home and having to do the whole process all over again.

Yuliya Shapovalova is a researcher and university lecturer in Data Science. In her work, she collaborates with Alliander to detect unusual spikes in electricity grid data. Machine learning and AI assist in finding solutions for this.

"I want to show that AI and machine learning exist not only in the digital world; they can have tangible impact on our society," says Yuliya Shapovalova, a researcher in Data Science. In this video, she explains how she uses her algorithms to solve a wide range of issues, from fundamental science to urgent societal challenges such as the energy transition in the Netherlands. She plays a role in the long-term strategic partnership between Radboud University and Alliander.

Additionally, she contributes to the MKB Data Lab, where together with students, she assists local SMEs in finding machine learning solutions for their problems.

In the Bachelor's Computing Science, you can specialise in various domains depending on your interest. In this video, students and researchers explain their current projects in data science, software science and cyber security.

Software Science

Dr. Nils Jansen and his team of PhD students explain how software and AI play a role in critical decision-making processes in modern autonomous systems, such as drones. How do we make sure these decisions are correct, efficient and safe?

Cyber Security

Dr. Ileana Buhan and her team of PhD students show various experimental set-ups in the digital security lab. These setups are used to analyze and measure the safety of hardware and various cryptographic implementations.

Data Science

Dr. Gabriel Bucur talks about an transdisciplinary project in which researchers from Radboud worked together with data scientists at medtech-company 'Orikami' to develop a health tracking app. The app gives patients and their physicians better insight in their disease progress, which enables them to create a better and fitting treatment plan.