As I sat in the library on November 10th, a first-year student approached me, visibly anxious. He had chosen to major in computer science after falling in love with his first programming lecture. However, he was already feeling overwhelmed by concerns about the job market. Having traveled all the way from Istanbul with hopes of building a new life here as an international student, he now wondered if he should switch majors or even move back home, troubled by the competition for internships and developer positions. He is not the only student who is feeling this way; this is a common concern for all the UBC Okanagan students who aspire to become software developers and gain financial independence.
So why is this concern so common today? How did we go from viewing computer science as one of the most stable, well-paying careers, to facing such uncertainty about even entering the tech industry? The real question is: how do we address this problem? What can we do differently to ensure that students feel confident in their chosen paths?
One possible solution is to create more opportunities for networking, where tech enthusiasts can connect, brainstorm ideas, collaborate on projects, or even launch a startup together. While this might seem ambitious, a more promising approach could involve on-campus workshops led by upper-year students who have already navigated core skills like data structures and algorithms, built real-world projects, and gained internship experience. These sessions could guide new computer science students, help them find a career path, strengthen their skills, and build the confidence to apply for summer internships or enter the co-op program.
UBCO’s Coding Club is already taking the necessary steps to turn this vision into a reality. The club is founded by students who are passionate about coding and development and are determined to boost the morale of our university’s aspiring developers. They host a series of weekly workshops open to all experience levels, including app development sessions every other Wednesday, AI workshops on Thursdays, and competitive programming on Fridays. Students who are eager to collaborate and learn through projects can join the club’s discord channel, where new ideas and resources are always welcome. Keep an eye out for their posters around campus, or follow @codingclub.ok on Instagram for updates.
One event that really helped me as a final-year computer science student was Leetcode Night, hosted by the Coding Club in collaboration with the Computer Science Course Union. Leetcode is a platform with coding challenges that helps students prepare for technical interviews, and is considered a bit intimidating and often boring for students to tackle alone on weekends after a daunting week of lectures, jobs, and assignments. With this in mind, they took the initiative to come up with an event where students can sit together in the classroom, laptops open, discussing optimal solutions with a slice of pizza in hand.
I reached out to Mrunal Mustapure, one of the executive members of the Coding Club, to ask what motivated her to join. Why, on a Friday night, instead of relaxing on her balcony with a cup of tea, was she spending her evenings at these workshops? As we talked, I began to realize that we all share a bit of the same anxiety as the student I met in the library, especially with the rapid advancements in AI taking over the world. Mrunal feels fortunate to connect with like-minded people and to inspire others to keep coding and creating wonders with just a few lines of code..
The Coding Club workshops are led by experienced coaches – Anand, Noah Stewart, and Alexander Niazi. At one of these workshops, I met Anand, a seasoned coder who was enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge with everyone at the event. He told me about the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), an annual multi-tiered competition where students from universities worldwide come together to tackle complex coding challenges under intense time pressure. Each team, typically composed of three students, works collaboratively to solve as many problems as possible within a set timeframe, showcasing their coding, problem-solving, and teamwork skills.
For the 2024–2025 season, the World Finals are scheduled for March 2025, with regional contests already underway, like the North America Qualifier in October and the Northeast Regional in November. As he spoke, I noticed some of the most curious faces in the room, all eager to be part of this exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Inspired by the Coding Club, I started to wonder about other ways to help students feel more at ease in the competitive job market. How incredible would it be to host a hackathon where students could create something innovative and meaningful in a short time, gaining real-time impact? Just as I was thinking this, I discovered that the AI Club recently organized a hackathon focused on social good, showcasing some of the most exciting projects developed by students. You can find out more about this club on Instagram: @aiclub.suo
Amidst all the fear and anxiety about AI taking over and potentially replacing software developers, there is an opportunity to use these advancements to upskill ourselves and gain an upper edge for the job market. I am grateful to the student clubs on campus for conveying this inspiring message of hope and optimism through their events.
Another challenge that holds us back from breaking into tech is effectively communicating our potential to recruiters. Sure, I may be a skilled developer who can navigate various programming languages and build software, but do I have the skills to launch it? Can I confidently share what inspired this idea and explain why my product deserves a chance? Am I self-assured enough to showcase my abilities to recruiters and to the users who could benefit from my software? As I was thinking about this, my friend Suyash invited me to join his team for the Shark Tank event hosted by another tech-savvy empowered club on campus, Girls in Tech.
I was truly excited to be part of this event hosted by people I had met in my first year, hearing all the wonderful things they have accomplished since then. I was also an executive member of Girls in Tech in 2022, where we organized numerous career connections and networking events. The Shark Tank event took place on October 24 in the EME building, with Dr. Scott Fazackerly serving as the judge of the competition. Each team of four students was required to have at least one woman to help bridge the gender gap in tech, an important topic I would love to explore further in my writing someday. Teams were given 40 minutes to brainstorm their ideas and three minutes to present their products, aiming to convince Dr. Fazackerly to invest in their brilliant concepts.
If you’re interested in meeting the people behind these innovative ideas, wear your best formal wear and show up to the gala that is hosted by the Women in Engineering club in partnership with Girls in Tech on the 16th of November in the UNC Ballroom, from 6:30 p.m. onwards. They are looking for speakers to share more about a project or research that’s keeping them busy, so here’s a sign to show up and let people know more about you. For more information, follow the club’s Instagram page: @girls.in.tech
What’s next? I understand if you’re concerned about whether simply attending campus events or participating in these phenomenal workshops will land you a six-figure job at your dream company. Trust me, that is not my motive for writing this article. So, the question arises: what can provide more assurance? We have explored everything from learning how to code to attending competitive programming workshops and collaborating in team-based environments. How about starting our own club to share everything we have learned on this journey and help more students build the confidence they need to succeed?
Despite all the wonderful and exciting opportunities our campus already offers, I believe there is still a need for tech enthusiasts to come together and create something that can spark intellectual conversations under a roof. One idea is to partner with existing clubs from other universities and bring them to our campus, such as the Google Developer Student Club or Major League Hacking, so that students like us can benefit even more.
To help you navigate how to start a club or reach out to existing organizations for guidance, I would like to share this wonderful resource: Student Association Handbook
My article has highlighted the demanding nature of the tech market and the fears many students like me face, as well as the incredible work these clubs do to ease those anxieties. Ultimately, it is up to us to decide whether to let this fear hold us back from being unbeatable or to utilize all the resources and opportunities available on campus to break through.
If this article has inspired you to participate in these workshops, lead a club, or even enroll in one of the programming courses on campus, then my purpose is fulfilled.
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