Akshata has been studying the Bachelor of Software Engineering (Hons) and has dreams of becoming a data engineer within the data science and analytics space.

Akshata found her studying experience at the University of Newcastle extremely fulfilling and enriching.

“Not only have I made loads of lifelong friends, but I have also learnt and grown immensely at this university. All my professors have been extremely supportive and helpful, especially since I am a woman in a stem field,” she said.

As part of her studies, Akshata decided to complete an end of year project, with a company she selected with help from teaching staff, which was integrated into her degree.

“I decided to undertake SENG4211A as I wanted to work with a company and get that hands-on practical experience of working in a software team with a client before I step out into the workforce.

“This course not only provides that experience but also prepares students on undertaking an engineering research thesis thus, preparing us for a master’s program,” said Akshata.

Working with a company called Robot Systems, Akshata recalls the hands-on process and consistent communication throughout the project.

“We had live demos of our progress and provided them with industry standard documentation for every step in the software development life cycle,” she said.

Akshata was able to develop a 3D drawing and modelling software used to draft shapes before being sent to a CNC laser machine to cut through materials.

“An important aspect of our task is to migrate the currently used legacy system onto .NET framework, that is easy to use and maintainable.

“Currently the project is in development phase. The completed software will be used by Robot Systems and would be sold to their vendors,” she said.

Speaking of her experience, Akshata felt relieved to have had the opportunity to work within a software team prior to working full time within this space.

“I feel quite satisfied, having undertaken such a complex and massive programming project. It feels quite satisfying and relieving to have worked in a big software project as it reduces the stress of working in a software team in the workforce,” she said.

Akshata's advice to other students thinking of taking on this course, is to be hands on with their approach and track their progress.

“I would advise them to be quite hands on and have frequent meetings with the client and keep them updated of your progress. I would also advise them to use some sort of project management and issue tracker tool like JIRA to be able to track progress of the team and identify issues quickly as time is a pretty important factor in a development life cycle,” she said.

This experience has better prepared Akshata for the workforce and provided a better understanding of similar roles she can obtain after completing her degree.

Seeing this as an opportunity to become more employable within the industry, Akshata has gained invaluable insight into the software industry.

“I definitely think undertaking this project gives me a competitive edge over others as this project has given me a lot of insight into how a software team works in the workforce with client defined deliverables and timeline,” she said.

Find out more about the Bachelor of Software Engineering

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Akshata Dhuraji

Akshata Dhuraji is in her final year of the Bachelor of Software Engineering and has taken the opportunity for work integrated learning to a hands-on experience.

I wanted to work with a company and get that hands-on practical experience of working in a software team with a client before I step out into the workforce.