Low Chin Boon

Name: Low Chin Boon
Nationality: Malaysia
Current Role: Backend Software Developer Intern at Wavelet

Why did you choose to study [your degree/area of study]?

I am pursuing a degree in computer science, majoring in data science. Firstly, I have a strong interest in learning and building AI models. This is because AI has the potential to revolutionise many fields, from finance to healthcare. They automate repetitive tasks and provide efficiency as well as insights to humans.

Next, I am a creative person and I love problem-solving tasks. I believe data science can develop useful solutions to some of the world’s pressing challenges as well as creating a positive impact on society. For example, voice recognition and lip-to-text syncing models can help people with sensory impairments. Other than study interest, I am also attracted by the career opportunities and salary potential that are offered in the data science field.

Why did you choose to study at Monash, and has it met your expectations so far?

Firstly, Monash is well-known for its academic excellence. It is consistently ranked among the top universities in the world. Other than the reputation, Monash has a strong alumni network and connections with various industry leaders. These provide me a competitive advantage in seeking job opportunities in future. Next, Monash is also renowned for its research facilities and research excellence. It provides access to various research repositories in the world, which provides me opportunities to conduct research that contributes to the advancement of my interested field. Lastly, Monash offers some units that are not available in other universities. For instance, as  an IT student, the unit Advanced Algorithm and Data Structure which covers state-of-the-art algorithms is not offered in most of the other universities.

After 3 years of university studies, I find that Monash has so far lived up to my      expectations. The quality of teaching as well as research facilities in Monash are of top-notch quality. For instance, while I am completing my final year project, the supervisors are very helpful in recommending useful and related research papers to enhance my knowledge on my project. They also patiently coached me through the process of a research cycle and provided me useful advice for future studies as well as career advancement.

While at Monash, what type of opportunities did you participate in? (E.g. student exchange, clubs and societies, field trips, conferences, competitions, etc.)

In Monash, I participated in the GDSC (Google Developer Student Club). It is a university-based community group that bonds students who are interested in Google developer technologies. In this club, I have attended some of their hosted workshops, such as the Flutter and TensorFlow workshops and these have enhanced my IT knowledge. Additionally, I also attended the Hackathon Demo Day hosted by GDSC.  This is an event in which the Hackathon participants present their solutions that create a positive impact to society using Google technologies. From there, I gained a lot of creative ideas from the demonstrated solutions by the participants coming from various other countries.

Next, other than joining clubs, I also regularly participated in some coding league competitions to sharpen my problem-solving and coding skills during free time.

While at Monash, did you go for any internships or work placements? If so, where? And did the experience help you in terms of career preparation/what have you learned?

I have participated in the IBL (Industry Based Learning) program in the second semester of the year 2022. I have completed my placement in Wavelet Solutions company which provides Enterprise Resource Planning solutions to various well-known companies, like Digi and SenHeng. In other words, the company develops various accounting and business management softwares that help automate and smoothen the business processes of its clients.

As a data science student, working as a software developer in the organization has introduced me to a variety of opportunities in the IT industry. Working as a backend team member in the company, I have sharpened the database and software design principles knowledge I learnt in university. Apart from that, I also gain cloud computing skills by experiencing the use of the AWS technology in the organization.

Most importantly, I participated in various real-world projects in the company. I observed how the team practices the Agile DevOps methodology in managing the collaboration of the project management, front-end and back-end team in developing  a successful software within a given deadline.

To summarise, the industry placement provides me with valuable insights into the day-to-day realities of working as an IT profession, which informs me long-term career goals and aspirations. It also taught me the knowledge and experience that are difficult to gain solely through academic study. Lastly, it also helps me to build professional networks which can be valuable in securing future employment opportunities.

In future, I will keep an open mind, be willing to accept challenges and never fear failure in work. To me, challenges are equal to learning opportunities. By accepting them, I can grow and gain new skills in a short time.

What do you enjoy most about your student life at Monash? 

Firstly, Monash has an enjoyable and bustling campus life, with a range of events and activities taking place throughout the year. These include some cultural festivals, music concerts, art exhibitions, sporting events, club activities and many more.

Next, Monash provides a strong focus on student support which I find useful. It provides a range of services available to help students succeed in their studies and make the most of their time at university. These include academic support services, such as tutoring and study skills workshops, as well as personal support services, such as counseling, health and wellbeing, and career development services.

What is your biggest career goal, or what is the difference you’d like to make?

My biggest career goal is to become an AI engineer who builds useful models that help address critical social issues such as healthcare, education and poverty. While completing my final year data science project, I have found interest in building machine learning models that help solve various society challenges. I often feel accomplished in fine tuning the model in order to achieve higher accuracy with lower complexity. I also enjoy collaborating with experts from various research fields in solving complex problems and driving progress in science and technology.

By developing AI-based solutions, I hope I can create a positive impact on society and make a difference in people’s lives.  For example, I hope I can develop models that provide assistance to people with sensory impairment, people facing disasters and others. With my knowledge, I hope I can contribute to the betterment of the society.