Lorna Armstrong

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Why Edinburgh?

I attended lots of different open days at universities across the UK, flicked through so many prospectuses, and wrote lots of "pros and cons" lists for all of my potential choices.

Ultimately, there was a myriad of reasons that I chose Edinburgh: from loving the city and the location, to the university's reputation, societies and course. The course had the right balance of modules that I was looking for, and I was able to take elective modules outside of Computer Science in the first two years of my degree, fuelling my foreign language passion alongside my degree, which was a huge plus for me!

I fell in love with the city - it's full of history, beautiful places to explore, and so many opportunities to get involved in life within the city community, as well as within the University. For me, I could imagine myself living here and calling Edinburgh home!

Why Informatics?

I wasn't one of those people who have known since they were tiny what they wanted to do. I didn't ever have a fixed answer when people asked me "What do you want to do when you grow up?".

In fact, I have always been very evenly balanced grade-wise and interest-wise across a range of subjects, which made choosing one to study at university very tricky! I decided on Computer Science as it aligned the most with me - it just felt right. The iterative process of coding, testing, and hunting down bugs was what first attracted me as there's no better feeling than finding the solution! 

As a subject area, Informatics is fast-evolving, challenging, and incredibly relevant. There are so many areas to learn about, and you can often link in other subjects and interests.

I was drawn to the impact that technology and computer science can have in all industries, internationally, and the potential of all the different career paths that can be explored afterwards.

What do you do for fun?

Learning foreign languages is my biggest hobby, but I also enjoy chilling with friends and watching films, crime documentaries, or binge-worthy series. I love digital drawing, creative writing, and reading, to help me relax. Discovered on a whim in Fresher's Week, I have added Swing Dance to my list of hobbies, since starting university. I'm also a big sports fan, especially football, and I love running in my free time. I also volunteer with Rainbows, a section of Girlguiding, which is the highlight of my week. 

Any tips for prospective students?

Don't be afraid to try things out of your comfort zone. University can be a big jump, and there's sometimes a lot of expectations and pressure on adjusting, but everyone feels the same and it's amazing how things that seemed terrifying just melt into normality!

Applying for my first internship, for example, was definitely scary and not like anything I'd done before, but it led to the best experience and I learnt so much.

My advice is to embrace the opportunities and just give it a go - you never know who you'll meet, what you'll learn, or where it'll take you!