Internet, Design and A Plethora Of Things : Get To Know APU's IT Girl

Let us all agree on one fact: technology today permeates every aspect of our lives. We rely on our smartphones for daily survival, e-learning has allowed us to study from the comfort of our homes, and there's even a robot vacuum now to clean the entire house. Everything becomes a walk in the park with the existence of technology. Safe to say, we are moving into a futuristic timeline that everyone predicted decades ago; except the commercialisation of flying cars which are still a long way off. Well, we'll get there.

With digital technology on the rise, the IT industry is currently leading in global demand. We talked with Angel Yong, who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, to understand more about the world of Information Technology. In her words, “IT revolves around programming and understanding computational logic to solve modern-day technological problems, making systems more effective and efficient. However, IT is not only bounded by software but also incorporates hardware building and assembly to make a fully functional system for various uses. Information Technology ranges from software engineering, security, networking, cloud computing, designing, the Internet of Things and many other subfields.”

Specialising in “the Internet of Things (IoT)”, Angel was intrigued to go down the path of IoT after the faculty informed her that the course is still relatively new to the institution. “After researching and given thorough explanations, I found out that IoT not only comprised software but hardware too. The thought of building smart systems truly piqued my interest as a person that tinkers around with objects at home to make things more automated.”

Behind the "IT" Girl 

Born and bred in KL, Angel has always been exceptionally skilled in IT, even though she initially had little interest in pursuing it. Her first career goal was to become a chiropractor, but when her grades fell short of expectation, she decided to pursue a career in information technology with the support of her mother. Her choice ultimately led to her success story, as she was awarded First Class Honours with a CGPA of 3.89 at APU. What is her secret?

“There is no secret, just a lot of perseverance and focus to get through the programme,” the bright 22-year old clarifies. “There are times I felt like giving up after seeing lines of red errors from a simple function. It is demotivating, but I've always turned this demotivation into a challenge; that is how I got to where I am today.”

Jerry Chong, Angel's lecturer, calls her "extraordinary," claiming that her attentiveness in class has helped her build a solid reputation and amass substantial knowledge of the subject area. In addition to that, Angel insisted that the cognitive-intensive computer concepts provided by the learning sessions at APU allow her to obtain sufficient knowledge that contributes to her staying ahead in her class. "Apart from the standard learning materials, the hardware I have utilised during classes are common objects used in actual projects. Therefore, the knowledge has given me a boost during my internship to get ahead of other interns."

Whilst the pandemic sets the students back in a virtual environment, Angel says the lecturers are still fast-paced and quick to respond via Microsoft Teams to ensure the e-learning lessons are well-delivered.

Outside of her studies, Angel personifies her reputation as an IT girl, indulging in online games like League of Legends and Valorant during her pastime. “As much as I love getting away from the computer, I still get back into it because of gaming. I find gaming a stress-relieving hobby and helps me bond virtually with my friends.”

Technology for the People

Now a Junior UI/UX Designer, Angel says that catering to people has always been the source of inspiration for her passion for UI/UX design. “UI/UX design is all about appealing to people and aiding their everyday usage from a technological standpoint. It is interesting to tackle a singular application or website that caters to a wide variety of end users. The success of solving all those problems through your designs returns immeasurable satisfaction. If it looks good AND solves a problem? It's a good design.”

Being able to evolve her designs to be more “human” based on needs also helps her to grow more empathetic towards people. For her final year project, Angel implemented the usage of IoT in grocery shopping to make the process smarter and more convenient to end users. “The inspiration behind the Smart Shopping System is the COVID-19 pandemic that took the world by storm. In Malaysia, SOPs were enforced, causing many families to have limited access to shopping malls. As a result, spouses are often confused with what to purchase for the family, and face issues such as items being out of stock on the shelves. On top of that, physical interactions were discouraged, and contact with other individuals should be kept at a minimum to reduce the COVID-19 spread. I thought of these problems my mother must face when purchasing groceries for the family; how do I make this system efficient, informative, and safe for all? That's where the usage of the good ol' WIFI, RFID, and our everyday smartphones comes into place to tackle this issue.”

Angel proves that the field of Computer Science and Information Technology offers many unique challenges that allow individuals to grow and place significant changes in our everyday lives.

Planning to step your foot in the fastest growing industry? Learn more about APU's Computer and IT Programmes to start your education journey today.