“My dream is to work at Google or Apple”

15/07/2016

Marina knows the Bellaterra campus like the back of her hand, she has been at the UAB practically since she was born. She took her first steps here and grew up on campus: first at the nursery school La Gespa, then at the primary school and finally at the secondary school Pere Calders, all of them located on campus. And now she will continue to spend time on campus while she studies Computer Engineering.

She started programming two years ago, but she's had an interest in computer sciences since she was little. She is an avid reader of Manga and even draws her own characters! Her favourite instrument is the bass, and she plays it in a band called "Monday Station"; she also loves heavy metal and rock music. Other instruments she plays are the guitar and the violin. She speaks English and is learning German, Japanese and Russian on her own. Her free time is spent playing chess and video games.

-Why did you choose Computer Engineering?
-I started programming two years ago and I loved it. In fact, I have always like science and I am very curious about how everything works. In science you do not depend on external factors, if something does not work there is a reason for it, and that has always fascinated me. My father also studied computer engineering and I guess that also influenced me indirectly. Well, my mother is also a teacher and computer coordinator. It's all around me!

-Few women go into the engineering sciences. How do you feel being a minority?
-It's not a problem, I'm used to it because in upper secondary school I chose technologies and few girls were in my class. Actually, when I decided what I wanted to study I didn't think about that at all. I just chose what I liked.

-Why did you choose the UAB?
-For different reasons. First, because I live in Rubí, and it's very close to home. Second, I've heard many good things about the degree and the lecturers. Both of my parents studied here, too. And because I know the campus very well: I went to primary and secondary school here. I like the surroundings as well, I think it's a very nice campus.

-How did you manage to get such good results at school all these years? Is there a special formula or trick to do it?
-No, nothing special. I concentrate when I need to study, I disconnect from everything, no phones, no computers. I also think it's important to study a little every day. You need to be consistent. It does not have to be many hours a day, but you cannot leave everything for the last minute.

-What do you await from this new stage you will begin as a university student?
-I hope to learn and delve deeper into a subject I've always liked. I also want to meet new people and make friends. And I would like to learn languages at the same time. I love speaking languages and while I am here I would like to study Japanese, German and Russian at the UAB Language Services... I like all three of them!

-How do you imagine your future? What would you like to do professionally when you finish your degree?
-My dream is to work in research at a powerful IT company like Google or Apple. What I like most is technological innovation, the power to discover new devices, and I would like to work on the development of new applications. We'll see how it goes.