Teodora Yankova
BSc Mathematics and Computer Science, 2013
Senior Software Developer Consultant, Scott Logic
After university, I completed the Credit Suisse Graduate Programme in IT in London where I worked as an Application Developer. Currently, I am a Senior Software Developer consultant at Scott Logic where I work with a group of great people to solve technical challenges together.
What is the best thing about what you are doing now?
I have the privilege of working in a place where quality and innovation are staples of how we work together. I am enjoying being challenged by the projects I work on and inspired by my colleagues to grow, learn and try new ideas every day.
What motivates you?
I am motivated by working towards a common goal with a team of like-minded colleagues. For me, there is nothing better than tackling an ambitious project and working through all the challenges that come with it together with my colleagues.
What are your fondest memories of the University?
Meeting my partner of ten years is one of the highlights of my time in Birmingham. He also studied at the University and we met through one of my course-mates that lived at his halls of residence.
How did you grow as a person by coming to the University?
In my time at the University of Birmingham, I grew as a person in every aspect imaginable. I lived on my own, took responsibility for my finances, my wellbeing and my career, studied and lived with people from different backgrounds, with different interests. I also learnt that through hard work I can achieve anything I want out of life.
What did you think of the learning experience within the University?
The education I received prepared me excellently for my career. I only realised this a couple of years after graduation, but what my education has given me is the ability to think on my feet and the confidence to ask questions and learn new things. We may not learn the exact skills required for the job we go on to do, but what we did learn in the process of studying was how to tackle problems and pick up new concepts quickly and efficiently.
Did you find the degree programme at Birmingham challenged you?
At the start I found the first year quite easy as a lot of it overlapped with the IB courses I had already done at school. This was quite useful though, as it got everyone in the year to the same level. I found the second year to be the most challenging of all as the concepts we were studying were new and advanced to me. There were several team projects as well which were very interesting and gave us an opportunity to work together on problems. I found my third, and final year, to be the most fun as I got to pick the modules I studied, and even though they were challenging, I really enjoyed them.
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