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Asiya Mbarawa
Asiya Mbarawa
Intern - Arris Global
Intern - Arris Global
BEng Control Systems Engineering
BEng Control Systems Engineering
Asiya Mbarawa is an international student from Tanzania, who came to the University of Sheffield in 2016 and chose to undertake a BEng in Control Systems Engineering with a Year in Industry. During her first year, Asiya was an international ambassador where she shared her experience of studying and applying to the University as an international student with prospective international students.
Asiya is based in Saltaire Bradford at Arris who are a global leader in IP (wireless and wired), video and broadband technology. During her year in industry, she worked within the ICPE (International Customer Premise Equipment) Business Unit. The ICPE department develop solutions for home networking, satellite, cable, terrestrial and Wifi platforms.
The Year in Industry at Arris has introduced Asiya to new techniques such as bootloaders and also to what it is like to work globally, as after only a few months on placement, Asiya was attending her first bootloader meeting with the rest of the bootloader team located in Bangalore, India.
60 seconds with Asiya Mbarawa:
60 seconds with Asiya Mbarawa:
Why did you decide to do a year in industry?
Why did you decide to do a year in industry?
I am currently studying Computer Systems engineering. When I started my degree I knew little to no coding and as soon as I started to get the grip of it I fell in love and thought about doing a software related Masters. Since I am not studying the traditional software based courses (e.g. computer science, software engineering etc.) I thought I would go for a software engineering placement that would give me a taste of what entails a software based career and whether I can see myself pursuing a masters in it.
How did you find your year in industry opportunity?
How did you find your year in industry opportunity?
RateMyPlacement, a well known website which hosts hundreds of placements each year.
Tell us about project(s) which you have been most involved with whilst on year in industry?
Tell us about project(s) which you have been most involved with whilst on year in industry?
I am a member of the bootloader team which is responsible for the code that runs before any operating system runs. The project I have been most involved in for the last 5 months is the automated test project I have been working on. The project is about creating automated tests that will test the driver on the STB (set top box) to see if they're working efficiently. The number and types of drivers varies from box to box depending on what the customer in each country requests. Typically the drivers that can be found on the box are a USB driver, the front panel (buttons and LED's), the IR (infrared) sensor that detects when a user points a remote control at it and reads the key (eg changing channels, volume up/down etc). This is done primarily in C programming and we use an arm chip.
What do you like about the company you have done your year in industry with?
What do you like about the company you have done your year in industry with?
There are several things I like about Arris. It's a really diverse company so you have people from different parts of the world working together (e.g. Brazil, India, Sweden, France, USA etc.). The working environment is comfortable so if I have any questions people are more than happy to help you/teach you something. I also like the fact that I can actually see the development process of the products (set top box) I have used throughout my life.
What has been the most challenging aspect to undertake a year in industry?
What has been the most challenging aspect to undertake a year in industry?
In the beginning I found the work challenging and intimidating because I felt that I should instantly know and understand everything I did without realising the whole point of my year in industry is to learn how my degree/interests are applied in industry. I also found working 8 hours a day difficult because I never really had a set routine while I was in University.
What has been your favourite part of completing a year in industry?
What has been your favourite part of completing a year in industry?
My favourite part has been the work I have been able to undertake because I have been able to learn so much in such a short time in a way I would not be able to do if I were in University. The work I have undertaken has also shown me the things I enjoy doing and the things that aren't for me.
Which part of your degree has helped you with undertaking a year in industry the most?
Which part of your degree has helped you with undertaking a year in industry the most?
There are several parts of my degree that have helped me during my year in industry. The biggest contribution is the computer problem solving and object oriented design modules (coding modules) which gave me the foundation I needed in C programming (coding/programming in general). The engineering principles I learn that are applicable to being a professional engineer as well as EYH (Engineering You're Hired) , GEC (Global Engineering Challenge).
What do you hope to do after you graduate?
What do you hope to do after you graduate?
Pursue my Masters in Software Engineering followed by a career in a software based area such as software development or software engineering.
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