SWEP Part 2 - Watashi-tachi Wa Sutādesu (WE ARE STARS⭐)
This article is a part of the October 2024 edition of The Computer Newsletter
What’s going on? Why the Japanese translation of “We Are Stars”? I’ll be honest: I couldn’t resist the urge to slip the whole “Watashi wa star, star, star, star, star, glitter” inside the newsletter. And don’t come for me, anime lovers; I still strongly believe animes are overrated cartoons (feel free to argue with your keyboard).
Well, I am here for the drama, nothing more and nothing less. But, there’s a but. In the spirit of unity, my team and I have infused a blend of entertainment, comedy, education, and, of course, sports and struggle.
I am Daluchi Godswill-Nwankwo, the class representative of the 200-level Computer Science with Economics class and your favourite gist partner.
Can we talk about how it is impossible not to notice the class of weirdos? Or how students before us had done SWEP, but we decided to go overboard with it. What can I say? SWEP200 in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering was a balanced meal this year.
In part A of the newsletter, we heard what this year’s SWEP students had to say about their experience. This time around, we’ll not just be hearing from students but also this year’s SWEP coordinator, lecturers, supervisors, SWEP league champions, the picnic committee, and group leaders. Let's get to it.
Brag About Your SWEP Coordinator Without Making Other Students Cry.
I present sneak peeks from an exclusive interview with the SWEP coordinator of the 2022/2023 academic session, Dr. (Mrs.) Temitayo Oyegoke. Big ups to Sogbesan Toluwanimi Oluwadarasimi for handling this interview session.
When asked if any specific skills or knowledge areas were the focus during SWEP, Dr. Oyegoke replied, “While there are various programming languages taught in computer science, the limited hours allocated by the school only allow for a few to be covered. SWEP, however, provided the opportunity to introduce more programming languages and the use of AI across industries. Although AI is not included in the current school curriculum, we explored AI, its applications, and several programming languages during SWEP. This allowed students to identify their areas of interest, knowing that these skills are highly valued in the industry.”
That’s not all; I’d say we were indeed lucky to have bagged an amazing coordinator. You would feel the same way after seeing what she had to say about the group projects: “The primary goal of these projects wasn't to create something groundbreaking but to foster teamwork. In the real world, professionals work in teams – software developers, designers, feasibility analysts, etc.
In computing, diverse teams collaborate to achieve a unified purpose. So, we were looking for team spirit. We emphasized that no one was a leader or a follower; everyone had to work together. The strengths of one student could balance the weaknesses of another, so collaboration was key. That’s what we tested, more than creating something revolutionary. We also provided instructors or supervisors (final-year students) to assist whenever students encountered challenges. Most Fridays during the program were reserved for project work. Except for the first two Fridays, the rest were free of classes so teams could meet, plan, and develop their projects.” There’s more about where this came from. Click the exclusive interview to access the full interview.
Meeting The Famous “Gòngó Àsó” Class
Ever since SWEP, I have lost count of the plates of convocation rice I should be expecting this year. It wasn’t easy, but we lasted 7 weeks with the “Gongo Aso” class, who are also the current final year students in the department. And while we had a rough start, we grew to appreciate their lectures, advice, supervision, and maybe the discipline.
If you’ve read part A of this newsletter, you’d have seen all and whatnot students had to say about these supervisors. But now, the tables have turned, and it’s time to hear what these supervisors have to say about us—the students.
I couldn’t resist the urge to bring you the drama myself, and that’s why I handled the interview with the 5 most popular supervisors. No more secrets; allow me to introduce to you the real odogwus of the “Gongo Aso” class;
Meet Laolu, the big man in charge; while a lot of students were not particularly fans of his ever-strict rules when asked what the most difficult decision he made during the SWEP program was, he cried out, “Taking the student part of me away and taking on the role of the supervisor wasn’t very easy for me. I had to shut out the student part of me and take a more intensive or strict role.”
Fawaz, the finest product designer on campus, had me appreciating the efforts of every supervisor after his evoking speech on what inspired his teaching methods; he said, and I quote, “Hmmm, just one? Let’s say, based on the feedback I got from students, one thing you should endeavour to do is to make the class as interesting for yourself as you want it to be for them. Have as much fun as you can lecturing them. When your audience finds your class engaging, they’ll find it easier to recollect what was taught and it’ll serve as a guide while they’re revisiting your lesson notes.” You didn’t hear this from me, but he also hinted that we had a snitch in the class.
Farouq, the Flutter preacher, told us that he managed to create ten (10) mobile apps on the first Flutter tutorial he watched.
It would be nice to get a brain scan and possibly a literal piece of his brain for further studies on how a great developer thinks. His positive first impression of Flutter and its features apparently was the deciding factor in his “together-forever” promise to the framework.
That’s not all; when asked what advice he’d give students who feel lost in their career paths or are unsure about their future in tech, amidst loads of advice, he insisted on “finding someone to mentor you.
Lack of mentorship has affected a lot of people. The good thing about mentors is that they keep track of your progress, and you can always go to them when you have issues. A mentor can guide you through the roadmap.”
Still speaking on the issue of good advice and the geniuses that gave them, Amos, the networking & cybersecurity guru, needs to share his plug because he was dropping loads of wisdom when asked how he approached blending theory with real-world applications in his teaching in his words, “It’s one thing to know what you do and another to impart knowledge. It’s a different thing to impart knowledge and a whole new game when trying to impart practicable knowledge. Most of the things I taught in SWEP are self-learnt.
Knowing I was coming to teach people who had little to no knowledge meant I had to break it down to your level, thus the minute examples. Teaching a more advanced class might not have required the same examples, but I had to grade the students' level of understanding before teaching.”
And to the much-anticipated conversation and most popular supervisor, Elijah, the heartthrob supervisor, outrightly denied noticing he was the centre of attraction amongst SWEP students.
When asked to rate how well-behaved this year’s SWEP students were on a scale of 1-10, he rated us a “5/10 (after much begging that we’re not that bad). Honestly, you guys are troublesome and sometimes take advantage of your instructors’ being nice. It was fun supervising you guys but also quite stressful.”
If you think this is all, you're mistaken, it’s only the tip of the iceberg, click this for the full interview.
Two-Time Reigning Champions
The SWEP league was indeed a major highlight of SWEP. And the CSC Cookers (the class football team) cooked and ate without leftovers. Imagine staying undefeated for all six (6) matches and that’s not all, the Cookers did this after facing a major defeat at the TEPL coming out the second to the last.
And just like our predecessors, we returned with the cup after emerging as champions of the SWEP league.
“This didn’t happen overnight”, Temiloluwa, the team captain, Ifeoluwa, the assistant coach, and Teniola, the assistant captain and highest goal scorer, confessed to me in a call.
“You want to know the truth? The only thing on my mind each time I was to score a goal was the humiliation we got from the previous competition. Losing 6 games and coming out the 2nd best losers on the scoreboard, there was no way I was going to let affliction arise a second time”, confessed Teniola, our highest goal scorer and assistant captain.
“We didn’t win overnight; we went back to the drawing board, analyzed our previous games and the mistakes made and trained as a team to get this win. It wasn’t easy, but the guys put in the work despite the rigorous training, 9 am -4 pm SWEP classes, and the far training pitch.”, the assistant coach, Ifeoluwa, revealed to me.
You wouldn’t believe it if I told you that the Captain, Temilouwa, was unwell during the finals but still played on the field. When asked why he did this despite his ill health, he unveiled, “As a team, we are brothers, and it’s that bond that keeps us going. I know what I bring to the team, and I just had to do my part”. And the long epistles he sent to his team the night before each game worked its magic.
What more could the Cookers want? “Increased participation from the class and more spectators during their matches. Big ups to Mujahidah and Oreoluwa for showing up for all the matches; it meant a lot to the Cookers.”
From Project Defence To Touch Grass Tiles
Saving the best for the last. Join me as we spy on a conversation between Akinfala Olaide Favour, Adesiyan Ebunoluwa Sharon and Awopeju Toluwani Boluwajoko. Please, don’t tell them you saw this. Olaide
Fourteen groups, each with a unique project, and the results were astounding. Some teams refined existing software, while others created entirely new concepts from scratch. It was thrilling to see my peers boast about their accomplishments, proudly calling themselves software developers and product designers.
A SWEP 200 alum, I.K, shared their project: "We created a voting website for campus elections to tackle vice, malpractices, and stress." A curious student asked, "How does it work?"
I.K explained, "Users create elections, students log in with their uni email, vote, and view results after the election. It's transparent, credible, and secure."
Another innovative mind from group 1, Burgundy Lover, shared their project: "We created the Career Counseling Application to streamline career navigation."
What problem does it solve? Burgundy explained, “It provides paid and unpaid courses, pairs users with mentors in their field, and offers personalized guidance for career applications." "Game-changer!" another student exclaimed. "No more confusion or costly mistakes." Burgundy Lover added, "Exactly! Our goal is to empower informed decision-making and career growth."
Laide from group 14 also introduced their group project name as “KAABO”. “Kaabo will help OAU freshmen navigate campus, learn its history, streamline registration, and ensure safety," Laide explained. Manasseh from Group 4 said, “We created FaceEdu that uses facial recognition to reduce exam fraud”.
How can we end this part of the newsletter without talking about our group project presentation?
The probing questions, constructive criticism, and insightful feedback from our examiners helped us see our projects from new angles, think bigger, and strive for excellence beyond the program.
Ebunoluwa
But it wasn’t all rosy, “The majority of team leads enjoyed their roles, with many rating their leadership skills at 7, 8, or 9 out of 10.
They described the experience as exciting, challenging, fun, educational, and eye-opening. Although not all team leads would eagerly take on the role again, they acknowledged having fun and learning valuable lessons in their responsibilities.”
In terms of managing their teams, the leads faced a variety of challenges. While some were fortunate to have cooperative team members, others encountered difficulties.
Common challenges included consistency, communication, dedication, and team dynamics. Some team members struggled to collaborate effectively and were hesitant to voice their concerns or provide regular progress updates, which added to the complexity of team management.
Fortunately, the team leads from various groups came up with solutions to the challenges they encountered, such as holding physical meetings, fostering a fun working environment, and encouraging team members to regularly share work updates and progress.
Toluwani
Touch Grass was a carefully crafted event by a dedicated committee of 18 students. Weeks of planning went into making sure that the hangout catered to the diverse tastes of the students. The event aimed to bring everyone together after a challenging semester while creating lasting memories.
Even Good Things Have An End
I hope we’ll touch grass at our next class picnic because the weather sure wasn’t letting us eat our cake and have it all, but we did while touching tiles at step B.
Not everyone gets premium access to the lives of Computer Science and Engineering students at the Obafemi Awolowo University, but a big thank you to the Head of the Department, Professor Ayodeji Oluwatope, for spearheading this and encouraging my team and me to indulge you our amazing audience.
Bye for now, till we meet again, I remain Daluchi Faith Godswill-Nwankwo.
Author’s notes
I sincerely appreciate Professor Ayodeji Oluwatope for ensuring the success of this newsletter.
Special thanks to the team, our amazing writers: Adesiyan Ebunoluwa Sharon, Akinfala Olaide Favour, Ajayi-Omoleye Hezekiah Oluwasanmi, Awopeju Toluwani Boluwajoko, Sogbesan Toluwanimi Oluwadarasimi.
My heartfelt appreciation goes to the graphic designers who brought this to life, Adelana Mokerede Solomon and Ikenna Justin Gabriel.
Read more in this October 2024 edition of the Computer Newsletter 🔻🔻
SWEP Part 1 - Two Truths And A Lie