My first-choice degree is Mathematics and Computer Science. A few years ago I was just thinking that computer science is just the science of computers. Later, I realized that computer technology actually has penetrated almost in every aspect of our lives. It touches our lives from the movies we watch, the mobiles we use, to the ways we do transportation and studies. Almost every industry uses computers either to solve the problems or to improve the quality of their production. What is so interesting to me is its interdisciplinary nature. I observe that many developments are possible by computers in health care, biology, physics, agriculture, architecture, business, meteorology and in so many other areas. Computer Science and Mathematics have been life-long passions that I have pursued both inside and outside of my academic scope. I attended the summer school organized by Bilkent University Computer Engineering Department between 23 – 27 July 2018, on “Artificial Intelligence”. It was so interesting for me to analyze how much of the intelligent behavior of people can be expressed in computational terms. In the area of human-computer interaction, I saw what sorts of normal day-to-day activities of people might be supported by using computers. The study of algorithms, programming languages, data bases, and communication between computers, computer vision and robotics are all very interesting areas for me and I want to specialize on artificial intelligence.
Computer Science is strongly related to mathematics which is my favorite subject. All throughout high school I had been in advance math classes and have found an extreme interest as it requires and develops capabilities and imagination in solving multidimensional problems. I took math, physics, and chemistry at high level with all predicted grades 7.
My teachers are saying that I like watching the world through the lenses of mathematics. I was selected to “IDV Private Bilkent High School Mathematics Team” and, I attended “Canadian Team Mathematics Contest” organized by the University of Waterloo, on April 12, 2019 in Turkey and achieved “Certificate of Creativity” in recognition of being a team member of the Team Building Challenge – Winner Team. It was so great experience for me to have space for both collaborative work and individual effort.
I also participated “Inspirational Leadership & Entrepreneurship Workshop” organized at my school on 2 April 2019 supported by “European Institute of Innovation and Technology”.It provides me with a deeper understanding of how computers are used in business and technology.
After joining all these programs I recognized that the requirements of computer science match with my capabilities including analytical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to use various forms information. I had this tendency even when I was a child. In 2010, when I was 8 years old, I attended one month special training program designed for gifted kids after taking “Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Test” at Hacettepe University, Child Neurology Society and Development Unit, Turkey and getting the average score of 145 (public average is 90-100). I enjoy computers because computational thinking is very often associated with innovation. The possibilities for future developments are expected to be even greater than they have been so far. We are living in the age of computer science and it has made the whole world a very small place—available at your fingertips now. It forces the imagination and the boundaries on what will happen next. I mean what we see impossible or magic in the movies today becomes real after a while. I plan to study a combination of computer science and math, and I know that U of T offers the necessary resources, opportunities, and environment to work towards my professional ambitions with its co-op program.