Name: Andy Liang
Program: Honours Computer Science, Expected Graduation 2021
Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.
What made you choose Waterloo’s Computer Science program?
As a child, I was always fascinated with computers and technology. During my teenage years, I was introduced to the realm of programming by my high school computer science teacher, and it completely blew my mind. At that point, I decided that computer science would be the best fit for my future. When junior year began, I started searching up the different university programs offered around Canada. While UBC or the University of Toronto had higher reputation rankings, neither of them offered the co-op opportunities that Waterloo did, which is one of the most beneficial elements of finding a job after graduation. Hence, I decided that Waterloo was the place to go, and here I am.
How is your experience so far in computer science?
Quite honestly, it has been more challenging than I expected. Unlike other universities which offer computer science under either Arts or Sciences, Waterloo’s Computer Science is offered under its Mathematics faculty. This meant that most of my courses in my first year are mathematics courses (such as numeric theory, and Calculus). In high school, the amount of assignments we receive and the amount of self-studying was quite minimal compared to my current course load, so it was definitely challenging in the beginning to get used to the university course load. Other than that, it has been quite fun, learning about new languages and concepts in computer science I had not previously had the chance to experiment with.
Can you tell me about your app, Sigma?
Sigma is a student task planner app designed to replace paperback diaries and agendas with the intention of utilizing technology to implement features previously impossible with paperback books, such as notifications, search, filters, etc. The app features a intuitive design and many graphical components, such as a wide selection of custom drawn course icons, to enhance the user experience of the overall application. To simplify a student’s life even further, the student can also access the built-in widget that shows what their next class is right from the Notification Centre or their lock screens.
What inspired you to create this app?
Sigma development began around the second week of my senior year. I realized how inefficient I had become with the amount of tasks and assignments I had to keep track of without the usage of paperback agendas, as I really did not enjoy using them. With that in mind, I opened up a new project, and named in Sigma. The app initially began as a small personal project to help myself sort through my tasks and assignments. Once my friends saw what I was making, they started asking if they could also have it. Their responses gave me the idea that perhaps other people could also benefit from the app, so I went back to the drawing board, developed and designed a full-featured app that was worthy of the App Store.
How do you balance school and app development?
It definitely has been difficult trying to balance app development and school work. I spend most time either studying or working on assignments, and try to squeeze in time to work on my app whenever possible. I find coding to be enjoyable and helps me relax; to a point where I once pulled an all nighter without realizing that I had gone 8 hours (from midnight) without looking at the time. I was confused when I saw the sunlight coming through my windows while thinking that it was only still 2-3 a.m.. Other than that, it got better after acclimitizing to the university lifestyle.
Any future plans or projects?
I definitely plan on continuing to support Sigma with more features releases and bug fixes – there is always room for improvement. As for future projects, well, spoilers.
Is there anything else that you have developed?
While Sigma is my first released product, I definitely have other side projects that I either open source on my GitHub, an online project hosting platform, or develop for personal use. For example, the native Apple Music app on iOS does not support landscape mode on iPhones; however, I owned a dock that blocked the iPhone speakers while in landscape so I had to put the phone in landscape. With that in mind, I created a simple music player app with a unique design and landscape mode that allows you to select music from your system library.
Any advice you can give others who may want to create apps?
Do not ever think that you are not qualified or experienced enough to create apps. While I learned the basic principles and concepts of programming in high school, a majority of what I needed to create my app was through self-learning and motivation. The internet is filled with resources that help you get started, you just need to be motivated enough to pull through. Believe me, it’s worth it. Once you’ve created your app, show it to others and listen to their opinions. Be open to constructive criticisms regardless whether you like it or not; the more feedback you have, the more you can improve.
Any future plans in your career?
Spoilers.
What advice would you give to students going into computer science?
You are definitely going to want to give up at some point, it’s almost a guarantee…but know that what you get out of it is worth so much more. At the end of the day, I promise that you will love the job as much as the rest of us do. Even if you do not understand much of programming right now, all that matters if that you have the interest and motivation to get started; the first step is always the hardest step. Once you get over that, there is a whole world of ideas waiting for you to create.