I still remember the month of May 2008, when I was in third year of my Engineering; a friend of mine introduced me to Professor Wilson Nayak of Computer Center, Hyderabad Central University. Prof, Wilson is known for his expertise in Network security. I was hoping that Prof Wilson would guide me in my research endeavours. It was about the time I began work on my project of developing a web based application that helps block advertisements & pop ups that the user is not interested in. The project centered around the number of times a user clicks on the web page., rather number of links the user follows. I named it as ‘AD-HACK’. I had explained my idea to Prof Wilson and he directed me to gain an understanding of LINUX and UNIX before I ventured further with the application development. Better still, he assigned me a project along with another scribe to develop the dissertation by David Harding on Linux (http://www.linux-usb.org/USBMon/dissertation/). The development of the dissertation is to write a shell script that displays the working, properties and the data transferred from and to USB devices in LINUX. During the course of this project I began to realize that development of an application demands staggering knowledge of the underlying tools, lot of hard work and a clear cut vision of the end product. This is when I realized that to back my research interests and to be able to make meaningful contributions to the field of computer science I should deepen my understanding of the fundamentals and also hone research skills for which graduate studies is THE only solution.
To delve deeper into the background of why computer science as a subject fascinates me, let me talk about my schooling. During high school, various subjects interested me., subjects bordering on physics predominantly. I was first introduced to computer sciences during my 9th grade and we were taught the basics of C programming. That was when I actually understood what LOGIC meant. The first time I saw the compiler running and throwing up the desired results, I was fascinated at what possibilities lie ahead if only one knew how to work with the computers. That, I believe, prodded me to opt computer science as my major during my undergraduate studies.
During the course of my under graduation, subjects like C-Programming and Data structures, Java programming, Computer Networks and UNIX programming interested me the most. I have a solid foundation in Computer Organization, Operating Systems, Software Engineering, Object Oriented Programming in Java, Database Management systems. I have given my best while doing my lab assignments and was counted among the most capable ‘lot’ of my class. I have always wanted to go beyond what lay in the text books., think outside of the box and come up with new ideas rather identify the existing limitations and come up with solutions. I participated in national level technical symposiums to get various reviews on ’AD-HACK’ from intellects. To gain knowledge in other sciences, I participated in ROBOTICS, ‘CAPTURE THE FLAG’ and ‘MISSION MARS’, events conducted by Indian Institute of Technology, Madras in 2007. To challenge my level of programming, I did a mini-project based on JAVA language and mySQL database in the third academic year at college. At the end of the same year, I was given an opportunity to join a multinational company as a ‘Software trainee’. But my enthusiasm to come up with innovative work coupled with my problem solving skills drove me to pursue research as a field of study. However, I believe, I am not equipped in terms of infrastructure or the proper guidance in the right path. Given a good mix of both, I am sure I will excel. This is, precisely, the reason I am aiming at graduate studies in the United States. I look at it as a natural next step.
The choice of University is a result of my discussions with my professors and other established heads in the industry in India. I learn that UoH has the best of faculty and the required infrastructure to propel my dreams in the desired direction. I am excited about the opportunity of learning at the UoH’s reputable research facilities and computing resources for about 35 years. I am looking forward to completing my under graduation by May 2009 and pursue my Masters in Computer Science.
Sathya Sai Ravi Teja Vadrevu
