Jivanthika – Computer Science & AI

When I came to Sheffield's open day and heard lecturers speak in the Diamond, their research aligned perfectly with my goals and ambitions. The environment felt inclusive with its different labs and workspaces – it seemed like the right place for me to transition from school to university. Initially, I was quite shy about using facilities like the iForge, despite being impressed by all the tools I'd never seen before.

My breakthrough came during a company-sponsored challenge that forced me to develop iForge skills on the go. This gave me the confidence to dive into hands-on experiences I'd been too scared to try. The Diamond became central to developing my skills – from lectures and labs with demonstrators, to pulling all-nighters with coursemates for assignments, to exam revision. One key memory is my 2nd year IBM project where my diverse team had to develop an app in a language we'd never used. With different cultural backgrounds and schedules, we needed a flexible space. Since the Diamond was open 24/7, we could meet freely and always find the right workspace – computer rooms for collaborative coding or open areas for brainstorming.

Building on that foundation, the Diamond became my constant through university's ever-changing busy life. I participated in interdisciplinary teams building drones, attended workshops, and felt proud when the Diamond hosted the Ada Lovelace Colloquium – bringing women in Computer Science from across the country for poster competitions and industry panels. I recognised the same faces sitting in specific spots on the 3rd floor, the same friends booking particular study rooms. While seasons changed and exam periods came and went, the Diamond was always there. It wasn't just convenient being close to my accommodation and lectures – it became a dependable place I could count on.