“I am passionate about computer science and I wanted to see if ETH Zurich would be a good place for me to study”
From 13 to 17 February, 33 young women joined a weeklong course organised by CSNOW to learn more about studying computer science at ETH Zurich. Between lectures and programming workshops, they discovered the welcoming community of women at the department.
CSNOW is a network supporting women in computer science. It mainly organises events for members of the department, but twice a year, it also reaches out to the next generation of women in computer science by organising a “trial study” week (Schnupperstudium) for high school students.
“We try to give an overview of what computer science is. Our goal is to inform the students, but also to make sure that they are not afraid of computer science, seeing that other women are interested in it as well.”Kristina Hostáková, co-leader of CSNOW and organiser of the Schnupperstudium
A week to discover computer science at ETH
This February, 33 women high school students entered the CAB building to get their first look at computer science studies at ETH Zurich. Most of them came from Switzerland, but some were also from Germany and Austria. Some had never coded before, others a little already. Regardless, they were all very excited to start the week, learn about programming, meet new people and, first and foremost, decide if ETH Zurich is the right place for them to study.
“I love maths and science and for me, it is important to go into a field where women are not as well represented as in other fields. I think that computer science is helping to shape the future and that women should be a part of it.”Cara, 19, Schnupperstudium participant
“I came here because I am very passionate about computer science, and I wanted to see if ETH Zurich would be a good place for me to study. I wanted to learn more about what the lectures look like, what classes I would take, and also see the campus.”Divisha, 17, Schnupperstudium participant
Like Divisha, about a third of the participants had already decided to study computer science but were still hesitating when it came to which university to choose. Andrea and Nicoleta, on the other hand, had not yet set their hearts on a particular study topic and wanted to take this opportunity to get to know computer science better. Elif, a first year Master’s student, member of CSNOW and teacher in the Schnupperstudium, explains that “It is important to introduce young women to computer science now, when they are thinking about which subject to choose and where to study. It will help them realise if this field is for them”.
The week’s programme was very diverse, with coding workshops, lectures on more theoretical aspects of computer science, as well as informal interviews and discussions with current women students. These are very popular, according to Kristina Hostáková: “The girls ask many questions that they wouldn’t dare to ask a more senior person.” Another highlight of the week was the visit to the Google offices in Zurich.
Hands-on experience of programming
Only a few minutes after the participants entered the lecture room on the first day, the week started with the first programming workshop. Throughout the five days, they learned about algorithms and the structure of programming languages. A lot of the time was dedicated to hands-on exercises, where they applied their new knowledge to solve small challenges and start writing pieces of code themselves. After two days, they managed to program a small game on their own, but this was only a warm-up before the “hackathon”, the real dive into the world of a computer scientist.
On Thursday, the second-to-last day, they teamed up in groups of two or three and started working on their own project. Their goal was to program a small app, and maybe win a prize at the end. In the beginning, the young women had many questions for the teaching assistants, but they soon started working independently and made quick progress. In the final few hours of the hackathon on Friday morning, concentration was high. While some teams had already finished their app, most were still working out some issues, discussing possible solutions enthusiastically. After a small break, the time finally came to present their creation to the whole group. From games to a study-partner matching app, to gathering stars to complete a Bachelor’s degree at ETH, the participants showed their creativity as well as their new coding skills.
“I found it great that we could implement our own ideas in the workshops and especially in the hackathon.”Schnupperstudium participant
A community of women in computer science
As in any study programme, the people you meet along the way are an essential part of studying at ETH Zurich. For many of the participants, the Schnupperstudium was not only about acquiring technical skills, but more importantly, it was about finding out where they would like to study. Natasha, now a member of CSNOW, participated in the Schnupperstudium herself a few years ago and remembers that it was an important factor in her decision to study computer science.
“The overall very positive experience I had with the Schnupperstudium motivated me to become a part of the organisation. I am grateful to the teaching assistants then for making everybody feel welcome. It was a big part of how I ended up where I am now.”Natasha Savic, third year Bachelor’s student, member of CSNOW and teacher in the Schnupperstudium
Throughout the week, the participants had the opportunity to connect with students and discover a whole community of women studying or working at the Department of Computer Science. They asked about living in Zurich, classes and exams at ETH, free time and study sessions.
“I found the interviews with the computer science students great because you could ask them many questions and learn a lot about studying at ETH, as well as about life in Zurich.”Schnupperstudium participant
For Kristina, Elif, Natasha and the other members of CSNOW, the Schnupperstudium is a way to show young women that they are welcome in computer science, that they should not be afraid and should have the confidence to study what they like. At the end of the week, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The participants were happy to have seen ETH Zurich from the inside, made new friends and discovered a whole community of women who share the same interests. A testimony to the success of the Schnupperstudium: The number of young students who want to study computer science has doubled by the end of the week.
While many of them are now looking forward to their Bachelor’s studies at ETH Zurich, the CSNOW team is preparing the next edition of the Schnupperstudium in September 2023.
