Bivor Hada, Contributing Writer
“Only pursue Computer Science if you have a genuine interest in it” says Poudel Poudel (C ’25).
Roshan Poudel (C ‘25) didn’t always know he would major in computer science (CS). But as he put it, “CS gives you the ability and the tools to build meaningful software that can change lives.”
Poudel’s academic path started with a tug-of-war between economics and CS. “I liked both,” he said, “but I found myself naturally drawn to CS because it’s very applied in nature and because I enjoy solving complex problems.” Poudel notes that he has found immense value in a lot of CS classes here on the domain. Furthermore, he believes that the skills he’s learned have sharpened his technical skills and understanding of complex topics even in economics and finance. His favorite one is CS270: Computer Systems and Organization. This class taught him how computers work at a fundamental level and allowed him to directly communicate with the computer hardware since he already had an intuitive understanding of assembly language. He was so fascinated by this class that he dedicated countless hours and sleepless nights to a final project—one that remains, to this day, a source of great pride for him. He created a program that synchronizes music with pixels in an image. Using MIT’s “Processing” coding language, he developed an algorithm that calculates pixel depths based on RGB values. The program enables users to create dynamic visual art from sound. “It was super exciting because back then, I wasn’t even a ‘proper’ CS guy yet,” he recalled.
Beyond academics, Poudel’s passion for building software carried over into his internship at AstraZeneca last summer. During his time with the pharmaceutical giant, he worked closely with the commercial excellence team and created a real-time dynamic dashboard which has since been integrated into the company’s central analytics platform. This dashboard, which used the programming language SQL and the global data intelligence program Databricks, helped the company better manage its data workflows. Poudel also gained valuable insights into the medical industry, especially oncology.
While Poudel says he has not faced any major roadblocks in his CS journey here at Sewanee, he acknowledges that the classes and coursework demand a lot of effort. When he’s stuck, he turns to online resources like Stack Overflow or consults professors during office hours. He is incredibly grateful that he has had a lot of support from professors and faculty during his four years on the mountain.
Roshan believes that CS majors need to take advantage of the opportunities that are available on campus for students. The Sewanee Math and Computing Society, for example, organizes a number of events every semester to help students apply what they have learned in real-world situations.
After graduation, Poudel plans to dive headfirst into the tech industry. As an international student originally from Pokhara, Nepal, he is actively considering both his options: a full-time job and graduate school. His first priority is securing a software engineering or development role. At the same time, he’s considering applications to a few dream graduate programs.
For students considering a major in computer science, Poudel offers simple but valuable advice: start early. “Take an intro CS class in your first semester—it’ll help you figure out if this is really for you,” he said. Further, he emphasizes the importance of building a solid foundation in math through courses like calculus and linear algebra as well as taking the time to struggle through coding problems before seeking external help. He also recommends paying close attention to the Data Structures and Algorithms class as well as the Object Oriented Programming class at Sewanee because he believes these classes, in particular, will help students the most further down the line.