Cynthia Cai
Cynthia Cai
After my Bachelor in Geographical Science from Wuhan University, I came to the Netherlands with two goals: to become a geographic information professional and an explorer of European culture.
I spent my gap year with WeChat, first as an assistant product manager and later as a data analyst. Data are the third eye of the product manager. At work, I realised that my bachelor programme had been light on technical skills, which are still crucial for modern workers and would greatly improve my productivity. And one of the most effective ways to improve my tech skills would be to pursue intensive education. After browsing several master programmes around the world, I landed on the MSc Geomatics programme at TU Delft because of its high-quality, rich curriculum and fast pace. Before long, I arrived in the Netherlands with great passion and curiosity, looking forward to the challenge.
From the very first day, my data analysis, processing and visuasation skills started improving. The programme covers all aspects of geographic information from data acquisition (sensing, positioning, etc.) to data governance (establishing spatial data infrastructure). The programme is extremely practical, with a lot of hands-on assignments. In order to equip students with advanced skills, the programme also emphasises programming. Python is the foundation, while lecturers also ask students to use C++ for tasks with efficiency issues, My life at TU Delft is simple, and I spend most my time studying. While it has not been an easy road, I know that tackling these challenges will help me realise my dream - to be a technical professional in geographic information.
The social life in Delft enriches me from another perspective. We are encouraged to work in groups, and through teamwork, I met like-minded people and developed a sensing of belonging. We struggled together and cheered each other up. We work hard at Geolab, and after a hard day of studying, we may grab a well-deserved drink together. The class is very international and we all got to know different cultures by working together day in, day out.. To adapt to the local environment, I am learning to speak Dutch and I took a course on European history and culture. China is a long way away, and yet I feel at home here.
In a word, life at TU Delft is sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet. As Tagore said: I leave no trace of wings in the air, but I am glad that I had my flight. After graduation, I would like to work at a technical company in the Netherlands.