EMEA 2013 Android Camp: A reflection
September 12th, 2013 | Published in Google Student Blog
For the second summer running, 25 Bachelors students from across Europe were given the opportunity to attend Android Camp for a jam-packed week of Android development, career panels, interview workshops, tech talks and social activities in the Google London office.
Between August 11th - 17th, the campers, who are pursuing degrees in Computer Science or related fields, worked in groups to design and develop applications for the Android operating system with the support of Google engineers.
We asked two students to tell us about their recent experience at Android Camp:
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Name: Pawel Lipski
Nationality: Polish
University: AGH University of Science & Technology, Krakow
Program: BS, Computer Science
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Name: Izabela Horvath
Nationality: Romanian
University: Politehnica University of Timisoara
Program: BEng, Electrical Engineering
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What was the highlight of Android Camp for you?
Pawel: Definitely app development. At home I always run into problems with Java coding and have to search online for answers, hoping that someone who’s had a similar problem can help, but at Android Camp I could talk to Google engineers. It made such a difference. The final hours spent striving to finish our app before the presentation were also unforgettable.
Do you think Android Camp helped you to build or develop any skills?
Izabela: Aside from developing my teamwork skills, Android Camp allowed me to improve my programming skills and knowledge of app design. I learned the steps to develop an Android application from sketches on a paper to a functional app!
What was your favourite session?
Pawel: That’s a tough choice, but I’d pick “Real World Developer Spotlight”. It was motivating to see how developers with the knowledge of Android create apps which reach such a broad audience.
How do you think Android Camp will help you further your academic career?
Izabela: Android Camp reminded me how enjoyable programming is and how fulfilling it is to see your app work. So, even though my major is not computer science, I will continue to work on my programming skills and probably take some online courses related to this subject in parallel with Electrical Engineering at university.
What are your next steps?
Pawel: I hope to apply for an internship at Google next summer!
Why should people apply to this program? Any advice to offer?
Izabela: Apply because it is an incredible opportunity to develop new skills, meet extraordinary and inspiring people and learn about life at Google. My advice to future campers: get motivated and spend time on your application. Then, study a little Android in your own time, get plenty of sleep and prepare for the most amazing week of the summer!
Read more student testimonials in our ‘Live from London Android Camp’ G+ series.
For more information on programs at Google, please visit Google Students.
For more updates please follow us on the Google Students Blog.
Posted by Jenny McColl, EMEA Tech University Programs Specialist