News and events archive

Introduce yourself, please. 

Hi everyone, my name is Štěpán and I'm a second year student at FI. I come from a small village near Pilsen. I am studying a Bachelor's degree in Informatics at FI and I am aiming to major in Open Informatics. Not because I'm not interested in other majors, but just because I'm interested in so many, the general choice is the best for me.

Why did you choose FI?

I studied at a mathematical high school in Pilsen, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. In the third year, most of my classmates were already clear, but I was still clueless. So I went to Prague to attend Gaudeamus. It was actually the first time I learned that MUNI existed. The students at the booths were great. They were chatting with everyone with a smile, recommending other faculties at MUNI, and when no one was at their booth, they went next door to another faculty, listening and helping each other. The other schools didn't show that. Such belonging and enthusiasm not only for their majors, but for the entire university.

That was the first pebble that gradually caused an avalanche of reasons why FI was actually the right choice.

What surprised you about your studies? 

The fact that I actually enjoy studying computer science. My choice of university was very random, so I am surprised over and over again how happy I am. I was also very surprised to find that the "hard math" that is generally talked about is actually just a bit of extended high school math for me. There are probably a few of us in the class who see it that way, but it was a bit of a relief to me that I hadn't lost that love for it. On the other hand, I still have informatics math to take, so we'll see if that doesn't throw me off.

If you could change anything about FI, what would it be?

More extracurricular activities. However, the students are already working on it, so hopefully it will work out and there will be one event after another. Oh, and I'm sure a debugging duck statue would be cool as an idol for finals.

What attracted you to the possibility of becoming the Face of FI?

I've been doing open days since my first year. And honestly? It was an amazing feeling. I hoped, and still hope, that being the face would open up other opportunities to connect with applicants and show them that it doesn't matter how far away you live, what your reason for studying is, because there's always someone at FI who is in a similar position. And that's a great feeling.

What activities does your role involve and how do you plan to move forward? 

I consider myself to be an adaptable extrovert, so I assume that whatever action and challenge comes up, I can handle it. Personally, I would like to go to Pilsen high schools sometime, because there is not much talk about Brno high schools, which is certainly a pity.

The role of the face of FI itself is not that difficult. Apart from pleasant interviews for the FI website and moderating open days, it's probably just some photo shoots and trips to college fairs (like Gaudeamus). And then, of course, here and there some filming of videos that get posted on Instagram.

As you mention, you've moderated both FI Open Days and attended Gaudeamus fairs. What do you perceive as the most important questions that candidates are addressing?

I would say that when one decides to go into computer science, they are dealing with what school to go to. And once they have that sorted out, it's the question of housing. The numbers are skeptical, dorm capacity is only ten percent of MUNI students, and prospective freshmen only apply for dorms in the last wave. In reality, though, it's not nearly as bad as it seems at first glance, because even that ten percent has a context from which they are taken out. Plus, there's the option of private housing. Brno is a city of students, they not only come, but they also leave. On the faculty discord we have a channel about housing, on Facebook there are countless groups that deal with housing in Brno. As they say, "He who seeks, finds!".

There is often a question among applicants about comparisons of computer science schools, how do you respond? 

Comparing other schools is terribly challenging because I obviously didn't study there. Plus, the only thing I have personal experience with at FI is the more "theoretical" part of computer science.

But some applicants have picked a good place to ask such a question, such as the AI for Talents event. There were not only us from FI, but also students from FIT BUT. This allowed us to debate what we offer and what they offer. I think we also managed to break down a few stereotypes about both FI and FIT. It was certainly interesting for the visitors of the event because we actually agreed that it probably doesn't matter which school you end up graduating from. Each offers a slightly different perspective on computer science, but the bottom line? Choose the one you like better. With that experience in mind, I then took an applicant who wanted to compare MatFyz and us to the MatFyz booth at Gaudeamus in Prague. I myself was interested in what it was like at MatFyz. To my surprise, it was again very similar. Every school is interesting in some way, from the extracurricular activities to the little differences that make for a completely different experience in the end.

Which area of computer science is closest to your heart? 

It's hard to choose, maybe that's why I chose the path of open informatics. But from what I have already managed to study, I am still closest to mathematics.

What do you like to do besides studying computer science?

I used to play volleyball back in Pilsen, which unfortunately I can't do now. With a heavy heart, I gave up volleyball. However, I have more time for other things that bring me joy, from books, to playing text RPGs, watching TV series, to various volunteering and social activities.

It's true that sometimes the school stuff is too much and there's no time for anything else, but I guess that's the same everywhere. The advantage of a more relaxed exam period is redeemed by a semester's worth of work. But if I could choose again, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Are you involved in any of the faculty or university clubs? 

Our faculty currently has one registered association, namely the Student Union of the Faculty of Informatics of Masaryk University, and then also the Society of Friends of the Nordic Game, which is technically not a society, but something like a club.

Unfortunately, SU FI has lost its active membership base with the covid pandemic. Last year I set out with a few friends to rectify this and bring the one and only society back to life. It's not exactly easy, but I think we're gradually getting into the final stages. And so maybe new students will already be able to experience the beauty of having a functioning society at our faculty that organizes all sorts of events during the semester to promote student life outside the faculty.

What advice would you give to this year's applicants?

Ask questions, explore, write down everything you can. And keep looking. Our information system looks like a scarecrow, but that's the first week. You'll find everything you need in it, you'll find countless courses you can take outside of our faculty. Interested in philosophy? Stonemasonry? Or maybe bioethics? Sign up for courses that relate to that. Take advice from older students and enjoy the beauty of studying at Masaryk University.

Thank you and we wish you a successful continuation of your studies and other activities.

Author: Marta Vrlová, Office for External Relations and Partnerships at FI MU