In this edition of Oberlin and Beyond, I had the opportunity to interview the lovely Muntaha Rahman. Rahman is currently a first-year at Oberlin who plans on majoring in computer science.
In our interview, we discuss Rahman's adjustment to Oberlin, her path to becoming a computer science major, and her plans for the future.
TM: Coming from Bangladesh, how did you hear about Oberlin? What made you want to attend?
MR: I heard about Oberlin when I was researching what colleges to apply to. Oberlin was on the list of the best liberal arts colleges in the USA.
Its liberal arts education really attracted me while I was applying and when I got accepted, due to their financial aid, it was the most affordable.
TM: How did you decide you wanted to be a computer science major? What is the computer science program at Oberlin like?
MR: Typing away at a computer is something I see myself doing even in the future. My grandfather was actually the one who introduced me to the world of technology and my uncle introduced me to computer science. Thus, when you like doing something, you want to make a career out of it.
I have only completed one computer science course at Oberlin but as I studied Python, I marveled at how easy our professor made programming seem, and all the required courses that I have to take are planned out in a way as to make sure when we graduate, we can be able to get jobs at big places like Google.
TM: Describe your life outside of the classroom. What are you involved in outside of the computer science department?
MR: Outside of the classroom, I have not done much in my first semester because I struggled with time management. But I intend to be more active in my second semester.
Outside of the computer science department, I am involved in the mathematics department because I intend to minor in it.
TM: What did you expect Oberlin to be like? You mentioned that you would describe your first-year experience as "unexpected"--what surprised you about Oberlin?
MR: I honestly did not have specific expectations about what Oberlin would be like. But I did expect to be my introvert-self sitting alone in one corner and studying.
What surprised me about Oberlin is how welcoming they were and how they give importance to people's pronouns. I also loved how people embraced and celebrated their sexuality and it made me embrace an important fact about me, and it was that I am bisexual.
TM: Where do you see yourself in ten years? How do you see Oberlin helping you get there?
MR: I would love to answer that question, but I actually have not thought so far into the future. Right now, I am focusing on exploring my likes and dislikes and learning to be independent and not procrastinate. Although I do see myself graduating in four years and preparing myself for grad school.
