"Exchange is really a once-in-a-lifetime experience that combines being able to study while immersing yourself in a completely different part of the world."
Henry Ly
- Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science
- Grad year: 2026
- Program:
- Campus: Vancouver
What got you interested in engineering?
I have been fascinated by computers from a young age, which initially manifested itself as being very into video games. I grew increasingly interested in the enthusiast side of tech and spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos.
I ended up building a handful of desktops, repaired dozens of old laptops and tore down a few phones for myself, my friends and my family.
With this, I knew I wanted to learn more about how these components work and continue to apply my skills.
How did you choose Computer Engineering?
Computer Science certainly came up as an option, but I wasn’t convinced I wanted to focus solely on the coding aspect or get into all the math and theory behind coding.
I was more interested in learning the intricacies behind the hardware, how all the parts fit together, and how they actually worked, which made Computer Engineering a good choice for me.
What have been some of the highlights from your courses so far?
One of the most interesting courses was CPEN 211, which is an introduction to microcomputers.
We learned about the fundamentals of digital systems design, and I found it extremely cool to be able to design a physical circuit using a hardware description language.
Each lab focused on building a key component of a simple RISC machine – like the state machine or datapath – and testing it through simulation in ModelSim, then on a physical DE1-SoC board. By the end of the course, we could physically interact and issue simple instructions to the RISC machine, which was extremely satisfying.
This course not only introduced me to the basics of how modern processors work, but also laid a solid foundation for more advanced courses like CPEN 311, a continuation of CPEN 211.
Another interesting course was COMR 280, an introduction to entrepreneurship, which I took as a part of my Minor in Entrepreneurship. The class focused on the essentials of entrepreneurship and culminated in the development of a personal business portfolio for an early-stage venture.
Tell us about your international student exchange in Australia.
I wanted to experience what it would be like to travel and live in a part of the world I had never been to, and to take courses at a different university. I spent one semester at Monash University in Melbourne from February to June 2024 where I took my electives.
As an exchange student, you are constantly aware that your time in that place is limited. I was very motivated to make the most of the opportunities available to me and experience as much as I could.
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I did a lot of travelling around and it was very cool to live in an ecosystem and climate very different to that of Canada’s. I learned about the existence of pademelons and wallabies and regularly encountered various exotic birds!
Being on exchange also pushes you to adapt to new environment and to more consciously reach out to others. I made great friendships with both domestic students from Australia as well as other international and exchange students.
Exchange is really a once-in-a-lifetime experience that combines being able to study while immersing yourself in a completely different part of the world.
Have you been part of co-op?
Yes. I did 12 months of co-op between second and third year with Mark Anthony Group. In my first eight months, I provided technical support to over 1,000 employees in both English and French. In the final four months, I shifted into a junior data engineer position where I worked with database administration.
I’ve secured an eight-month co-op position staring in January 2025 where I will be working with AMD in an ASIC emulation and prototyping role.
I’m really excited about this position as it closely aligns with my interests and I’m hoping I’ll be able to apply my knowledge and learn some new skills as I continue to gain experience in this area.
Any advice for others who are interested in computer engineering?
I think it’s helpful to learn one or two coding languages. Coming into Computer Engineering, I only had experience with the first-year coding course, which added in a steep learning curve in some of my second-year courses. It’s all manageable and you learn quickly, but knowing an object-oriented language like Java ahead of time would have made for a less stressful experience!
Beyond coursework, I would encourage you to take advantage of the endless opportunities at UBC!
From networking, clubs, events, hackathons, and design teams to intramural sports leagues, exchange, co-op, and so much more, there is no better place to immerse yourself in your passions, connect with like-minded people and discover new experiences!
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