Computer Programming student hosts NC’s first coding competition, with support from NCSAC, International and Student Engagement.
With final exams and Spring Convocation approaching, many students are looking ahead to what’s next. For Debendra Lamichhane, he has also been thinking about what he will leave behind: experiences that bring students together and encourage them to grow.
“I wanted to create the kind of event I would have loved to participate in as a student… where students could challenge themselves and connect with like-minded peers,” said Lamichhane, a student from Nepal in their final term of Computer Programming.
Lamichhane modelled the event in the style of competitive programming contests which are designed to test students’ algorithmic thinking. Participants – 16 in total – worked through a range of problems within a fixed time, with rankings based on difficulty solved, speed of submission, and code efficiency. The challenge: to reach a solution and refine it into the most efficient form possible.
“What stood out the most was the impact on students,” said Lamichhane. “It brought out many skilled coders who hadn’t had a chance to showcase their abilities before. More importantly, beginners stepped out of their comfort zone and tried something new, and many participants asked for more events like this in the future.
Students were fully engaged and energetic, motivated by the chance to test their skills and compete for prizes including a portable monitor, mechanical keyboard, gift cards, and movie tickets.
Lamichhane explains how the experience links to their NC program.
“It applies core concepts like problem solving, efficiency, and algorithm design,” he said.
“Debendra and the students put on an excellent event which helped to build community in our program,” said Melissa VanderLely, Program Coordinator of Computer Programming and Analysis. “We hope to continue with coding events in future years.”
Once they cross the Convocation stage this June, Lamichhane looks forward to a career in software development, focused on the inner workings of computers and how systems operate at a deeper level. He aims to build software that is not only functional, but also fast, efficient, and engineered with careful precision.
Lamichhane is grateful to those who supported the event: Student Engagement, NCSAC (through the JCoders student club), and friends.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without them.”
