Dasha
Sychova (RL 22)

You had such an incredible IB score – 45/45! Looking back, what Redlands experiences or activities do you think prepared you most for university life?

What prepared me most for university was the sheer breadth of activities and experiences that Redlands offers. Continuing to participate in sport, captaincies, and club activities while studying for the IB was invaluable in teaching me how to balance and prioritise my studies, social life, and extracurricular commitments. This ability to plan and prioritise has been the most important skill in helping me succeed at university so far.

For students who might be considering studying overseas, what was the biggest thing you gained from doing your degree in Singapore?

Moving to Singapore for university helped me grow into adulthood beyond just being a student. Living in a new and unfamiliar country, away from family, building new friendships, and managing studies all at once taught me how to manage my time, prioritise what matters, and become the person I want to be.

Singapore’s diverse, multicultural environment also broadened my worldview and deepened my appreciation of different ways of life.

You’re now working as a Software Engineer at Fieldguide in San Francisco, building AI and agents for audit and advisory. What does a typical day look like for you, and what excites you most about this work?

I was fortunate to work full-time and study part-time for a year during my degree in Silicon Valley, which created far more learning opportunities than I would have had solely studying at university. A typical day for me revolves around coding, whether I’m working on a project I’m learning from or contributing to someone else’s.

Working at a start up also means I liaise closely with product managers and, at times, customers to deliver projects that directly address their needs. Some of the most interesting work I do involves writing documents to plan large-scale changes, such as technical project plans or data migration strategies.

For students who are interested in tech or entrepreneurship, what skills or experiences do you think are most valuable to start building now?

Naturally, one of the most important skills to begin developing is coding. Learning how to systematically and programmatically understand a problem and map out an approach is essential for executing projects in the tech world.

A more subtle, but arguably even more important, skill is communication across technical and non-technical domains. Whether it’s explaining your system to a non-technical product manager or conveying customer needs to an engineer, the ability to tailor your communication to your audience is critical. This versatility has contributed greatly to my success at university and in my work, and the strongest engineers I know are those who can clearly explain the value of their work to any audience.