UNIFEI
Federal University of ItajubĂĄ. Where I learned to code, learned to think, and made friends for life.
The Basics
Degree: Bachelorâs in Information Systems Period: 2010-2013 & 2015-2016 (with a year abroad at University of Maryland in between) Admission: 1st place in the entrance exam Graduation: GPA in the top 2%
The numbers look good on paper, but they donât tell the real story.
The Research
My scientific initiation research was in Data Mining and natural computing. For my final dissertation, I worked on particle swarm optimization (PSO) - a fascinating algorithm inspired by how birds flock and fish school.
The project involved improving existing literature algorithms using PSO techniques. Itâs the kind of work that sounds abstract until you realize these optimization methods power everything from logistics to machine learning hyperparameter tuning.
The Real Education
The Compiler Incident
One semester we had a compilers class. Important subject - understanding how code becomes machine instructions is fundamental CS knowledge. One problem: the professor was actually a physics professor filling in because no one else was available to teach it.
He had no idea what he was teaching. And I mean that literally.
So we did what any desperate group of students would do: we formed a study alliance and taught ourselves. Textbooks, online resources, late nights in the lab. For the final project, we wrote our own compiler. Not because we were overachievers, but because it was the only way to actually learn the material.
That experience taught me more about self-directed learning than any formal class.
The Calculus Redemption Arc
Failed the first two calculus exams. Then scored 100/100 on the third.
The full story involves a 3G USB stick at grandmaâs farm, flash drive culture, and a mystery professor drawing integrals with a mouse in a Linux paint program. See Calculus Redemption Arc for the complete saga.
The Networking Exam
For our networking class final, we had to set up entire simulated networks with routing, subnets, the whole infrastructure. Hands-on, practical, the kind of exam where you actually demonstrate competence instead of regurgitating memorized facts.
I love exams like that.
The Friendships
The people I met at UNIFEI are still some of my closest friends. Weâve helped each other get jobs, propped each other up during tough times, celebrated wins together.
To this day, weâre responsible for getting each other better positions. Someone hears about an opening, they think âwho do I know whoâd be perfect for this?â That network has been more valuable than any credential.
The LAN Parties
Whenever a class got cancelled - and classes got cancelled a lot - weâd have impromptu LAN parties. Original Dota (the Warcraft III mod, not Dota 2) and CS 1.6. Gaming sessions that would stretch into the night.
Some of my best memories arenât from classrooms but from those spontaneous gatherings, trash-talking friends over headshots and denied creeps.
Legacy
UNIFEI gave me technical foundations, but more importantly, it gave me a community. The degree opened doors, but the relationships built there have been the real career accelerant.
Related
- Information Systems - The degree program
- Data Mining - Research area
- Machine Learning - Related to PSO work
- University of Maryland - Exchange program
- Instituto Eldorado - Where many UNIFEI grads end up