As students, we often try to take the easy road and access every shortcut there are just to help to lessen our workload. But, sometimes, there is no replacing hard work.
A local software engineer recently shared a story of how university students had approached him in hopes that he would be able to do their final year project (FYP).
“Hai En Omar, saya X dari Universiti Y. Saya nak hire En Omar untuk buat software untuk FYP kitorang boleh?”
Wow,
Company hire a pro.
University student hire a pro.
Haha gurau. Tapi aku saja la tanya juga berapa diorang punya bajet..
RM300.
“Harga student jelah bang..”
— Omar Mokhtar ?? (@omarqe) March 16, 2022
In a tweet, Omar Mokhtar said that the students had approached him to hire him to create a software for their FYP.
“Wow,
He then asked them what their budget is, which was revealed to be only RM300. The students had apparently requested for “student prices”.
Omar then expressed his frustrations over the pricing as well as the fact that those students did not seem like they even wanted to try to do the work themselves.
“If the student that asked me weren’t from Computer Science & Information Technology (CSIT) then I’d be okay. But if you’re from CSIT, then you definitely would have learned programming.”
Advice to non-CSIT students
Omar then went on to give some tips and advise non CSIT students. “If you guys want to do a school project, try to find friends that can help you guys learn programming.”
“Or even pay them to do it. As long as you get a benefit, they also will get money whilst still studying and upskilling their skills. This, I agree with. It’s a win-win.”
“However, if you want a professional programmer to do it, then you have to increase the budget as we’d often not take projects under RM20,000,” he explained.
Omar said that back when he was studying, he took up projects by people of other faculties and universities and that they’d at least pay him RM1,500.
Advice to CSIT students
Meanwhile, to CSIT students, Omar said that for the good of your own future, do it yourself.
“What’s important is that we want to see your knowledge and experience and how you dedicate yourself to the project. Dedication reflects your attitude.”
“Don’t go around messaging professional programmers to do your FYP. Apart from being annoying, it’s the way of someone who is lazy and a newbie,” he added.
Omar also pointed out that if this is their attitude whilst studying, then what to expect when they’re working later on? “Are you going to let go of responsibility if you don’t understand something?”
He also stated that they have ways of detecting whether or not the FYP was done by yourself.
“So please, become quality students who can provide value to the industry.”
What do you think of Omar’s advice? Is it valid? Let us know in the comments.
Also read: “Do you think I’m your friend?” – M’sian Shares Experience of Dealing With Rude Job Seeking Intern
