Julia Bogdan is the new VSETH President

Julia Bogdan grew up in St. Gallen, where she completed her Matura with a focus on mathematics and physics at the Cantonal School Am Burggraben. She began her studies in computer science at ETH Zurich in 2019, and is now on the verge of completing her Bachelor’s degree. She was only in her second year of study when she became involved in the VIS student association, where she dealt with university politics at the departmental level. In the Spring Semester of 2023, she took over the presidency of VIS, which she is now relinquishing in order to become involved at the overall ETH level.

Julia, the first question is about your studies: What fascinates you about computer science?
I’ve always enjoyed logical thinking. Mathematics was my favourite subject at school. I always had good maths teachers who knew how to get me excited about the subject. Eventually, I realised that studying computer science also involves a lot of mathematics. But it’s a bit more applied and allows me to understand things such as how the internet works.

Was it clear to you from the beginning that you wanted to go to ETH?
For a little while, I thought about going abroad. Oxford or Cambridge would have been possible because my mother is from the UK and I also have a British passport. But I always liked ETH when we visited it on school field trips. I was particularly excited about the study week run by CSNOW, the network for women in computer science.

You joined the student association during your second year. What prompted you to do so?
I started my studies in 2019 and, because of the pandemic, I only had online lessons after just one semester. Sitting alone at home and studying was not particularly fun. At the time, VSETH launched a survey on students’ well-being. I found out from a colleague that the student association would be evaluating the survey. That interested me, and when I saw the results, I wanted to get involved. I was soon asked if I wanted to be on the board, and at the time, I was not very good at saying no.

After one year, you became VIS President…
At first, I was responsible for university politics. Then I also became interested in VIS as a whole. I found it an exciting task to help shape the association strategically, so I became President of the VIS board during my second semester.

…and now you’re the President of VSETH.
In the middle of last semester, I had frequent dealings with the VSETH board. And at one point, it was mentioned that the position of President was still vacant. My first reaction was: I’m not doing that; I have to concentrate on my studies. Over time, however, I was attracted to the task of thinking strategically for VSETH and to having a say in university policy at the ETH level.

What excites you about university politics?
I think all students are familiar with the situation: You’re sitting in a lecture and thinking, “No, this isn’t what anyone wants. Something has to change.” Now, I’m more inclined to try to change something rather than complain. What I find especially great about ETH is that you can offer your thoughts and you’ll find people who will listen. This can be done in committees, but also in bilateral talks with the Head of Department. Professors like to talk to us students and are happy to receive our feedback. In doing so, you learn how ETH functions as an institution and about the considerations behind decisions, and you can also raise specific concerns.

You are now working at the institutional level: What do you want to change?
I think the PAKETH project, initiated by the Rector, is particularly important when it comes to rethinking the academic calendar. Because currently, as a student at ETH, you never get a break. Mentally, it’s extremely challenging. After the Spring Semester, we do have a long period to revise before the exams. Personally, however, I find it difficult to just take a week off to unwind. I’m always afraid that it’s exactly that one week that will make a one-point difference in my marks. And after the exams, you’re waiting for those marks to come in. So you might not be revising any more, but the pressure never goes away. Also, we don’t have any time to do internships and experience the work world. Unless you interrupt your studies and extend them by a year.

Your studies are hard, and yet you’re still involved in university politics. How do you manage to do it all at once?
It’s not easy. I’m not a high-flyer as a student (laughs). I had to repeat the first year, but now I’m taking things at a normal pace. Last year, I realised that I can no longer invest as much time in VIS alongside my studies. I was working extremely long days, often from 8 in the morning to 11 at night. By moving to VSETH, I’m now employed for one year, which gives me the opportunity to continue my involvement in university policy.

And how do you relax?
It’s important to me to block whole days, not just an afternoon or an evening. I used to go horse riding a lot before I started university, so nowadays, I’ll go visit a colleague who has horses, for instance. Or I’ll spend the day with my friend or a colleague somewhere in nature. What’s important to me is to keep busy and not sit around at home, because if I do, it’s hard to unwind.