École Polytechnique is more than just work - Discover what our Bachelor students have been up to.
Nicholas Setijabudiharsa is currently doing his 3rd year in the Bachelor Program with a double major in Mathematics and Economics. He shared with us his experience at l’X and talked about his concurrent professional activity.
Why did you choose to study at École Polytechnique? And why the Bachelor Program?
I chose to study at École Polytechnique because of its scientific history and prestigious image. But most importantly I was really interested in the international aspect of its new programs. I googled “Bachelor program in Europe in English” and the École Polytechnique’s Bachelor of Science came up. The program offered the choice between three double majors which I thought would be a very good academic asset for my future.
Moreover, I enjoy being with people from all over the world, that meet together in one place and share their cultures. I had always lived in Indonesia, my home country, but I had the opportunity to spend 3 years in high-school in Australia and it was a great experience. I had this voice in my head that said “the further you go the more experience you get; that’s how I have ended up in the Bachelor Program in France!
Following your internship in the start-up Cryptio, you decided to register as an auto-entrepreneur to continue the work you had undertaken there. Could you please tell us more about this experience?
Before my internship in Cryptio, I did one in the Netherlands, in the pharmaceutical sector working in a reasonably established company in a formal environment. I really enjoyed it and learnt a lot but I wanted to have another type of professional experience, this time where I can embrace my innovative mindset, so I thought of applying for a summer internship in a start-up.
I thought about asking École Polytechnique’s innovation centre, the DrahiX, as it is an incubator for start-ups. I contacted the person in charge at the centre and I sent her my resume straight afterwards. A few days later, I received an email from my soon to be employer, Cryptio which was originaly accelerated by the DrahiX. Now based in Station F, the largest start-up incubator in the world, Cryptio is a start-up which aims to provide accounting solutions for crypto-currency users.
They were looking for an intern in engineering, which required a lot of programming knowledge. Before joining École Polytechnique, I didn’t know anything about programming, but after my first two years in the Bachelor Program, I had gained strong skills in that field.
After my two-month internship, my results exceeded my employer’s expectations so they decided to make me part of their core team as a data scientist. That is when I became an auto-entrepreneur.
I am thankful for the important role that École Polytechnique played in this professional experience: firstly, for putting me in contact with Cryptio via the DrahiX and secondly, for teaching me how to code.
Do you have a professional career goal?
My current professional goal is to build my own company in maybe 3 or 4 years. Meanwhile, I would like to study in a Master program or work as a professional before starting my own start-up. My dream goal is to create a company that could help Indonesia to become a more developed country. I strongly believe that the new era of globalization represents a real opportunity to offer a better future to its young generation.
As an international student, what is the main benefit of the Bachelor program?
