From Colombo to Perth: Sasvidu's journey to studying engineering

Hi, I'm Sasvidu! I'm originally from Sri Lanka and I'm currently studying a Bachelor of Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Honours) at Curtin University. 

Growing up in Sri Lanka

I grew up in a small town in Sri Lanka called Mattegoda. From an early age, I was really passionate about mathematics and science, leading me to pursue mathematics Olympiad. When I was in 6th grade, I made it up to the national team of Sri Lanka, and this solidified my passion for STEM. The following semester, I spent every day diving deep (as deep as a 12-year-old could) into the realms of physics, mathematics and computer science. This led me to complete my first degree in Computer Science back in Sri Lanka while I was still in school and 17 years old. Once I finished school, I immediately headed into the industry as a Full Stack Developer.

At first it was amazing! I was able to do what I loved and work on some genuinely impactful projects that reached millions of people in my country, plus make a pretty decent living. However as time went on, I started to realise that heading into the industry so soon made me miss out on the university life that everyone was telling me about. I also heard a lot of good stories from my friends who were studying abroad, and just listening to them made me realise how vast the world really is. Nonetheless, I was performing well at my job and was even promoted to Junior Software Engineer on my 18th birthday, so I decided to keep on working - until a random Tuesday in February.

Our flagship project, a news site called "Ada Derana", which I had just been assigned to, was about to hit some large user spikes due to the election. Our team spent weeks optimising for this, but even then, when it hit, it did so like a truck. Within seconds, close to 2 million active users hit the site, and our infrastructure just couldn't handle this amount of traffic. The outcome was either disappointed users or massive costs, and we couldn't afford either. The only way to solve this would be to understand the underlying infrastructure at a deeper level. In other words, someone had to cover the entire stack, from raw hardware all the way up to the application code being ran on users' browsers. And just like that, I had an excuse to study another degree.

Transferring to Curtin University in Perth

And so, I enrolled in Curtin University Colombo, the brand of Curtin University located in the capital city of Sri Lanka, to study Electrical Engineering. For a while, I studied my degree alongside working full time. But everything changed when I got the opportunity to do an exchange semester at Curtin University in Perth. I had been wanting to experience life outside of my home country for a long time, so, with blessings from my parents and my team at work, I embarked on the first ever flight of my life to Perth.

From the moment I landed in Perth, I realised just how diverse the environment here is. I got to meet so many different people from so many different backgrounds with so many different life stories. I made friends in class, at clubs, and even in my accommodation! I tried to many types of cuisines in Vic Park, experienced the night life in Northbridge, walked along the beautiful beaches in Scarborough, and even went on a trip to the Gingin Gravity Centre. It didn't take me long to fall in love with the lifestyle here.

But it wasn't just the lifestyle. During my semester break, I received a research scholarship at Curtin to explore Agentic AI where I got to work at the absolute cutting edge of my field. This led me to getting a role here as a DevOps Engineer, where I got to take the skills I learned in Sri Lanka to exponential heights. So, when I went back home, the first thing I told my parents was "I want to go back." And now I am a full-time transfer student studying at Curtin University in Perth!

Since I was already studying at Curtin University's Colombo Campus, transferring to the main campus in Western Australia was a no-brainer. But there was also a lot more drawing me here than just a convenient university transfer. I was looking for a place where the engineering and tech industries were active and intersecting. Perth has this incredible, almost hidden-gem energy when it comes to technology. Because of the massive industrial sectors here, there is a huge, growing demand for exactly what I've loved doing for years.

I had also heard about Perth's legendary work-life balance. I wanted a place where I could push myself to the limit professionally but still have the space to clear my head. And it hasn't disappointed.

A day in my life as a Software Engineer and international student

A typical day for me is a bit of a juggling act between two completely different worlds. Because I work as a Software Engineer alongside my full-time studies at Curtin, it can definitely be a bit hectic. 

My mornings usually start right at my desk. I'll fire up my Mac, grab a coffee, and dive straight into work. I might spend the first few hours of the day managing AWS cloud infrastructure, optimising deployment pipelines, or working on AI architecture. By midday, I usually head into university. Having to switch my brain between software and physical engineering keeps me on my toes, but I've learned to enjoy it.

By the time evening rolls around I need a break, so I like to unwind by doing something physical. Usually I like to do some resistance training, or go out to take a walk or play tennis with my friends.

Living in Perth as an international student

I really like the culture here in Perth and how welcoming it is for international students. There are lots of clubs, events, and resources on campus so you never feel out of your depth.

My time in Perth is completely rewriting what I thought was possible for my career.

And to be honest, it's the people that are really shaping my trajectory. The connections I've been able to make here, whether that's collaborating with my professors on summer research projects or learning from the incredible leadership team at my company, have accelerated my growth in ways a textbook never could.

My best advice for other international students would be to always put yourself out there and keep pursuing opportunities, even when you don't feel like it. It may not feel like a lot is happening every day, but when time has passed and you look back, if you have been consistent, you'll be surprised with what you've done.