Interview with Rafael de la Rocha, Student ambassador Digital Society 2023-2024
Rafael is a second year student Digital Society from Spain
Why did you choose to study Digital Society in Maastricht?
“When I made the decision about which bachelor’s degree I wanted to do, I first asked myself: “What is the job I want to do?” That’s where I started. Eventually, I want to be a UX designer. That job entails a lot of things I enjoy doing already. I have an urge to create things and I am obsessed with technology. I choose to study in Maastricht because of the central location in Europe and because it is very international. Coming from a small island, Fuerteventura, it was a big change!”
What do you enjoy most about your studies?
“What I like about Digital Society is that it is very interdisciplinary. It provides me with an ethical perspective about things that are happening right now. For example, when ChatGPT came out, we discussed it in class immediately. We spoke about things like: how will it affect us all in society? How can we use it as a tool for progress instead of just entertainment?”
“What is really different from my high school experience, is that I actually look forward to going to class. In one of the classes, we tried to make an algorithm. I didn’t succeed in class, so I went home to solve the issue myself. My classmates did the same. I feel all of my classmates are very motivated and that stimulates me a lot, really.”
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In my third year, I would like to do an internship at a company where I can learn more about UX, like Intel, Tesla or Meta. And after that I would like to do a master’s in New Media Design. And then I hope to become a UX designer, combining creativity and technology.
October 2023
“This programme is about what is happening right now in the world around us. And it provides an ethical perspective to make sense of how technology will affect our society.”