How one AmsterdamTech student balances software engineering, client work, music, and university life

Samuel is a software engineering student from Abuja, Nigeria, who spends his week moving between AmsterdamTech coursework, client projects, his web design agency, and playing the keyboard.

Before AmsterdamTech, Samuel had already taught himself how to build websites and applications. What attracted him to the programme was the opportunity to take that knowledge further while working on practical projects and learning alongside other people building in the same environment.

Five Commitments, One Calendar

In a typical week, Samuel is balancing his AmsterdamTech coursework, his web design agency, software projects for startups and businesses, and his responsibilities at church.

He is candid about the challenge.

“Honestly speaking, I don’t get everything done.”

What helps is having structure and people around him. Three of his AmsterdamTech classmates regularly meet during the week to work alongside one another, even when they are working on completely different projects.

For Samuel, the university experience isn’t just about completing coursework. It’s also about having a community that makes building and learning feel less solitary.

The App That Wasn’t Perfect, But Was Real

One of the projects Samuel still talks about is a React Native mobile app he built and launched during his first year.

It isn’t perfect.

“It doesn’t work properly, but it’s something.”

And that is precisely why he values it.

The project gave him something real to build, launch, learn from, and eventually show to clients. Since then, he has worked on websites for businesses and applications for startups, putting his technical skills into increasingly real-world situations.

AmsterdamTech’s practical approach has helped him move beyond simply learning how to write code and towards understanding how software is actually built, tested, and delivered.

What Keeps Him Going

When Samuel gets stuck on a difficult project, he doesn’t assume that not knowing the answer means he can’t solve it.

“I know it can be done. I don’t know what exactly needs to be done for it to be done, but it can be done.”

He breaks problems into smaller steps, uses tools such as AI to help find a starting point, and then researches and experiments until he understands what needs to happen next.

His philosophy is simple:

“There really is nothing I can’t do if I’m intentional about my work towards it.”

That mindset has helped him navigate both his degree and the demands of working with real clients.

Why AmsterdamTech?

For Samuel, one of the biggest benefits of studying at AmsterdamTech is the combination of flexibility, practical learning, and community.

As someone already building professionally, he can apply what he learns directly to the projects he is working on outside the classroom.

The programme also gives students the freedom to build alongside their existing lives and commitments — something that matters when education has to fit around work, family, creative pursuits, or other responsibilities.

Through Amsterdam Tech, students can take this flexibility even further, with an education model designed to give learners more control over how and where they study while still developing practical, career-relevant skills.

Samuel’s journey is a good example of what that freedom can look like: studying software engineering while building products, serving his church, working with clients, and figuring things out along the way.

It’s Never Too Late to Start

Samuel’s advice to anyone considering technology is straightforward.

“Technology is not rocket science. If you are intentional about it, and you have the right guidance, it is very doable.”

One of his AmsterdamTech cohort-mates is in his sixties and continues to show up and learn — a reminder that there isn’t one age, background, or career path for learning technology.

Samuel is continuing his BS in Software Engineering while building real projects for real people.

He doesn’t have everything figured out.

But he is learning, building, and making the most of the freedom to do both.

Could AmsterdamTech be the right environment for your next chapter? Explore the BS in Software Engineering and discover what you could build with the freedom to learn your way.