Terence Nip has always been a problem solver.

The senior computer science and math double major taught himself how to program in middle school using only a search engine and trial and error after wanting to add new features to a website.

This intellectual curiosity has stayed with Nip throughout his life and in his time at Syracuse University.

Nip is currently a teaching assistant for programming classes in the computer science department, where he pushes his students to find answers on their own.

“Students care about the answer and the grade, but teaching is about understanding the material,” he said. “Students are better served asking me more questions than if I just gave them the answers.”

Nip doesn’t just help computer science students solve problems, but also helps students across campus.

Nip created a website called Bookpricr.com, which allows students at SU to compare textbook prices easily between the SU Bookstore and Amazon.

“I thought if I am doing this, everyone else must be,” he said. “It was about understanding the student mentality and fixing a problem that exists.”

The website is a side project he worked on to help students find the best prices. Making a profit is not the purpose.

“I got to do something that mattered to me,” he said. “Something that can help other people and make their lives less painful. Money doesn’t matter to me.”

Nip said the computer science department on campus is great because it gives students the tools to fix everyday problems. For Nip, the small size of the program is a huge plus.

“The computer science program is a little family,” he said. “Whenever you are stuck, you can ask people for help. There is always an open door policy, not just with students but also professors.”

Nip said the stereotype that computer science majors may be socially awkward or never having fun is also completely false. The majors all understand the same inside jokes about programming or Microsoft.

“We hang out together and are actually a very social major,” said Nip.

Published on March 3, 2014 at 2:00 am

Contact Jen: jbundy@syr.edu