Lukáš Sláma

What motivated you most to participate to Odysseus contest?

When I am under stress I work harder. Odysseus provided a great opportunity for me to get the right amount of motivation. The possibility of presenting in front of so many people was very helpful to me. I wanted to become a better programmer and a better presenter. I think that I’ve succeeded in both of those things.

What did you enjoy when you prepared your project?

Apart from the obvious, that I love doing the most – programming, I enjoyed meeting new people and making new acquaintances. Also communicating with fascinating people from all around the world (including those from NASA) was a great experience.

What was the most important thing that you learned during the preparation of your project?

The hardest thing was coming up with an idea that would just work. Once you find it, you can concentrate fully on realizing it. I’ve learned, that I should put more time into finding that perfect idea. I also think, that the work I am doing should personally matter to me. Projects should not be basic, unoriginal ideas with a twist, they should mean something to me personally.

Has the work done for your project affected your decision for studies in space science?

My decision before I did the Odysseus contest was to study IT. Odysseus affected my decision by strengthening it even more.