What excited you most about coming to uni?
I was excited to experience the uni lifestyle and live on campus because I’d heard so many great things about it. I was also excited about meeting new people and was also looking forward to getting back into studying again after taking a gap year after Year 12.
How were your expectations met?
Participating in O-Week (Orientation Week), living on campus at Weerona and getting involved in activities on campus have allowed me to make so many friends living both on and off campus.
Studying a broad range of subjects in the first year of my BA allowed me to decide what I wanted to do most, so now I have chosen to major in Politics and Economics, with a minor in Spanish. I know now that this is what I want to be studying.
When did you know that you wanted to come to UOW?
In my gap year. After finishing Year 12 I was a little unsure of what I wanted to study and where I wanted to go. I’d always considered UOW, but I wasn’t completely sure I was ready to go to uni, so I had a gap year and worked and travelled. This gave me the time to broaden my horizons and decide what I really wanted to study. That’s when I decided I wanted to come to UOW.
If you had to give somebody one reason—and one only—to study at UOW, what would it be?
UOW is a really good uni with a great reputation and provides the combination of opportunities in terms of courses, clubs and sport for you to have a great uni experience.
What’s your favourite class? Why?
Spanish, because the teachers are great and the classes are interactive. Also, because I would like to go exchange to a Spanish-speaking country and use Spanish in my career, so I definitely feel like I’m working towards something.
Favourite thing about being at Uni?
Every day I’m always doing something to do with uni, whether it be going to classes, playing sport at URAC, helping out at an Oxfam stall at a market day, practising my Spanish at a conversation hour at UniBar or going to the beach with friends from uni.
What’s it like living on-campus?
Living on-campus is great because you instantly have 200 or so friends and there are always opportunities to have fun and get involved in college activities, like parties, harbour cruises, cultural activities and inter-residence sporting competitions.
What do you like best about Wollongong?
After coming from Sydney, I believe Wollongong is a perfect combination of being big enough for having everything you need whilst not being crowded or overwhelming. Its beaches are amazing, the weather is beautiful and the night life is great!
Why did you choose your particular degree?
I was tossing up between Arts and Commerce and decided that Arts gave me the opportunity to combine Politics, Economics and Spanish. I chose the Bachelor of Arts (Dean’s Scholars) degree because it allows me to accelerate my degree and I have an academic mentor who helps me with the direction of my studies.
What kind of career might you like to pursue after graduation?
I would like to be a diplomat, lawyer or economist. I would love to work for the UN, World Bank or World Trade Organisation because I’m really interested in international relations and these organisations have a big impact on people’s lives.
What got you interested in this field?
Studying Geography and Business for my HSC exposed me to politics and economics, but the key thing that got me interested in these was having a year off, working as a youth worker and travelling to China and Japan, which put me into contact with people from many cultures and made me realise the world is so big and that international relations is so important.
Do you think studying at UOW is preparing you for the future? If so, how?
Yes, I do think so. I feel my knowledge has increased so much since I’ve come to uni because I am constantly challenged to analyse things we take for granted. I feel this first year of uni is preparing me for the rest of my degree and for postgraduate studies in the future too. UOW has a great employment record for its graduates, so I don’t feel any worries about getting a job after I graduate.
What have you learned about yourself while studying at UOW?
Although this may sound cliché, I have learnt that I can aspire to be whatever I want and to take any opportunities I’d like to—I don’t put any limits on my career or study aspirations.
If you participate in any extracurricular activities, how have they impacted on your experience at UOW?
Participating in extracurricular activities like Black Opal, Oxfam and sport has given me the opportunity to complement my studies with things that I enjoy and am interested in. The activities have also given me a chance to make friends outside of college, which I think is an important thing to do in building a support base in your first year of uni.
What activities are you involved in on-campus?
I’m involved in Black Opal, the UOW Oxfam Club and lunchtime sport.
Black Opal has given me the chance to develop my leadership skills and meet other young leaders at UOW. Through Black Opal, I was also able to attend the National Student Leadership Forum at Parliament House in Canberra and got the chance to meet politicians and hear Kevin Rudd and John Howard speak.
Being involved in the UOW Oxfam Club has allowed me to pursue my interest in social justice and raise money and awareness for Oxfam campaigns. I also feel being involved in Oxfam relates really well to my politics studies because it has educated me about the extreme poverty that exists in our world.
This year I have played in lunchtime sport teams for netball, volleyball and dodgeball with my friends and have had heaps of fun.
What about off-campus?
Earlier this year, I found out from the UOW UN Society that the Asia-Pacific Model UN Conference that was being held in Auckland in July 2007. I decided to go and had an amazing time. It gave me the opportunity to put my politics and economics studies to use and to meet other young people from around the Asia-Pacific region who have similar aspirations and interests to me.
