A degree at UNSW is so much more than lecture and tutorials.
Reveal your purpose
I really had no idea what I wanted to be when I started my degree at UNSW.
Four years in, I’ve finished my last semester of a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Arts at UNSW and just landed a graduate role at Accenture, a tech consulting firm. My UNSW degree and marks got my foot in the door, but it was the experiences and skills I’ve gained being involved in all of the different opportunities UNSW offers that really set me up to succeed.
I wasn’t the type of person to be overly involved in extracurricular activities in high school…not at all. But then I stepped out of my comfort zone and discovered the UNSW Art Society at the end of my first year. I realised at an orientation camp that I actually wanted to be a leader. Who knew!?
When I first volunteered for the society I didn’t think I’d end up being president in my fourth year. I discovered I really liked the strategy aspect of the presidency which led me to wanting to go into a strategy consultant role.
I knew management consulting was the career path that I wanted to go down because it was a surprisingly good hybrid of my two degrees: Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Arts.
But, it frustrated me that arts and social science students don’t think they have the skill-sets to be competitive, to go into a corporate sector like management consulting. My proudest moment at UNSW would definitely be being president in 2017 and within that, leading and organising the first ever Careers Week for UNSW Arts and Social Sciences students. I was committed to making arts and social sciences students more aware of the vast range of different career opportunities available to them.
My time at UNSW helped shape me into the person that I am now. It’s made me realise how I can make a difference and get the skills and knowledge to rise and achieve my goals.
UNSW is a really great institution that’s internationally recognized. The thing that really differentiates it is the vibrant campus life and all of the different clubs and societies. These provide a really great springboard to countless professional and personal development opportunities.
So, my one piece of advice…take yourself out of your comfort zone, because that’s where success is.
Cultivate your curiosty
My name’s Ashna and I’m a final year med student.
I’m originally from New Zealand, and went to a single sex high school, which I really loved. I came out with a sense of pure confidence because everyone I’d seen succeed had been women. During my time at UNSW, I became one of the founding members of Women in Medicine at UNSW. When I began medicine, there was a lot of discussion about gender equity in medicine. So, being part of something like Women in Medicine is something I really, really care about.
When I think about my expectations of what UNSW was going to be like I really had no idea. I didn’t realise how many opportunities there are at UNSW and how broad they can be. There’s so much to get involved in. Even if it seemed like the biggest deviation from my path, I said “yes”, because I knew those experiences were only going to help me develop later on.
I’ve just completed an internship with McKinsey and Company in management consulting. The role involved working with clients, who will come to you with a problem that effectively needs to be solved. Working with McKinsey was definitely a deviation from the classic med student path. Ultimately, I knew that if I had more of an idea how to solve problems, how to communicate and create more efficient processes, I felt this was only going to make me a better doctor.
When I think about how my experiences at UNSW have changed me and changed my path, I think having worked with so many different people from different backgrounds, and being exposed to research, to management, to consulting, has helped fuel my curiosity and launched me into a deeper, richer future.
But, my one reason to choose UNSW above all else is the people. Being with them, you just get this feeling, like you know that you’re in the presence of people who are going to change the world…And I hope I can do that with them.
There’s so much to get involved in and my number one piece of advice would be to say “yes” to everything. Even if it seems like the biggest deviation from your path. Say “yes”, because those experiences will only ever help you.
From Waste to Wonder
When I look back at my time at UNSW, I see a whole bunch of things that I never would have expected to be doing as a high school student. Back then, as a Year 12 student in Taree, I knew I’d be applying to Engineering, but apart from that I had no real idea what I’d be doing at Uni. And, as it turned out, that was completely okay, and pretty normal. I think most of my friends felt the same way.
But once I got to UNSW, things began to change and opportunities started to present themselves. It turns out, there are plenty of opportunities to apply your knowledge outside the classroom and I definitely made the most of them. One of my most rewarding Uni experiences happened completely by chance.
I had been working with the Engineering faculty on a project and one of the academics mentioned in passing that they were organising a trip to Uganda. I didn’t even know we had a partner university in Africa. Anyway, he asked if I’d be interested in coming along. Seriously? Of course! So, literally one month after that casual chat in the faculty I was on my way to Uganda.
Once we got there, we started working with the local agriculture students on a few different things and the collaboration was amazing. At UNSW, sustainability is a big focus for the Engineering faculty and in Uganda we were able to put that into practice.
During my time on the farms in Northern Uganda, we noticed that there was a lot of agricultural waste that wasn’t being put to good use. So, we got to thinking and came up with the idea that became RiceCycle.
Basically, we’re developing small-scale generators that can be powered by the rice husks left behind after the harvest. The generators provide power, but also a potential secondary source of income for farmers. The waste product left behind can be used as an alternative to concrete, so farmers will be able to sell the material, pay off their generators, and develop a new income stream. We’re pretty excited about it. RiceCycle has the potential to change people’s lives.
My trip to Uganda was just one of the amazing experiences I’ve had at UNSW. The staff here really encourage students to make the most of every opportunity and I think that’s what sets UNSW apart from other Unis. You get an amazing education, but you get a lot more than that, too if you’re willing to get stuck in and back yourself.
Jotham: Engineering Student and Inventor.
Illuminate your creativity
I’ve always been curious about technology. Ever since I was a kid I’ve been fascinated by pulling things apart and figuring out how they work. Its instinctual. My name is Junji and I am studying engineering and computer science at UNSW.
Doing VIVID was something I just got thrown into the deep end with. I thought, you’ll never know until you try, so stepped in and I tried. I got to meet and collaborate with many wonderful artists, and for an engineer to be able to collaborate with an artist, well, it was unconventional, because we have very different ways of working and very different mindsets. Coming together, our differences allowed us to create an artwork called ‘Synergy’. The artwork is a huge four metre high tree sculpture about unity and togetherness in a time when we increasingly live our lives isolated from each other and from society.
Working with a wonderful team of about ten regulars and thirty plus seasonal volunteers, it was really rewarding to see the creation we’d collaborated on come to life. It’s given me a sense of purpose.
Back in year 12, I absolutely could not have imagined where I would end up because I just didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know what was out there. Now that I’ve tried everything I have a clear path in front of me, and it excites me thinking about what we could do in the future. I have a sense of purpose!
Having a sense of purpose is always beneficial and it drives us on, gives us a place to stand and look out and create new possibilities. We’re currently looking at opportunities for our team to take on more projects within the art and design community.
The culture at UNSW is one where anyone can come together and collaborate on something, and learn things along the way. I would say that extends to many other facets of university. It has this very welcoming culture that just lets you try things. If you don’t like it you can try it another way or do something else. It’s very flexible.
You have to get the most out of UNSW, it’s such a missed opportunity not to! Join societies, join activities, get involved in projects, even do professional development if you want to! As clichéd as it is, my advice is, you will never know until you try!
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