I always knew that I wanted to continue studying after Year 12 but I struggled to decide what I wanted to do. I went through stages of wanting be a Marine Biologist in Year 4, a Teacher in Year 7 and a Journalist in Year 11. However, during the first half of Year 12 I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do afterwards. I was always interested in Physics, Chemistry and Maths, so I began taking quizzes on various University websites that gave recommended courses. On one quiz, Biomedical Engineering came up as an option and based on the description I was interested. I did some other research and decided to study the Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical) at Flinders. However, to keep my options open, I decided to pair it with a Bachelor of Science (Physics). I’m finding this combination both rewarding and challenging. I strongly encourage any students that are unsure what to study to look into all the options out there and look into the less travelled tracks!
I love my degree for its future prospects. For example, they’ve recently been able to make the first atomic eye and a synthetic leaf that produces oxygen! However, on a day-to-day basis I really enjoy the company from other students studying different engineering degrees. Another great part of my course is that it has many practical components which makes it all the more interesting!
For me, the hardest part of making the transition from High School to University was entering a completely new environment with, initially, a much smaller support system. My high school was located close to the city centre and as a result I found myself being the only one from my close group of friends that began studying at Flinders this year. Although this was originally daunting, I’m so glad I made this solo transition. I’ve now made many new, close friends than I would have if I had stayed with my school friends. Attending a university with no network of friends forced me to become involved in the social and academic life and I’ve met some truly wonderful people. The Engineering School at Flinders has a great sense of community due to its smaller size. Now I feel very comfortable here and know most of the people, if not by name then by appearance, that are studying the same course as me. I strongly believe that the sense of community will be enhanced when the Engineering School makes the transition to Tonsley due to the interactive study areas. Since only 2,000 students and around 150 staff members are making the move, it will be a great opportunity to form strong relationships with not just my cohort, but also with the staff. I’m looking forward to all of the opportunities that will come in the following years!