Sheridan’s Story

My name is Sheridan and I am currently in my third year of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing)/Bachelor of Letters (Creative Enterprise) at Flinders University.

I have really enjoyed my time at Flinders so far, and absolutely love the combination of studying business and marketing topics, alongside topics that get out my creative side, such as screen production and graphic design. However, it has not been the most straightforward path to get to where I am today, and I have spend the last few years quite uncertain about where I wanted to head with my university degree.

Back in 2017 when I was in Year 12 and trying to decide what to put as the first preference in my SATAC application, I found it extremely difficult to work out exactly what I wanted to do. I saw my friends, passionate about going into teaching, or nuclear medicine, or accounting, and wondered why I couldn’t figure out what was the right course for me. I had a general idea of where my interests lay and what I wanted to do, but I also wanted to keep my options open and try out new things.

A Change in Preference

At the last minute I changed my first preference to a Bachelor of Arts, which ended up being a great place to start. I loved how I could choose whichever topics interested me in my first semester, and try out new areas of study that I had always been interested in pursuing.

Since then, I have transferred to a Bachelor of Media Arts, then to a Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Media Arts, and now finally a Bachelor of Business (Marketing)/Bachelor of Letters (Creative Enterprise). Long story short, throughout each of these degrees I have had the opportunity to try topics in a different study area, that have allowed me to learn more about what I enjoy and where my strengths lie.

Although it has been a bit of a journey, I now feel like I am studying the perfect degree for me. While it may seem like an absurd amount of different degrees that I’ve started, I don’t regret any of the decisions I have made. Whilst it would have been great to know exactly what I should do straight out of school, I needed to have these experiences trying out different topics and switching things up in order to work out exactly what I wanted. Additionally, each time I transferred, I was able to apply for what is called ‘Credit Transfer’ which basically means that topics I had already completed counted towards my new degree, and I didn’t have to start from scratch each time.

What’s your advice for students? 

For anyone who is currently in the same position I was in Year 12, my biggest piece of advice would be to try and pick something you are passionate about right now, and keep in mind that university is a super flexible place where you are encouraged to grow, and learn, and maybe even change your mind. If you do end up wanting to change your degree, know that there is always support available from Student Advisers, and that it is okay to change directions, because it might just end up leading you down the right path.