“It’s not easy to leave everything behind and start from the beginning at a new place.”
When Gurleen Kaur first made the decision to leave her home country in India and travel to Australia to study a Bachelor of Information Technology (Network and Cybersecurity Systems) at Flinders, she was sceptical about what life would be like away from home.
Would she make friends? Would she like her new city? But as soon as she set foot in Adelaide, Gurleen knew she’d made the right choice.
“Since the day I started at Flinders, I have always felt so welcomed by everyone around me whether it has been my peers or lecturers, everyone is so supportive.”
“Here (at Flinders), you are taught things that are of value in the future. Along with studying, there are so many things to do for fun at Flinders. I found a home away from home.”
Now, after completing her three-year bachelor’s degree earlier in 2022, she has formed strong friendships within the international student community in Adelaide, valuing the opportunity to connect with students from other cultures.
“The international student community at Flinders is very supportive of each other, I truly feel blessed to be around my international mates at Flinders. You not only meet people from your own country but also from other countries and you get to know about their amazing culture as well.”
Why study Information Technology at Flinders?
As an exciting industry with a projected employment growth of 24.5% through to May 2024, and with Adelaide booming as a national hub for new technologies, Flinders IT degrees are designed in close collaboration with industry to meet the demand for graduates who have the skills to develop systems and solutions for the digital world.
For Gurleen, she was attracted to studying a degree in IT due to her love of innovation and solving problems.
“I have always had a keen interest in programming, and I love solving problems. What excites me the most about my field is that everyone’s ideas to solve a single problem is so unique, and uniqueness is always what makes you stand out.”
With world-class facilities available at Tonsley, our $120m teaching and research hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, students also have access to state-of-the-art equipment, laboratories, and study spaces throughout their degree to confidently build their work-ready skills.
“My course focuses on core IT concepts such as programming, database modelling, networking and cybersecurity topics and software engineering.”
Students also have the opportunity to work professionally in a team environment through group projects or undertake first-hand industry experience with a 12-week or 20-week placement.
“I had the chance to do 20-week IT placement during my studies at Flinders. This has immensely helped in building my skills required for a job, and it has been great for my CV.”
An easy and affordable Adelaide lifestyle
Adelaide has become a cherished home base for Gurleen who enjoys the easy lifestyle, coupled with a beautiful environment that she loves to explore in her free time.
“I love Adelaide because it is so affordable, and you can easily commute form one part of Adelaide to the other is less than an hour.”
“I won’t stop if I start talking about Adelaide’s beaches, they are so serene and heavenly. Also, Adelaide is truly called a festival state, you can never have a dull moment here.”
Discover more about life in Adelaide here.
Inclusive and supportive campus culture
A supportive and inclusive culture is a key differentiator for Gurleen who says this level of care has immensely contributed to her personal growth throughout her time studying. Gurleen has also spent time working within Flinders International as a Student Ambassador making phone calls to prospective students and sharing personal stories of her experience at Flinders.
“For me, Flinders was more affordable than all other universities in Adelaide and I enjoy the way we are supported at Flinders. Personally, Flinders has highly contributed to my professional and academic growth.”
With a wide range of free international student support services available at Flinders including health and wellbeing, study and learning, financial support and assistance, careers and employment, and many more, there is always opportunities to engage with staff and other students.
“Flinders is a great place to study because there is a focus on building students up, so they are job ready when they graduate. The staff also ensure you are enjoying your time at Flinders by organising so many fun events for their students.”
“I would recommend joining as many as student clubs as you can, go to university events and don’t hesitate to talk to people in your lectures/practicals. There are many opportunities for networking events at Flinders which can help you with getting a job. One thing I have learnt during my time at Flinders is that networking is key.”