Tabitha Thomas |
What are you studying?
I studied Literature and History with a minor in Indigenous Studies What influenced your decision to enrol into a postgraduate course? I didn’t know anything about postgraduate study until one of my professors suggested I do Honours, and, following that, the PhD. I applied for Honours, got in, and did well enough that I was able to go straight into the PhD without a masters How would you describe your academic journey? My academic journey has been one of the most enlightening, profound experiences of my life. I would describe it as blessed. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? Never be afraid to be flexible. Things change all the time, you’ll change too, and that’s a good thing. What advice would you give to the current postgraduate students at Victoria University? Push yourself but also remember that you’re human, and we make mistakes. What events or opportunities do you believe added to the quality of your VU experiences? The events I’ve enjoyed the most are conferences and teaching. |
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Meixia Xu |
What are you studying
I am at the second year of my PhD studying language teaching. In my research I try to apply video game to promote student’s learning engagement and improve their learning experience. What influenced your decision to enroll into a PhD course? There are a couple of reasons why I decided to get on the journey of PhD. On the top of it is my desire to explore more in language teaching and learning area to find out interesting and fruitful ways for language learners. I have this desire is because I once joined a very engaging language training course and was amazed by the teacher’s energy and creative teaching. Second is I believe that information technology and computer have great potential in language learning in various ways. Information technology and computer has made tremendous change in our live today. But it’s influence on education seems not as powerful as that in our lives. This filed are waiting for more explorers for their endeavors. The third reason is that my boyfriend is doing his degree. How would you describe your academic journey? My academic journey has two parts. One is in my motherland and the other is in Melbourne. But they all are challenging but exciting experience for me. At the beginning of the course I feel nervous with strong interest. Then I get familiar with the course as well classmates and teachers. Changes come to me from time to time. Sometime I can do a good job sometime I fail. Each part of the journey has different scenery although the feelings may seem similar. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? One of the best advices I received during my postgraduate journey is that keep reading and writing. Reading enables you to receive various new information. Writing means always put down fantastic ideas. You can then find a chance to conduct some of your ideas in some way. What advice would you give to the current postgraduate students at Victoria University? My advice for the current postgraduate students at VU is being patient, especially those who are in the middle of their research project. Many things have been changed and influence by COVID-19. Some of the research projects may be one of them. Be patient and calm down, work together with your teammates, supervisors. You can find a way out sooner or later. |
Ashik Mostafa Alvi |
I'm Ashik Mostafa Alvi, a PhD student of IT. Here I have shared my thoughts:
What did you study? I was pursuing a PhD in Information and Computer Science at VU. I worked with electroencephalography (EEG) data to detect a couple of neuro-disorders automatically using deep learning algorithms. What influenced your decision to enroll into a postgraduate course? It was one of my undergraduate courses that had some research work involved in it. I got to publish a journal and conference paper from it. This whole pathway led me to increase my interest in academic research and move forward with postgraduate degrees. How would you describe your academic journey? This journey has all the feel and flavour of a struggle, challenges, fun and excitement, achievements, and so on. I would say I love the experimental section of any work I do rather than writing papers, which I find boring sometimes. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? "Whatever you do, do it by yourself", advice from one of the seniors in my field. I was struggling with some of my experiments and seeking help from experts. But I could not manage to find any. Then, I realise I do not have anyone to help me, so I have to solve this problem by myself. And guess what, I solved it. The whole journey of solving any problem teaches us a lot of things that we will never forget or that will help us to be confident in the future. What advice would you give to the current postgraduate students at Victoria University? There is only one piece of advice, which is, "Don't panic". Everyone faces challenges and difficulties in their way. There are a lot of things we need to learn and overcome on our way to success. Nobody can say that his or her postgraduate journey was very smooth. If it was smooth, then I do not think you did not learn anything out of it. Postgraduate life is a challenge. If you take it, then you're too keen on learning a lot of things and embracing troubles. So, if you are struggling, don't panic, have patience and be confident. Only you know how to do it. What events or opportunities do you believe added to the quality of your VU experience? There are a couple of events, I should say. Attending an international conference can boost your public speaking and networking skills. There are some VU events like VUPA meeting events, VU Vollies, events organised by VUISA etc., which are good quality events which definitely help students to enlarge their circle, get to know each other better, receive diverse experience, and network with aluminise. These help to reduce the shyness and introversion of any student, particularly international students. |
Derrick D'Souza |
What did you study?
I am currently in the final year of doctoral research in food science. I belong to the Institute of Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities- Advanced Food Systems department. As such, my study involves contributing to current plant-based food movement; where creators and innovators are involved in mitigating long term effects of green-house gas emissions brought on by cattle farming to produce delicate and tasty plant-based foods. What influenced your decision to enrol into a postgraduate course? Although there has been considerable progress both in terms of creating appreciable plant- based foods and reciprocal consumer interest; ongoing sale and consumption of animal foods is showing no downward trend. There are several reasons for this such as food choice, culture, habits, perceptions, availability, price, taste and aroma, and each is being studied with more rigor than ever before. My area of study more specifically involves characterizing savoury aroma compounds in plant-based foods. Savoury aroma compounds are those smells that make our mouth water and create a desire to eat. Such as the smell of freshly baked bread or pastries, grilled and fried foods etc. I study aroma compounds using chemometric analysis such as chromatography and spectrometry rather than by tasting them as is usually done in sensory science. As a culinarian for over quarter of a century; (No I’m not too old for this) my decision to enrol into a postgraduate course came from my inquisitiveness of wanting to know the answers of why something is called, behaves or works the way it does. It's not rocket science, but it definitely is as challenging and interesting. The book Molecular Gastronomy by Herve, this summarizes it succinctly. How would you describe your academic journey? Not sure If I may call it academic as I have always been an industry person but my journey with VU started way back in 2003, when I completed a food handler course as part of the requirement of working as a chef. After a few years I went on to complete Cert IV in workplace training and assessment at VU to be able to teach commercial cookery at TAFE. I came back to complete a BSc (Nutrition, Food and Health) Hons in 2014. Returning to take up researching aroma compounds in 2019. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? Advice come in all forms and from friends, family, colleagues, and of course supervisors and are only good if one heeds to them. One of the best advice I’ve received is ‘It is what it is’- (relating to my data). My inquisitive nature has stopped me thus far from paying heed and I’ve often spent precious time. What advice would you give to the current postgraduate students at Victoria University? My advice to any post-graduate student is ‘Pay heed- time is of the essence’. Don’t worry about writing the perfect Thesis or Review. Perfection maybe the destination but enjoy the journey enroute. What events or opportunities do you believe added to the quality of your VU experience? I have enjoyed the range of workshops and events held at VU and have also actively participated in several, such as being a Vollie, establishing stalls for the multicultural week, being part of a cultural club, assisting at open days etc. There have always been a range of activities to fit every student’s fancy and even an opportunity to create one. |
Mahdi Shahrooz |
What did you study?
My background is in Chemical Engineering and Polymer Engineering. Here, at Victoria University, I am doing my PhD on membranes for water and wastewater treatment. What influenced your decision to enrol into a postgraduate course? My passion for science has been the main driving force in making this decision. After getting my masters degree a few years back, I started a job in the industry, and gained experience as a Research and Development (R&D) researcher which opened my mind on how the scientific research contributed to solving real-life problems. I also realized how much I loved doing scientific research and expanding my knowledge and experience in understanding the physics and chemistry of soft condensed matter (such as polymers). Therefore, I decided to go back to academia and get a PhD, this time, with a better idea on the importance of my research in a bigger picture. How would you describe your academic journey? So far I have enjoyed it, and I am sure it will be the same for the rest of my journey, because it is what I truly wanted. This is not to say that I haven’t had problems during this time. All journeys have their good and bad moments, challenges and accomplishments; and mine hasn’t been an exception. Due to the lockdowns, I have been prevented from doing lab work for more than a year in my three-year (officially) journey, and I am expected to finish all of the remaining work in-time, as if the lockdown hadn’t happened. So, a lot of work needs to be done in a short time, which is stressful, but I plan to do as much as possible before reaching the end of my PhD (hopefully). However, I don’t see the graduation as the end of my journey, but the beginning of a new phase in my journey. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? Perhaps the best advice I have received during my PhD is the advice I received from my supervisor, Prof. Mikel Duke: “Don’t get stuck in the rabbit hole.” Some of us (students or even senior researchers) have the habit of following a trail of questions in a way that trying to find answers to one question, leads to a new set of questions, each of which in turn leads to a new set, and so on. A good researcher must always be mindful of the big picture, as they dive into the depth of the fundamental understanding of a certain phenomenon. Otherwise, one can get lost in the endless search for answers to the infinitely large tree of questions. In the utopia of science, it might seem a great idea for a scientist to be driven purely by curiosity, and not to care about the purpose of that curiosity. However, in the real world, the curiosity should have purpose, framework, and scope, and should fit in a bigger picture that aims at solving a certain problem or pushing the boundary of the unknowns in a certain direction by a certain extent. As a human being, the scientist is limited by time, funding, space, the technical capability to explore, etc. Reaching this balanced behavior is one my main goals in my PhD journey. What advice would you give to the current postgraduate students at Victoria University? I believe I am not still mature enough to give any advice to other students. However, if I had to give only one advice, I would say “look at the postgrad research as an opportunity for both internal and external development, and try to reach a balance between them.” Internal development can roughly include learning new skills, expanding the theoretical knowledge on different subjects, character development, etc. On the other hand, external development can include winning awards, publishing papers, forming new social and professional connections, etc. The degree by which a researchers/postgrad student focuses on these aspects can be different from one person to another. Depending on the degree of focus on each aspect, the researcher can land on a spectrum between the two extremes: One extreme end of the spectrum is related to focusing only on the internal development. Some students spend a lot of effort on learning new things, and much less effort on producing outputs (such as publications and awards). These researchers/students (including myself) see the postgrad journey as an opportunity to learn, but they often overlook the fact that they also need to contribute in the advancement of science in that field by publishing their findings. They often get carried away by the need to be perfect (perfectionism) before publishing anything, or sometimes, they see their achievements not worth publishing, which is not true in many cases. In addition, some researchers (such as myself) tend to get stuck in the rabbit hole (as discussed above) and they feel paralyzed because of being overwhelmed by the large number of questions that they have come up with during their unnecessarily-deep dive. The researchers who land on this end of the spectrum often end up having a lot on their mind (in terms of knowledge and expertise), but their achievements and output do not accurately represent their capabilities. Therefore, due to their low output, this group of researchers usually get overlooked when trying to find a job after graduation, or they end up starting with a job that doesn’t really need their capabilities. On the other end of the spectrum, there are researchers/students who mostly focus on producing output and publications. This group of researchers usually see the postgrad journey as an opportunity for publishing a lot of papers, and achieving many awards, and forming a lot of new connections. However, being obsessed with the joy of achievement and success, this group of researchers often miss out on understanding important fundamental knowledge, and developing key technical skills related to their research. This knowledge is essential in continuing one’s career in the industry, market, or academia. Unlike the graduate program which allows for trial-and-error and self-development, the real-world career environment often doesn’t have enough flexibility to allow a person to go back and study and learn what they were supposed to learn when they were a student. By the end of the postgrad journey, the researchers/students who focus on the external aspects usually build a good resume, and land on the jobs that are much more demanding for their skills. The mismatch between the expected knowledge/skills, and the person’s performance can lead to many problems ranging from catastrophic mistakes, to the distrust of companies in hiring the recently-graduated students. Additionally, the stress resulting from this mismatch can cause mental health problems for the person. Therefore, I believe a postgrad student should always keep the balance between internal and external development during their journey, and all postgrad programs provide such opportunity. We must use it now that we are studying, because after that, no one is going to wait for us to go back and work on the mismatch between our resume and knowledge/expertise. What events or opportunities do you believe added to the quality of your VU experience? I enjoy attending various workshops and seminars both in my own field and in other fields related to career or personal development. |
Bojana 'Bo' Klepac Pogrmilovic |
What did you study?
I was doing a PhD in public health policies. In my PhD, I analysed national physical activity and sedentary behaviour policies. What influenced your decision to enroll into a postgraduate course? I was always interested in academic research and after I finished with my master’s degree, I wanted to pursue my career in academia so doing a PhD was a natural choice. How would you describe your academic journey? Like any other journey, it was exciting, scary, adventurous, challenging, emotional, frustrating, and strongly educational, in both personal and professional way. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? At one point, you have to make a decision and stop reading as there will always be some literature that you won’t cover in your thesis. If you want to finish on time, you just have to make peace with the fact that it is not possible your PhD will include everything that you think needs to be in there. What advice would you give to the current postgraduate students at Victoria University? You are not alone. We all go through similar challenges and if you are struggling with any part of your studies that is perfectly normal. Don’t be embarrassed or afraid to ask for help. We are often reluctant to let other people see our internal struggles. I know asking for help is not easy, but you would be surprised how showing your vulnerability and reaching out can connect you with other people. I met some wonderful people and made beautiful friendships just because I dared to talk about my struggles. What events or opportunities do you believe added to the quality of your VU experience? This could include participating in workshops, attending postgraduate events/celebrations, joining VU Employ, attending forums/symposium/conferences, etc. In the early days, when I came to Australia as an international student, I did not have any friends, so being a part of VUTAG and other groups that organised affordable trips for students around Melbourne/Victoria was immensely helpful as I felt like a part of VU community and I really enjoyed exploring my new home. BBQs and other events organised by VU Scholarship team were also great as they in a way forced me to socialise and there, I met some wonderful people that became my friends for life. Some events organised by VUPA, especially those that also include VU management team, VU professors or other staff members were really useful for networking and getting to know broader VU community. |
Swapna Deshmukh
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What did you study?
I studied Master of Business Analytics (Professional). As a part of the course, I acquired technical and analytical skills to analyse crucial aspects of various businesses. With the comprehensive suite of SAP Business Analytics Applications, I gained the relevant knowledge to put my step forward in the competitive industrial world. I also developed my leadership skills and understood some important traits to become an effective industry leader. What influenced your decision to enrol into a postgraduate course? “The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.” -Henry Ford After completing my Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology and having worked for multiple IT companies, I started realising my passion to dive deeper into the business analytics world. That’s when I decided to opt for master’s degree into Business Analytics in order to pursue my dream. How would you describe your academic journey? Since the day I have step my foot on Australian soil, I have lived each and every moment with great enthusiasm and excitement. My academic journey was a roller coaster of all feelings and emotions. You can have a look at my short video to live and experience some good moments along with me. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? Human mind is the greatest innovator of all. So, keep thinking out-of-the-box and listen to your inner self to bring out some great ideas within you. Questioning helps you to understand things in a better way. Never stop questioning and then finding answers to those questions helps you in gaining more knowledge. - What advice would you give to the current postgraduate students at Victoria University? "No matter how tough the chase is, you should always have the dream you saw on the first day. It’ll keep you motivated and rescue you from any weak thoughts." – Jack Ma Think of the dream that you saw for yourself on the first day of the course. Keep that dream in mind until the last day of the course. Keep that determination and dedication throughout your course and you will pass with flying colours. Try to become a person of value. Learn to gain knowledge not just to gain grades. Time management plays a vital role in any education system. Especially in your group assignments: If you conquer time you conquer the world. My Closing words: Dream higher than what you feel you can achieve; it will make your achievement higher than your dream. |
Dylan Styles
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What did you study?
Masters of Teaching (Secondary) What influenced your decision to enrol into a postgraduate course? I had always played an active role within the university culture during my studies. I was passionate about furthering my knowledge through my commitment to education. I chose education as I was inspired by the teachers before me and the role models to whom I aspired to be. How would you describe your academic journey? I would describe my academic journey as a whirlwind of emotions. At times, I felt I was thriving in an environment made to make me flourish. At other times, I felt a deep struggle with my own educational journey through my own mental health challenges and when the education didn’t leave me enriched. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? Get involved! Postgraduate studies can be isolating as classes tend to be at night. I found that many students attended postgraduate studies solely for the education rather than to form friendships or take part in the university culture. I was fortunate enough to be working part-time, so I invested time and got involved in my clubs, societies, and university committees to enrich the student experience. These experiences helped me to build my own skills as a leader. What advice would you give to the current postgraduate students at Victoria University? JOIN VUPA! I am so proud of the work that VUPA has undertaken since its relaunch, especially the constant activity, engagement and influence it has within the higher education sector. Engaging with VUPA is beneficial for a multitude of reasons from socialising and networking to study support and advocacy. What events or opportunities do you believe added to the quality of your VU experience? Attending VUPA events was the highlight of my postgraduate experience. It gave me an opportunity to meet like-minded people, share stories, advocate, and engage in positive dialogue regarding the university experience. It also provided me with opportunities to strive and thrive within the postgraduate sector. |
Mila A.
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My PhD was in Education. My study focused on the Australian Higher Education, with particular interest in the Australian students going overseas to study, which is what’s called Outbound Mobility. These programs are supported by the Government’s New Colombo Plan with the funding of millions of dollars. I have done international education and as also someone who has great interest in foreign languages and international travel, this aspect of education has become an interest to me.
I always have been fascinated by the 18th and 19th century thinkers who were able to speak several languages and studied in diverse countries. Practicing that form of education has always been an interest to me. Idealistically, I hope to achieve that so that I can advocate higher level of education by suggesting, recommending, and/or creating modules that enable students to enrich their higher education experience. Similarly, I hope to write and research in the area. I would love to establish my own language learning school; however, I am not sure how to go on about that. My thesis concentrates on international education policies. I assume that I can work with higher education policies concerning international education now that my PhD is over. I have attended a number of seminars and public lectures held in or by VU, some of which I have been a speaker at. My involvement with VU has only remained at academic level. Unfortunately, I have been unable to become involved with any social platforms. The seminars and the forums I have attended were mainly about research, data analysis, data gathering, data presentation, scholarly publishing so on and so forth. |
Udani Rajapaksha
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What did you study?
I studied Master of Business Analytics (Professional) from Victoria University and graduated in 2019. What influenced your decision to enrol into a postgraduate course? In 2015, I had my first encounter with the SAP ERP system when I started an internship with Nestle Lanka PLC. At that time, I was at the verge of finishing my bachelor’s degree in International Management and Business. Upon completion of the Bachelor’s degree in 2016, I wanted to pursue a Master’s degree. I remembered how fascinated I was to work with the SAP ERP system, hence, decided to pursue education in that direction, hoping it would be a value added advantage for me to be a good business partner one day. How would you describe your academic journey? There were lots of ups and downs throughout my academic journey. But having a good group of friends with multi ethnic backgrounds and an academic staff who will go beyond the expectations to help us out with the studies; has helped me a lot to stay focused throughout both academic years. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? “Trust your instincts” is the best advice that I can recall from the postgraduate journey. Constantly reminding to believe in myself really helped me to achieve various goals in my academic as well as personal journey. What advice would you give to the current postgraduate students at Victoria University? I’d like to give them the same advice; believe in yourself. Be the change maker who thinks in a creative and innovative manner. It doesn’t matter whether all your friends are going in the opposite direction to you. If you have doubts related to your studies, clarify them with the lecturers/ tutors who will be always ready to help. What events or opportunities do you believe added to the quality of your VU experience? VU - IBM Career Mentoring Program gave me a great opportunity to meet a wonderful lady who mentored me for several months and guided me on creating a powerful resume, how to face the interviews successfully and showing the career paths that I could pursue (that I didn’t know before!). Therefore, I consider this programme as a turning point of my life. Within those two years I participated in a few workshops which helped to enhance my knowledge in SAP. Also attending those workshops has definitely helped me to widen the professional network which is very important. |
Suzanne Martin
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Suzanne Martin, PhD student in Biomechanics of Human Movement, the Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia -
The Rule of Three I attempted to complete a PhD twice. I am going to make it on the third attempt. I am a PhD student in Biomechanics of Human Movement at the Institute for Health and Sport (IHeS) at Victoria University (VU). I analyse and rehabilitate impaired walking patterns caused by neuromusculoskeletal disorders such as lower limb amputation, diabetes, and ageing. My thesis includes novel methods of walking assessment and training with visual biofeedback. I completed a bachelor's degree in Prosthetics and Orthotics in Tehran, Iran. I then worked in a clinical centre, fabricating prosthetic legs. Back at that time, I used my observation to manipulate walking patterns. I went back to university and completed a master's degree because I wanted to use technologies to assess walking patterns. Since 2004, I became interested in research on walking patterns. In 2012, I gave up my position at Iran University of Medical Sciences and moved to the University of Malaya in Malaysia. I worked as a researcher on a PhD project to investigate the effects of forefoot off-loading on balance and foot pressure distribution in diabetic patients’ walking patterns. I was in the middle of my project when I received a PhD full-scholarship from the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Melbourne. I decided to leave Malaysia and move to Australia, where I dreamed of living permanently. I enrolled at the University of Melbourne in October 2013, but for several reasons, I converted my PhD to Master of Philosophy, submitted my thesis, and moved to Victoria University in 2016. I was pleased to receive an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS), which made my life easier. My research and training experiences at Victoria University were wonderful. With the support of VU, I presented my proposal seven months from the date of my enrolment. I was a staff member in IHeS while being a member of the Student Leadership (2017-2018) and Higher Degree Research (HDR) Student Committee (2018-2020). These memberships improved my leadership skills. I have improved my interpersonal skills by coordinating my PhD project, and holding a HDR Student Conference. I have also improved my oral and written communication skills by participating in events such as conferences and a 3-minute Thesis Competition, and publishing journal articles. I signed two casual contracts: one for working as a research assistant, and the other for teaching in the institute. I was getting ready to submit my thesis at the end of my one-semester extension with scholarship, but the COVID-19 outbreak distrupted me. In February 2020, I was naturalised as an Australian by attending a citizenship ceremony. COVID-19 cases increased rapidly in late-February. Every day we were being bombarded with information on how to prepare for the pandemic. Finally, VU issued a directive that staff members were not permitted to work on campus in March. Nobody knew how long the pandemic would continue, so I applied for a one-semester extension of my study without a scholarship, knowing that my causal contracts were paused. Changing my bedroom into an office, I gained permission to take my office computer home. Every morning I made sure my daughter was connected to her classroom virtually. Then, attempting to concentrate on my work. The internet disconnected, it was recess, or my daughter needed assistance with her school work. I worked until after midnight, wearing myself out. With dwindling savings and realising some uncertainties, I applied for changing my study mode from full time to part time. This allowed me to for a Doctoral Industry Position (DIP) and a small grant with my supervisor’s support. I received a Vice-Chancellor Scholarship for DIP and received some incomes which were enough to pay my bills. Even though the COVID-19 outbreak has postponed my thesis submission, it did not stop me from developing my research and training skills. Beside of completing the DIP, I presented an abstract in the Virtual HDR Student Conference, published one article, wrote a manuscript, and completed an online course in Professional Editing and Writing at VU Polytechnic. I have had many achievements so far, but I still have one thing to go: thesis submission. Only a few weeks remain. It is scary because not many jobs in my field are available. "Things will get better. I will be fine," I murmur to myself when yet another job application becomes unsuccessful. |
Divya Sharma
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What are you studying?
I am a final year student of the Master of Business in HR and Industrial Relations program at the Victoria University Business School. I am also working on a minor thesis discussing equal employment opportunities and caste-based discrimination in the Indian workforce. What influenced your decision to enrol into a postgraduate course? I really wanted to experience living independently while studying in a new country because I was sure It would push me out of my comfort zone. I was really enthusiastic about exploring the world from a different perspective. Having grown up in 7 countries, I have also become used to changing countries often, and Australia was a country and continent I had never been to before. This excited me even more! Career prospects and excellent education opportunities were also a motivating factor because VU’s City campuses would give me access to the Central Business District. The creative liberty emphasized in the academic field here helps me learn about my area of expertise holistically. How would you describe your academic journey? I was quite nervous at the beginning of my course since I come from a background in English Literature and I was unsure about how to approach subjects with a business perspective. However, putting in consistent hard work, pursuing the program with determination, the learning hub, efficient time management and faculty support on my writing and researching skills helped me pass my units with high distinction each time. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? The best advice I received during my postgraduate journey was to network with people and exercise every day. It can be overwhelming sometimes but I promise you it will be worth it! 2020 was a challenge for everybody and moving to Melbourne in the middle of a pandemic was a huge learning experience. Self-care and attention to mental health goes an unbelievably long way and networking really helped me unearth hidden opportunities during a lockdown that would have otherwise remained unexplored. I would advice the same for the current postgraduate students at VU. Reach out to the student wellbeing and learning hub facilities. They are here for you and VU is committed to facilitating the best student experience possible. VU has so much to offer its students and just knowing these facilities are there for us makes a huge difference! What events or opportunities do you believe added to the quality of your VU experience? I have been leading an Enactus Project throughout the lockdown last year and it has helped me stay busy at home. Several other programs such as the Talent Connect Mentoring Program, Global Victoria Intellect Program, V4U Day, online cafés with the international student community, trivia nights, and student life events made my VU experience productive and fun. I am also part of the student mentor program and would highly recommend joining clubs at VU. The VU Employability team is also very helpful in preparing you for a future in the workplace of your dreams so engage in as many student activities as you can to get the best VU experience! |
Natasha Milner
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What did you study?
I have studied a Bachelor of Science at VU and now I am completing a Masters of Teaching (secondary) also at VU! What influenced your decision to enrol into a postgraduate course? During Year 12 most of my teachers commented on my ability to adapt my own understanding to re-explain content to my peers who did not fully understand the concept as shown, suggesting maybe I look into a career in Teaching. So here I am an aspiring teacher motivated by that “light bulb moment”, as students finally begin to understand a problem, they didn’t know just a few minutes before. How would you describe your academic journey? My journey has been incredible, I have had the opportunity to study deeply into my chosen study areas of mathematics and Chemistry and now I am learning how to teach those areas to students and hope that they develop a love for these subjects too. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? Starting postgrad online I haven’t really been able to talk to that many people, but the best advice I got was to seek out my CUA to talk about how to use the spaces for Teaching and the WIL platform. What advice would you give to the current postgraduate students at Victoria University? Hmm.. Probably don’t work too hard, or you’ll burn out, find that balance between work, study and social life to keep you motivated and performing at your best. What events or opportunities do you believe added to the quality of your VU experience? I have had some amazing opportunities right from the start of my degree becoming a Student Ambassador in my first year only 4 weeks into my course! Working in Student Life as the Vollies Assistant from semester two of my second year, both programs have been vital not only in learning skills but also helping me develop and grow as a person. I have also been a part of the Science Student Representatives providing feedback from my peers directly to the heads of the College of Engineering and Science. |
Celine Tsang
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I’m a postgrad student of Master in Counselling with VU. I have a business background and used to work in a financial firm as a marketer. It took me years to realize what I really liked about marketing was not exactly the branding or advertising, but the consumer psychology and behavior aspects. At the same time, my mum’s illness made me realize the importance of mental health which people often ignore or downplay. My experience has finally driven me to the counselling path that I have always been longing for.
Starting the semester as COVID kicked in got me into a very different experience from the ordinary Uni life. Since all the classes were held online, it can be challenging for the school management, lecturers, and students. We were all forced to adapt a new way to participate in class, interact and engage with other students via zoom, and maintain study quality at the same time. I have to admit online learning has its pros and cons, that in my case, a lot of the significant elements in counselling were unable to deliver. Yet, this has become a great opportunity for us to explore and utilize different technologies to learn how to help people under crisis like this. I am really grateful that there were some really experienced lecturers who provided directive guidance with great knowledge and patience. They have inspired me in many ways which not only enhance my counselling skills, but super beneficial to my self-development too! Here I would really like to honor my previous lecturers Tymur, Anna, and Sam who are dedicated, passionate, and professional in all the classes. It is my honor to participate in all your classes. VU has also established Student Mentor services as a compass for the new students. Student Mentor aims to provide new and current students with general assistance when they feel lost at any part of their Uni journey, such as who can help them with academic writing correction, or what resources are available for them, etc. As one of the student mentors, I wish to be able to assist more students as I can resonate how overwhelmed or helpless we could feel when we need to adjust to a new system or not knowing what support we are entitled to. Having the opportunity to participate in such proactive programme is a great experience. Nothing is easy, nothing is perfect; but VU’s offering has exceeded my expectation in every aspect, not just boring lecture slides playing in a commercial building. I strongly encourage everyone to explore and make full use of the opportunities and resources VU provides, because WE ONLY LIVE ONCE! |
Angeline
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What do you study?
I’m studying Masters of Teaching (Primary Education) at VU. What influenced your decision to enrol into a postgraduate course? After having done a Bachelor’s in Psychology, along with several internships and voluntary work experience in schools, I realised that I was passionate about working with children. So, I decided to pursue a career in education, and enrolled in a postgraduate course to build on my knowledge and skills. How would you describe your academic journey? I would describe my academic journey as quite adventurous, considering the challenges as well as opportunities that came along with online learning during the pandemic. While on the downside I don’t get to meet most of my classmates face-to-face, there have been several workshops and other activities online that I wouldn’t have been able to attend otherwise. In terms of online classes, I have a bunch of amazing faculty and classmates who make the online experience fun and engaging. What was the best advice you received during your postgraduate journey? One of the best advices I have received would be to participate in activities that are non-academic, in addition to course related work. Being part of other volunteering groups, multicultural workshops, personal well-being sessions, etc have helped me make friends, build my network and equip me with invaluable skills for life. What advice would you give to the current postgraduate students at Victoria University? The one advice I would give is – don’t be afraid to speak up. Your opinions, ideas and talents matter; your questions and challenges matter; so, don’t be afraid to voice. |
Tracey Penington
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Thanks for this opportunity to be part of the VUPA activities. It has been wonderful to be able to join VU and undertake a Master of Research qualification. It has been many years since I did any form of formal study, and that was during my banking career where they prefer that you complete finance papers. My professional career brings opportunities to interact with many different industries and sectors and this provided the opportunity to meet Associate Professor Shahnaz Naughton. Shahnaz was instrumental in highlighting the opportunity to undertake study, as well as supporting me with my study. To be honest it had not been anything I had ever considered as it has been many years since I had undertaken any form of formal qualification.
I have to say, I am thoroughly enjoying the experience and journey. The tutors have all been fantastic and great to hear their stories and insights. The courses are very well designed and create a great path to support the research roadmap. I have also loved meeting all the students from many different backgrounds and ‘walks of life’; as well as understanding the diverse range of topics that are being researched and studied. I am only part way through my study but have learnt so much already; combined with the wonderful support and development activities that are available, it has really opened my eyes to something I had never considered doing. Working within Industry, this opportunity has provided even more skills and insights to continue to grow my capabilities, even in the latter part of my career. Thank you again for the opportunity to be part of the VUPA activities. I can’t emphasise enough how wonderful this experience has been and how enjoyable this journey can be for all ages. ‘Lifelong learning’ is so important for everyone. |
Malaika Rao
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I’m an International student, from India, doing a Master’s in Counselling with VU. I have done my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and History from Mumbai, India. I have always been keen about the subject and had envisioned myself working with people, keeping mental health at the center of my focus which eventually led me to pursue this course for my postgrad. According to me, mental health is a very crucial topic that is not often talked about and is very easy to neglect. This is one of the major reasons that fuels me to become well-equipped with necessary skills to be able to efficiently provide counselling services in the near future.
My course started in the February of 2020 (Oh, the horror!) and I was grateful and fortunate to attend class on campus for the first three weeks, after which the lockdown set in and the whole of course delivery was shifted online. At first, it was understandably frustrating to not be able to experience UniLife as per usual but the professors at VU made the online class delivery very hassle-free for us where they would check in with the students as a group at the start of the class. Moreover, these professors were extremely knowledgeable and approachable which made it easier for me to approach them with questions regarding certain things and I could be confident that they would be able to guide me through it. Their feedbacks have helped me with my own counselling practice and made me more self-aware, allowing me to develop and enhance my skills even more. VU has this amazing facility called the International Student Support wherein you are able to chat with student advisors about anything that you may feel stuck with and they offer and encourage seeking support. I would like to give a special shoutout to Sue Oulton for how welcoming and helpful she was which made it easy for me to open up to her. Other than that, VU had also facilitated students during the peak of pandemic by offering a COVID-19 Student Support Fund Ongoing Hardship Grant in 2020 which I was able to apply for. In my opinion, keeping the ongoing situation in mind, it can be said that VU is trying to make the situation as smooth sailing as it can be for students and it is very much appreciated. The amount of effort that VU puts into ensuring that students get the best out of their course and even in general, by organizing wellbeing workshops and extracurriculars (even when online!), shows how much they care and makes the whole experience worth while. |