Lavinia

ANU & your degree

I found that the transition from High School to University… was aided by taking a year off to travel and work overseas. This gave me the opportunity to consider what my interests were, outside of the pressures of high school and living in Canberra. I found that I came back with renewed interest in issues of development and international relations, and provided me with some important skills to be able to adapt to different academic and social environments. 

I chose ANU… because of the diversity and breadth of courses offered. As well as being recognised internationally, the ANU offers what I think are fascinating opportunities to specialise in issues of environmental sustainability, environmental policy, and the anthropology of third world development. 

I chose my degree… because it offered the opportunity to choose a range of subjects. Leaving college, I had little idea of what I wanted to do at university. A double degree has allowed me to follow a variety of interests and, over a period of four years, find which majors best suited my personal priorities and goals. 

I went on exchange to… break up the four years of my degree, and experience studying and living in a new cultural environment. After three years at ANU, I was keen to branch out and have a change of pace. Studying at UCLA gave me an insight into how other university environments work, meet a wide range of international students, and study some interesting subjects on American sub-cultures that are not available in Australia. 

In five years... I’m not sure where I will be, but I hope to use the research, analytical and social skills I have developed at the ANU to work overseas in foreign aid and development. In many respects, graduating university presents more choices for me than it consolidates, but I think a strong grounding in these basic skills is fundamental to providing ANU students with the opportunity to succeed in a range of national and international contexts, and different professions. 

As a student

My average day as a student… involves going to class in the morning, socialising with friends over a lunch-time coffee, and working part time during the evenings. The main draw-card of university has been the flexibility to not only study, but tailor my timetable each semester to other professional and personal interests I have. 

Advice

My advice to prospective students considering ANU… is that attending class is only one aspect of the university experience. From discussions with my friends; it is having the flexibility to work part time, join student interest groups, play sport for the ANU, and study field school courses that has made their university experience stand out. 

My motto is...that I don’t have one! I think life is what you want to make of it, everyone’s experiences at university will differ. I believe the ANU provides the personal and academic tools for students to pursue their own interests, be it geography field schools in Vietnam, or working with ANU Green on campus sustainability projects. If you are a committed and enthusiastic student, the opportunities are out there!

Lavinia has since graduated from the university.