Jonathan
The best thing about living on campus is that everything's just so close. I have a bike, so I ride everywhere and it only takes me minutes to get to lectures and classes.
I'm studying the BPPE/JD vertical double degree, that's a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics and Juris Doctor. I couldn't make a choice in Year 12 so I thought, what's the broadest degree I can take?
We study four different fields. This variety is what I find most enjoyable and most challenging about my degree.
I'm from Perth. Not many people from Perth think about coming to ANU, but when I first heard about it, I was sold.
It's one of the best universities in Australia and it's in the nation's capital, which is particularly important considering the degree I'm studying. And I managed to get a Tuckwell Scholarship - that was a big selling point.
One of the greatest things about the Tuckwell Scholarship is that we get to meet so many people. I've met Tony Abbott and we'll soon meet Peter Cosgrove. We meet them at a morning tea or during a conversation, so we get to know them quite well as people. When I met Tony Abbott, we talked about morality in politics, and equity and equality and how politicians can work to make that happen - so quite in-depth conversations.
I live at Burgmann College. The best thing about living on campus is that everything's just so close. I have a bike, so I ride everywhere and it only takes me minutes to get to lectures and classes.
It was only when I got here that I realised that the campus is also very beautiful, especially during autumn. I couldn't really tell that from photos I'd seen.
I'm involved in a long list of clubs and societies. I'm also involved in the ANU Student Research Conference being held next semester during O-Week. The conference will take a look at different theses and abstracts presented by ANU students. Another project I'm involved with is called Refocus which is a group dedicated to making contemporary leaders accessible to high school and university students.
Even though I've got a lot on my plate, strangely enough it's my extracurricular activities that help me keep up with things. Otherwise I'd feel swamped with work!
Although Canberra is far away, it's a fantastic opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and do something different. I've told my younger friends back in Perth that ANU is one of the best universities in Australia, so just go for it!
Jonathan has since graduated from the university.
