Stephen

I decided to come to ANU because it is such a highly renowned university with an international profile and has a great campus here in the heart of Canberra. I chose to study Arts and Law as they each open up so many possibilities and allow a lot of flexibility for me to pursue my interests and take advantage of all ANU has to offer. 

I was surprised at the incredible range of options and the number of different programs there are within the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences. My favourite thing about ANU is the opportunity to engage with dedicated and committed staff, who are experts in their field, and being able to take advantage of the incredible opportunities available. 

I was lucky enough to be able to take part in the Washington Internship in early 2014 where I spent 6 weeks in America with five other ANU students. We each interned in different offices in Congress. I worked with Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer, a Congressman from Missouri. I was pinching myself each day I was there. Every morning I walked past Capitol Hill on the way to work. Everything is so grand, and there are so many people buzzing around. While I was there I researched legislation, sat in on meetings and committees, took citizens on tours of the Capitol, and attended Congressional briefs and hearings. It was really interesting because I got into the nitty-gritty of the policies and specific bills that were happening. Writing letters too, I had to research the issue and come up with a proper response with what the congressman was going to do.

It was an incredible opportunity and we were able to make the most of our time in DC seeing all the tourist attractions and even took a trip to New York! When we arrived back for the semester, I undertook a research task on American politics, completing a paper and presentation that counted as two classes toward my degree.

I’m currently half way through my combined degrees, and at this stage I’m quite keen to look at some post-graduate study in the School of Politics and International Relations once I’ve finished my courses.

For anyone considering ANU, I highly recommend it as a great place with wonderful and challenging opportunities to pursue your studies. I’d strongly encourage any students to check out ANU courses online and come along to the campus. I’m sure like me, you’ll discover just how great ANU is and what fantastic opportunities there are waiting for you.

Stephen has since graduated from the university.