Humans of CUC

I have always loved learning and I knew I wanted to study at uni after school.

I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do. The whole process of picking a course and a uni was daunting. No one in my family had been to uni before or really knew how it all worked. It was very new for all of us.

The course I finally chose was a Bachelor of Science at the University of Wollongong. I moved down there, found my feet and settled into study. I majored in Medical Biotechnology and I loved the degree. As I got further through the degree, I realised that most of the jobs in the field were based in the city and I was ready to move back to my hometown. I’ve also always loved living rurally and it’s where I wanted to end up. I didn’t want to live in Sydney or Melbourne because that was the only place to get a job. So, I completed my degree and revisited my options.

I decided online study was the way to go. I applied for a Graduate Diploma in Education online through the University of New England. Just like the first time, I thought it would be a good starting point. When I started the course and was completing my practical placements in the classroom, I knew I had made the right decision. By that time, I’d had enough of living off student wages, so I worked full time while studying the course full time at night. Sometimes I look back and wonder how I did it – there were certainly a lot of very late nights and early mornings. But it helps when you know the end goal and your ‘why’.

Ten years later, I’ve started working at CUC Goulburn, and I’m back studying again. I’m now in the process of completing a Graduate Certificate in Career Development with James Cook University. I wouldn’t have even thought about going back to study until I came here. I’m now halfway through my studies and am looking forward to getting it done so I can take what I have learnt and start applying it in my real-world context.