University: A Worthwhile Experience University of Western Sydney - UWS
- Dana QuaderAustralia
- University of Western Sydney - UWS, Australia
- Bachelor of Business and Commerce (Advanced Business Leadership)
- Undergraduate Degree
- 2010
My experience at University of Western Sydney has been fantastic! I've enjoyed every semester I've been here so far and no matter how stressful it is sometimes, I can always look back at every semester and think "Gee that was fun!". I love learning and meeting new people and uni allows me to do both. I did an Advanced Diploma of Accounting at TAFE prior to coming to university and I really enjoyed that too. TAFE is a bit different to uni though as uni is more demanding, however they both provide you with invaluable skills and knowledge and the opportunity to meet different people from all different nationalities and age groups. My advice to anyone thinking of taking on tertiary studies is go for it! Its such a great experience and you gain so much. More and more employees these days are prefer to hire people with diplomas and degrees, so you would also be adding more credibility to your resume. However, as fun as university can be, there is a lot of work involved. Be prepared to work hard and choose your course wisely. I can't imagine anything worse than studying a degree you hate.
Getting in to university was quite a lengthy process for me. I finished my HSC in 2006 and I didn't do that well so I was not able to gain admission into any of the courses I wanted to do. I really wanted to do a business and commerce degree and major in accounting, however my marks would not allow me. I didn't let that stop me though, I went and enrolled myself in a Advanced Diploma of Accounting course (2 year course) at my local Randwick TAFE, worked extremely hard and when I finished in 2008 I applied for university and got into University of Western Sydney Parramatta in the Bachelor of Business and Commerce (Advanced Business Leadership) course. I was so happy because not only did I get into the course I wanted, I got into the Advanced Degree which requires a mark of above 90 to get into if you were to apply straight after school! I never thought one day I'd get the opportunity to study such an elite degree. Once I got in, accepting the offer and enrolling was a piece of cake! The hardest part is usually choosing what you want to do and worrying about whether you will get accepted, but once your in, your in, and the rest you can do with a smile on your face because the hardest part is over.
I was lucky enough to receive a Commonwealth Equity Scholarship valued at $2,207 p.a because I receive youth allowance. I received an email telling me I was eligible to apply and so I did and I got it. It has helped me with purchasing textbooks as well as buying bus tickets. I have along way to travel to get to uni so travel expenses for me is higher than usual. Students, should keep an eye out for theses things, and apply.
I love my course! I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't like it. The best part about what I'm studying Accounting, is that it makes sense to me and I know that finding a job in this field won't be too hard as accounting is such big field especially in Australia. Also, the Advanced Business Leadership degree I'm doing offers these extra electives which are really insightful. I'm doing one of them now called Frontiers of Business Theory and Analysis and in it we look at all these contemporary business issues which I find to be quite interesting! Also the ABL course always has all these workshops for ABL students, I'm actually attending one soon about Public Speaking which sounds like something I'll benefit from. As for tutors and lecturers I'm happy to say I've had more good than bad. The good ones make the subject much easier to understand and study, whereas the bad ones make it difficult. However, I believe that at the end of the day its up to you to study hard and make the best of the subject regardless of whether the tutor is good or bad because after all, most of uni is individual learning anyway.
When I first arrived at University of Western Sydney, I loved the natural look of it. I find it really green with all the trees and grassy areas and I love how we have a beautiful river. Also, I appreciate heritage buildings and was happy to learn we had a heritage listed female orphan school building on our campus. There were few facilities, there was only round two cafes and few places to sit, but when I came back for Autumn semester in 2010, they had opened a subway, more cafe kiosks, a new bakehouse cafe (which became the official hangout for my friends and I) and they had renovated the Riverside bar & cafe overlooking the Parramatta River and it now looks spectacular! There are also more places to sit down and eat now as well. What's so nice about UWS Parramatta as well is that because its so new, everything looks so sleek and polished. Also, something I constantly tell people about my uni amongst other things is how clean our toilets are! As for the people, they have been great! I have a group of tight knit friends and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet people this nice. I haven't joined any clubs, however I have recently accepted an invitation to join the Golden Key International Honorary Society which has been a great privilege. I'm looking forward to attending the new member reception in October!
Yes, most certainly! I recently got a job as a junior accountant at a local boutique accounting firm because of the fact I'm studying an accounting degree. This job has shown me how accounting is actually practiced in the real world and has taught me things beyond the pages of a textbook. I recommend that all uni students especially those in their second or third year of uni to start applying for jobs or vacation work in their field to give them an insight of what they will be doing once they have finished uni.
