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University of Sydney (USYD)

  • 36% international / 64% domestic

Rebecca Chin

Extra consultation with lecturers was also available by appointment which I sometimes utilised.

What did you study at undergraduate level and when did you graduate? What are you studying now? Are you studying and working at the same time?

I studied Bachelor of Nursing and graduated in 2006. And completed my Master's of Marketing at 2011 at the University of Sydney. I was just working a part time job at Woolworths whilst studying both degrees (about 15hrs a week)

What have been the most important stages of your life?

High school was pivotal for me as I formed solid relationships with people who I still keep up with today. University life however really gave me a true sense of independence as I learnt to do things by myself, get a job and juggle the many spheres of my life - family, work, uni, friends, church. It was also a time where I found out my values.

How did you get to your current (or most recent) job position and for how long have you occupied it (if applicable)?

My current job (HSBC) in data analytics was attained through a friend who recommended me. Been there for 3 years

What made you decide to progress with further study? 

Whilst I did enjoy my time in the health industry, I felt that it didn't challenge my thinking. In addition, I wanted to expand my skill sets and have more options regarding my career path. It was also recommended by a family friend who was working in finance to pursue postgrad study.

How did you choose your particular further study course (compared to others)? Were you weighing up any alternative degrees or career pathways before choosing this qualification?

I've always been interested in marketing. I enjoy persuading people and am personally quite a driven person. When I commenced my undergrad, I always had this field of interest in my mind. When I spoke to some people who were working in the commerce field, most of them encouraged me to pursue my interest.

What was the process to get accepted into your course? What were the prerequisites?

Submitted my uni results - needed a credit average. Had to fill in a form online that asked about my previous study. Had to wait about 3 months to see whether I got accepted into the course or not. It was quite an efficient process and didn't have any problems.

What does your study involve? Can you describe a typical day? (if it’s difficult to describe a typical day, tell us about the last thing you worked on?)

Lectures and tutorial classes. Usually 10 hours of individual study per week. Sometimes there were large waiting times before lectures and tutorials which meant that I had a lot of free time to complete assignments or meet up with people. Extra consultation with lecturers was also available by appointment which I sometimes utilised.

Will this course be beneficial in your career? Where could you or others in your position go from here? Please explain your answer.

Bachelor of nursing - quite easy to get a government job post uni.
Marketing - it was quite challenging to get an internship as there are a lot of graduates. A lot of people have differing experiences and backgrounds which makes the competition more tough. I probably submitted over 50 applications before I got a handful of callbacks.

What do you love the most about your course?

Flexibility - lectures are recorded online. The tutorial classes are quite small and engaging which aided the learning process. The teachers were all industry trained which helped make the issues we discussed more relatable. People were passionate about what they were learning and keen to share experiences as there was an older crowd.

What are the limitations of your course?

The tutorial times were very limited. This consequently required me to cancel some of my personal commitments to do the course. In addition, the wait between lectures and tutorials was sometimes as long as four hours which meant there was a lot of time to kill. Our lectures were mostly recorded however!

Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current undergraduate student? They don’t necessarily have to be related to your studies, or even to one’s professional life. 

  1. You are never bound to what you first study.
  2. Learn from the mistakes and lessons of those older than you
  3. Relational skills are often more important than knowledge!