You started with an Advanced Diploma before moving into a bachelor's degree. What did that experience give you?
The diploma gave me a really good practical foundation. It introduced me to a lot of the fundamentals of mechanical engineering and helped confirm that engineering was something I genuinely wanted to continue pursuing.
Why did you decide to continue your studies after completing your advanced diploma?
I wanted to develop a much deeper understanding of engineering analysis, design and the theory behind mechanical systems and learn why they behave the way they do. I felt like the Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) (Honours) program would help me do that.
Mechanical engineering is also incredibly broad, so I liked knowing that completing the degree wouldn’t necessarily lock me into one particular type of job for the rest of my career.
How has studying the degree changed your understanding of engineering?
The biggest thing has been seeing how everything starts to connect.
The further I got into the degree, the more I understood how different areas of engineering work together.
Alongside studying, I also work in the engineering industry as an undergraduate production engineer, which has been really valuable because I get to see how what I learn at university translates into a real workplace.
It's shown me just how broad engineering is and how many different directions it can take you.
What have you gained outside the classroom?
I got involved in clubs from my first year and spent some time involved with the student union. That gave me a community outside of classes and introduced me to people from different backgrounds and areas of study. Through this, I was able to become the Mechanical Lead of the RMIT Rover Team – a club where we design and build a rover to compete in the Australian Rover Challenge each year.
There's a big difference between learning something in a lecture and applying it to a real project. Some of my most valuable lessons have come from when things don’t go to plan and you have to find solutions as a team. Leading the Rover Team has taught me how important it is to listen to different perspectives, communicate clearly and keep people working towards the same goal.
I think university has taught me a lot academically, but some of the things I’ll remember most are the friendships, the clubs, the late nights working on projects and the feeling of finally getting something to work after spending far too long trying to figure out why it didn’t. I've also become much more comfortable with not having all the answers. University has taught me how to ask questions, find information and keep working through challenges when the first solution doesn't work.
What's next for you?
I'd love to continue working in the engineering industry and hopefully stay with my current employer after I graduate. At the same time, I'm excited to explore where engineering might take me. It's such a broad field, which is one of the things I like most about it.
Finishing my degree doesn't really feel like the end. It feels more like the beginning.
What would you say to students who are considering further study?
Be prepared to work hard but make sure you enjoy it too.
It's easy to focus only on getting the qualification, but some of the best opportunities I've had came from getting involved in things outside the classroom. Join a club, go to events, meet people and say yes to opportunities when they come up.
I'd also tell people not to compare themselves too much to everyone around them. Most people don't have everything figured out, even if it looks that way.
You're there to learn, so ask questions, stay curious and make some good friends along the way. They make the challenging weeks much easier and the good parts of university even better.
