Study commitment inspires bright future

A traineeship at a local accountancy firm gave her an insight as to where her life could go, and a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in accounting from the Deakin University Warrnambool Campus has firmly set her on the right path to success.

When she started her accountancy traineeship, Nicole mainly worked as a receptionist but was kept in the loop about the business. “Because it was a small firm, they taught me a lot and I decided it was something that I like,” she said.

In 2008 Nicole came to Warrnambool to work with Crowe Howarth as an accountant’s assistant. “It was a nice sea change and I could see that Crowe Howarth was a growing firm that offered a lot of services,” she said.

Nicole had studied an online diploma in accountancy but Crowe Howarth suggested she get a degree so investigated the options at Deakin.

“Once I had the job in Warrnambool and with the facilities here at Deakin I decided to commit to study,” she said. “I could get some units credited and I had the flexibility to do it off-campus and part-time so I started in 2012,” she said.

While studying in the cloud, Nicole continued to work at Crowe Howarth and gave birth to two children but still managed to graduate in Warrnambool this year. “Now I’ve stopped studying I don’t know where I found the time to fit it all in, but it was all worth it.”

Now working as a senior accountant, Nicole said her mode of study suited her needs. “Getting assignments, reading notes and answering questions suits my style of learning better than being in a lecture,” she said. “I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything, except the class environment.

“I did everything online but knowing I could go out to the Deakin Campus here in Warrnambool was great. Everything was easy on the cloud and the support from other online students and on chat boards was really helpful.

“To fit everything into my life, this was the best way to go.”

Nicole, 30, has children aged three and one, but has been bitten by the study bug and wants to take another step forward and start her CPA in 2017.

“Having the degree gives me more confidence and has inspired me to keep learning,” she said.