Student profile

Bachelor of Commerce, Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, 2012

Currently: Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus

If a university degree was talked about in football terms, Shaun Chung-Buckland would have notched up several best and fairest awards and leading goal kicker. After beginning a Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin Waurn Ponds in 2010, Shaun was awarded a Gordon Council academic scholarship for outstanding academic achievement in the first year of study, plus best student in the subject Economic Principles.

Later came two more individual subject awards and the Geoff Nielson prize for best commerce student commencing third year. He has now completed the 24 credit points of the degree with an outstanding 22 high distinctions and two distinctions

Shaun has taken a roundabout route to the world of finance. He spent two years studying engineering and five in the hospitality field. 'I started washing dishes and ended up as an assistant manager,' he explains. 'Then I realised there is only so far you can go without a piece of paper.' Heading to Deakin's open day, he had no fixed idea on courses, he says, but he clearly has found his niche. 'I looked at science, commerce and double degrees but both my parents are in the accounting/financial planning area so I think it's in the blood. I absolutely love it.'

Shaun has been extremely happy with the level of teaching in his course. And, after moving from his Melbourne home to Geelong to study, he has enjoyed life at the Waurn Ponds campus.

'All the lecturers know me by name and we chat whenever I see them around campus,' he says. We have good relationships with them and you can always ask them for help.' The content of the course has also been to Shaun's liking. 'Every unit I have studied I have enjoyed. It's been incredible.'

With the academic requirements of his final year completed, Shaun headed to Jakarta to undertake an internship, an opportunity presented to him via a Deakin lecturer. 'One of the finance lecturers runs his own business, International Internships, and is on the committee of the Australia-Indonesia Business Council,' he says. 'He made the contact and I had two telephone interviews to get the position.'

Over two months, the internship will see Shaun familiarise himself with the ANZ's procedures. He is undergoing a credit training course, learning how to identify risks to the bank, how to mitigate and how to properly document those risks - 'basically a lending guide applicable to commercial, corporate and institutional clients'.

The internship will cover units that will contribute to the Honours year Shaun will continue in 2013. He has completed four major areas of study: Economics, Finance, International Trade and Quantitative Business Analysis, and is keen to get into the banking or private equity sector.

'I am interested in analysis and performance - the quantitative side, looking at trends and trying to make money for clients. Commerce is a really diverse course and there are a lot of opportunities there - it is not just based on accounting.'

Shaun's advice to new students is to make the decision to commit to the task ahead. 'You have to have a mind frame and a commitment to university because it is a big change from school. If you do well, it opens up opportunities and people are willing to help you.' He cites the research work he is doing for a professor as an example. 'He asked me because he knows I am committed.'