Alison Musgrove

Graduate, Bachelor of Writing and Literature

Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus

'Deakin is a fantastic place to study, not just because of the courses, but because of the whole student experience. Get involved, and you will be rewarded!'

After taking a gap year from VCE, I was apprehensive about going back to full-time study. All of my friends from secondary school were either in their second year of uni or on an apprenticeship, leaving me to go to Orientation Week a lone ranger. In my first year I did nothing but work and study, and I did not enjoy being at uni. It wasn’t until my second year of uni that I began to get involved and make friends.

Volunteering at Orientation Week and encouraging other students to get involved, I asked myself ‘Why aren’t I doing this?’. At this, I decided to cut back my hours at my part-time job, and started working for
the DSL (Division of Student Life). It was difficult, but I managed to find a balance, instead of just working all the time. I also moved out of home, with the assistance of the Off-campus Housing Service, into a share house across the road from uni (saving on my petrol and parking costs). I started meeting friends at DUSA events, such as the Coffee Crawl, and also made time to catch up with classmates after class, to have a coffee and whinge about assignments! It was because of this that uni became a lot less stressful, my marks improved, and I began enjoying myself.

I started out with a career in journalism in mind, but since decided that editing is my field. I have completed a double major in creative writing and literature, and a minor in international relations. As a part of my international relations study, I had the opportunity to travel to India, and experience an utterly awesome and mind-boggling culture, some very strange and spicy foods, and achieved one of my lifelong dreams: seeing the Taj Mahal with my own eyes.

One of the most rewarding involvements in my degree was becoming an editor of the Verandah journal. This year-long project allowed me to gain experience in the publishing and editing industry, to network with publishers and also other editors and writers. Not to mention that there is now a beautiful book sitting on my coffee table, with my name on the inside cover!My plans for the future are unclear, but I know that they will heavily revolve around writing and travel; I’m so excited. Deakin is a fantastic place to study, not just because of the courses, but because of the whole student experience. Get involved, and you will be rewarded!