Ashley Hill
Final year, Bachelor of Nursing
Geelong Waterfront Campus
'Deakin is an amazing place to study; it has such a community vibe and plenty of resources at your fingertips.'
After high school, I went straight into university life, scared that if I took time off, I would never go to university. As I am from a little country town in central Victoria I walked into university not knowing anyone. I have to admit it was
a bit daunting, but during Orientation Week I met other commencing students in the same course as me, and made some great friends. At the end of my first trimester, I was still unsure if I was studying the right course, but without knowing what else I would do, I kept at it. However, by the end of my first year and three weeks of clinical placement, I knew I was in the right place.
Every year, I kept telling myself I should get more involved in university life, rather than just attending my classes and then heading home. However, it wasn’t until third year that I really started to get involved in what Deakin has to offer. I helped out during Orientation Week, in welcoming commencing students to Deakin and giving them some advice and a sense of what university is all about. I was also recruited as a student ambassador, where I lead campus tours, assisted at expos and information evenings, and much more. It wasn’t until I started getting involved that I felt I was really getting everything out of university.
At the start of my degree, I thought I’d love to work with children, but 3 years on, and my plan is to complete my nursing graduate year at a Melbourne hospital in their intensive care unit. Deakin has helped me be prepared with my career pathway and has supported me through my graduate applications. Deakin is an amazing place to study; it has such a community vibe and plenty of resources at your fingertips and everyone is involved in some way. So my piece of advice to leave you with is to get involved, and get involved from the start, don’t wait till your final year like me, as you will regret it. Good luck!!
