Ashleigh Vella
Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
What three pieces of advice would you give your first year self?
- Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. They were often the best career opportunities and propelled my learning the most.
- Don't put off what you can do today until tomorrow. In other words start every assignment the day it is released and start revising course material before SWOTVAC.
- Never miss a lecture, never miss a due date and never miss a party.
What will you miss about UQ?
Nothing, I'm not leaving UQ. I'm hoping to do postgraduate study to obtain a PhD in psychology. However, I think I will miss seeing my friends in lectures and tutorials every day.
How do you think a friend/lecturer/tutor who knows you well would describe you?
I would like to think people would describe me as conscientious, ambitious and a bit of a control freak.
Amanda Lin
Bachelor of Dental Science (Honours)
What three pieces of advice would you give your first year self?
- Make the most of every opportunity, and if it doesn’t exist, don’t be afraid to try and create it! There are incredible staff and resources ready to support your ambitions.
- Avoid being overly stressed about studying, and take in each moment. First year is certainly the least stressful, so go out and explore Brisbane, the beautiful UQ grounds, and make lots of wonderful friends.
- Get to know others outside of your specific School, perhaps through other clubs and societies. The more we get to know others, the more we may come to know ourselves as well.
What will you miss about UQ?
I will really miss my dear dental student community that I’ve come to know and love. We are lucky to be a small cohort so we got to know each other very quickly. I thank this community for supporting me in all my enthusiasm during my time. I will miss seeing many of these lovely individuals as frequently.
I will also miss many of our staff who have been dedicated to seeing us graduate with a positive educational experience. In times of stress, many have come equipped with sage advice and insightful stories to provide us the perspective we needed.
How do you think a friend/lecturer/tutor who knows you well would describe you?
I think I’d be described as being very motivated for my passion projects, to the point that they can be concerned about the amount of sleep I’m getting. However, they know that I must love whatever has been keeping me up! I might also be regarded as an enthusiastic event organiser and guest hustler. No one is safe from me encouraging them to come along to a social, academic or industry opportunity! While I may be serious at times, I am always ready to enjoy the moment, and to point out any and all dogs that approach our vicinity.
Carl Francia
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)
What three pieces of advice would you give your first year self?
- Listen
- Play
- Sleep more.
2. What will you miss about UQ?
My UQ physio family including academic staff.
3. How do you think a friend/lecturer/tutor who knows you well would describe you?
Dedicated and committed to study and always quick to share a laugh.
Elizabeth Kehoe
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
What three pieces of advice would you give your first year self?
a) Don't be so hard on yourself when things don't go the way you planned or you don't get the marks that you wanted. You honestly won't remember the mistakes that you made but you will remember how you chose to come back from them. So be willing to learn and grow from these moments and you will become a better therapist.
b) Make friends with the people doing your degree (and not just for the group assignments). The next four years are going to be tough but it is all possible because you will choose to surround yourself with people who inspire, support and challenge you to achieve your goals.
c) Don't forget to take care of yourself. Seize every opportunity that comes your way but make sure you take the time to slow it down a little bit, pat your dog and have a tea with mum and dad. It may not feel like there is any spare time to do this, but there is - there always is.
What will you miss about UQ?
What won't I miss about UQ! I got to see my friends everyday, learn from the very best in my field and drink too much coffee from Darwins. If I wasn't going into my dream career I would be refusing to leave. I think the thing I will miss the most about UQ is all of the opportunities that I was provided. I am so thankful that I became involved in Clubs and Societies through the Occupational Therapy Students Association as it really showed me how much UQ puts back into their students.
3. How do you think a friend/lecturer/tutor who knows you well would describe you?
I think that they would describe me as someone who can't sit still. I seem to always be doing something with my spare time and chasing new opportunities. I have a quote on my bedroom wall that reads, ‘she believed she could, and so she did.’ I like to think that those who know me best would describe me as someone who knows what she wants and is not afraid to go after it.
Stephanie Davidson
Bachelor of Nursing
What three pieces of advice would you give your first year self?
The first piece of advice that I would give my first year self is that there is no substitute for a good night sleep. Although sometimes it's hard to avoid the allure of leaving everything to the last minute, you'll perform much better on exams and assignments if you're well rested and well prepared!
The second, is to make sure you participate in the social aspect of university life. This is something I didn't start to do until the end of my second year, and I regret that I didn't make the effort earlier! Although the academic aspect is important, you can meet some incredible friends through uni who you may one day be your future colleagues!
The third, is don't be afraid to ask questions. This sounds cliché, but it can definitely be daunting to approach your lecturers or ask questions in front of others. At the end of the day, your ability to learn is only hindered by yourself, so ask all the questions you need to.
What will you miss about UQ?
Aside from the absolutely beautiful university grounds, I'll miss the lecturers and tutors who have been there for a lot of the journey. Some of them in particular have become more than just my lecturers and are now friends who I look forward to working with in the future.
Although I'm excited to be heading into the workforce upon graduation, I'll also miss the opportunities and experiences that were on offer as students. Through UQ, I was given the opportunity to travel to Nepal for one month for clinical placement, and to Sweden as a participant of a Universitas 21 Summer School. I wouldn’t have had these chances if it wasn’t for the incredible staff at UQ who work hard to provide us with opportunities to extend our learning!
How do you think a friend/lecturer/tutor who knows you well would describe you?
My friends would probably say that although I'm quite introverted at times, when it came to final exam time, I loved to get everyone together to study, share the load, and exchange knowledge. A lecturer that knows me well would likely say that I'm studious and take pride in the work that I do, but that I also know how to have fun as well!