Bryce Halloran, 18 January, 2022
Bryce Halloran has found success studying a course that matters to him.
I am a passionate advocate for good mental health. I love the mind, the brain and how complex it is. I have endured significant hardships in the past due to having Asperger’s and undiagnosed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Life is challenging when you’re lost in your own head. I never finished secondary education, held consistent employment, or even thought of a career path.
Going through adulthood with these issues became extremely tiring, especially when you feel like you’ve exhausted your options. I ultimately reached out for professional help. It’s been almost three years since I’ve experienced life-changing treatment. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 24 and was given medication. The first day of my treatment was indescribable––it was like I could think for the first time.
Within the first six months, I enrolled into TAFE to complete an Adult Tertiary Preparation (ATP) course. During my time at TAFE, I experienced the thrill of “giving it a go” and learning. I chose psychology as an elective, simply because I was curious to learn something about myself. My first psychology essay at TAFE hit me with a feeling I never felt before: a sense of deep appreciation for a discipline. Eventually, I completed my ATP course, and with high academic merit.
QUT was the only institution that gave me a chance. I am a Wiradjuri man and I was accepted through the Centralised Assessment and Selection Program (CASP). I frequently communicate with the Oodgeroo Unit through Keystones tutoring. The unit supports Indigenous students with a range of services. I also use the Oodgeroo Unit’s facilities as a quiet, low-stimuli study zone after-hours.
I was also offered a QAS Indigenous Scholarship in my second semester. The financial support has been extremely helpful. As I have difficulty in managing multiple major commitments at once (i.e., working while studying), my financial stability is not always the greatest and can make an impact on my mental and physical wellbeing. I study 7 days a week, so having that safety-net is important.
The greatest highlights of uni so far have been co-founding a student support network with QUT Guild called Autism Connection Empowerment and meeting some life-long mentors in cognitive psychology. In my second semester, I somehow managed to get a GPA of 7.0 for each of my 4 units before exams, ultimately resulting in a semester GPA of 6.0. Even though I struggle with exams, I am still proud of those grades.
It’s unreal to think all of these have happened in such a small amount of time. The fact that I can demonstrate my newfound ability to learn, achieve and succeed is incredible, given that I have a whole two-and-a-half years of education under my belt. I still have a long way to go but I feel obligated to become a psychiatrist, to pass on the second chance I was given to someone else––to help someone in the way I was helped.
I chose to study psychology because it takes one to know one.
