Dyllon Jia Jun Tan - Malaysia, 5 February, 2024
I love a challenge and want to experience something totally different by stepping out of my comfort zone. The choice fell on living overseas and studying in a culture that I’m not used to, which has been my dream for a long time. I’ve always had the desire to come to Australia as I love the scenery and the people and it’s also close to my home country if I want to go home and visit.
I’ve heard about QUT and all the big projects they were involved in, such as the multibillion-dollar project of the Queens Wharf area in Brisbane city, all the facilities such as the Centre for Data Science and the many real-world interactions with industry, which made my choice easy. I decided to study data science as it has the best of both worlds, science and commerce, which opens many opportunities and choices for me career-wise.
Studying at QUT
I attended the Orientation Welcome week which really helped me settle into university. I took the campus tour to learn the whereabouts of uni, and the faculty orientations were great as I got to meet many new friends from my course, both domestic and international students. I also got the opportunity to join some student clubs, take in the atmosphere of the uni and sample all the great food on offer during the week. I highly recommend students to attend this week as it gives you a great start to your uni life.
I really enjoy studying at QUT and there is no hard pressure beyond what you put on yourself. I feel at ease and keen to learn given that the academic pressure is not as tense as it is in my home country, which is good as I’m able to learn better. What I like about QUT is that they offer you lots of practical assessments and experiences, which is a great advantage to have once entering the workforce.
My uni highlights
I joined the QUT Innovation Catalyst program with QUT Entrepreneurship and it was absolutely mind blowing. I learnt so much during those six weeks and I can say it has been the best highlight so far. During the six weeks, I was put into a team where we had to come up with a solution to a real-world problem presented by Coca-Cola Europacific Partner (CCEP) and QUT. The best ideas with the best pitches were selected by representatives of both institutions on the last week and it will continue into the next stage where CCEP will reward the winners $10,000 to develop a prototype of the product. I’ve learnt a lot about teamwork, networking and business skills, which has been very valuable for me. At the end of program, as the points were very close, three teams, my team included, were chosen by the judges to continue into the next stage. It’s so exciting and I can’t wait to take the next step and see where it will lead me.
I also enjoy that we have so much practical experience interwoven into our curriculum which helps us put theory into practice. In one of my programming units, we had to code a game from scratch. It was the most challenging thing I have done so far, but to be able to overcome that challenge and obtain a good grade in the end felt truly rewarding and satisfying.
QUT offers us numerous opportunities to network with industry and provides us with real world case studies, which are incredibly fun and intriguing. One of the industry lectures that I remember vividly is one with Queensland’s Chief Scientist Bronwyn Harch. She gave me great insights into the world of academia and the industry, which has helped me make some key decisions for my future career.
Student life
As I got my offer from QUT, I had the honour to receive the International Merit Scholarship, which enabled me to get reduced fees if I met the criteria set. As part of the scholarship, you also get membership into the College of Excellence. This club meets regularly by hosting events and social gatherings, a fantastic way to meet likeminded peers. I’m also a member of BANDS, which is a business analytics and data science club. They offer students various events, such as networking, industry nights, and coffee catch-ups with companies such as PwC and Suncorp, where you can get more insights into the industry with the staffs sharing their learning experiences.
I’m also a member of AIESEC, which is a global youth leadership organisation that works to promote youth leadership. It’s a great way to meet new friends, learn new skills and cultivate leadership. I’m now also the Vice President of Talent Management for the club, which means I’m responsible for the members experience in the club by assisting the president and ensuring that members have the best experience under the management and guidance of other vice presidents. Due to the global pandemic things has changed for the club and our current goal is now to bring AIESEC in QUT back to its past excellence. Meeting new people as well as learning what it takes to become a good leader has been an enjoyable and fulfilling experience.
When I’m studying, I like to go to the Gardens Point library and the law library. It’s quiet and comfortable environment, a great place to focus on my studies or chill leisurely. When I’m not busy studying, I hang out with my girlfriend and friends, we cook together and have a chat.
Living in Brisbane
I find living in Brisbane very different compared to my home country Malaysia. The architecture of the skyscrapers and neo-classical buildings around the city, the breeze of fall and the leftover chills of late winter, the close proximity to the beaches of Gold Coast and the breathtaking violet sunsets, are the reasons I find living in Brisbane a pleasant experience. People are also very friendly and if you need any help, they are always happy to assist you.
When I first arrived in Brisbane, I got picked up at the Brisbane airport by the QUT airport pick up service, which was very convenient. I had already made prior booking for staying at Scape student accommodation, where I lived for the first six months. It was very good as a starting place as there were many international students to interact with, lots of free facilities to use and the proximity to uni was perfect. Now, I’ve moved into a share house with my girlfriend and couple of other friends. The convenient public transport in Brisbane has been very hand.
My advice
My advice to students coming here would be to step out of your comfort zone. It’s not easy to settle into a new country as you are away from your family and friends, away from familiar culture and the comfort of home, but if you don’t take the chance, you’ll never develop and learn. It felt scary at first, but then I met new friends at uni and where I was staying, new life and routines slowly developed, and it all turned out great. Be open minded and don’t be terrified to take on new challenges and learn something new, in the end that’s the reason you decided to go overseas, so don’t miss this unique opportunity. I’m yet to discover the path I’m to take, and I believe everyone feels similarly uncertain during their early 20’s, but one foot in front of the other with growing courage, I trust that we’ll eventually have things figured out.
