Reflections of a Penultimate Year Student

I’ve always been interested in Media studies, but I never felt passionate about the subject until my first day attending the Swinburne University Hawthorn campus.

Having spent the last 5 years in the workforce, I was looking forward to indulging my fantasies of student life – drinks with friends at the Hammer and Swine and relaxing on the evergreen Wakefield lawn.

My first lecture was in Video Production Practice where my classmates and I were encouraged by our resourceful lecturer Andrew to leave the classroom and explore our vast surroundings.

The assigned task was to find and capture on film 26 distinct objects – each resembling a different letter of the alphabet. I remember scouring the campus for an elusive ‘Q’ shape and loving how the assignment challenged my perspective, forcing me to think creatively and search for unique solutions to the problem at hand.

This experience really sparked my passion for Media & Communications, helping me to recognise the infinite tools a content creator has available to tell a meaningful story.

I’ve always believed the familiar adage, “Everyone has a story to tell” and I love how my studies have empowered me to develop the necessary skills to effectively convey the depth of some of the powerful stories that I have heard, as well as my own story, to contemporary audiences.

I really enjoy the excitement of studying Media at Swinburne and have done my best to immerse myself in student life – from creating social content for Swinburne Student Life, swimming at the

Hawthorn Aquatic Centre (for free!) to experimenting with fancy (and very expensive!) gear from the Swinburne Media Store.

My time at Swinburne has been unreal and I couldn’t recommend the degree more highly. Although I am nervous about graduating at the end of this year, I’m excited about my next challenge and finding a graduate role that matches my skill set and passions.

Looking forward to seeing you in the wide world,

Ann Nguyen

Current Student