Why did you choose the University of Melbourne?
As the University of Melbourne is located in the heart of Melbourne, known to be a safe and vibrant city, I knew that UoM was definitely my ultimate choice when it comes to deciding which university I want to go to.
I wanted to study at the University of Melbourne because of the quality of teaching and curriculum, and the flexibility around choosing different subjects would mean that I could explore different courses and options outside my core study area. This piqued my interests and allowed me to develop my understanding on different fields.
Students from different cultures in the University of Melbourne helped enrich my learning experience and interacting with them made me realize that UoM is not only the place for learning but also developed my communicating skills with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
What inspires you about studying Food Science?
I have always been interested in the area of Food Science ever since I stumbled upon an article about "The challenges in feeding 10 billion people by 2050". Upon reading this article, I wanted to be a part of solving this challenging – and I knew studying Food Science would be a good place to start. The main reason is that by undertaking this undergraduate course, it could provide a pathway for me to dive deeper into this field and contribute to make changes for the better future. Since the University of Melbourne has been widely known for delivering excellent teaching, especially its Science department, it has further encouraged me to experience this myself.
What has been your favourite experience as a student?
The supportive academic staff have been really motivating for me to excel in my studies. They’ve able to give me valuable feedback that would help me improve myself as well as giving support and encouragement for me to aim and achieve higher.
I’ve been able to meet a wonderful group of friends from different cultures and backgrounds that’s allowed me to learn about communicating to skills and being a versatile person as I learn other people’s cultures and customs.
I am also fortunate enough to join different university clubs such as Science Students Society (SSS) and Food Interest Group (FIG) which definitely made my university experience even more amazing. These clubs gave me the chance to meet friends with similar interests and develop lifelong friendships. I am definitely privileged to also enjoy the excellent facilities offered by UoM such as the libraries, laboratories, and classrooms have been designed to ensure that students get to enjoy and maximize students’ experience as a science students at the University of Melbourne.
What advice would you give someone interested in studying science?
I think that for international students like me, there could be a lot of anxiety and stress around adjusting to the new environment both living in a new country as well as university life in general. However, I realized that there have always been a lot of support services provided by the University of Melbourne to alleviate these common stresses experienced by students such as the Stop 1 support service and the University of Melbourne Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS).
It is important to also understand the curriculum offered by the University of Melbourne. In your first year, don’t be afraid to do different subjects so you can get a good understanding of different majors and fields to find out what suits you. You’ll have so many opportunities so it’s okay for students who are indecisive about their major. There are support services at Stop 1 if you’re not sure about your study plan and to make sure that you have everything set up for your journey at Melbourne.
I’d recommend that when you come to Melbourne, always be engaged with different university clubs to help make friends with similar interests and connect with people of common purpose.
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What are your plans after university?
I definitely feel prepared to work in the Food Science field. I’m currently doing an internship in one of the food companies in Indonesia as a Quality Control Officer so I feel that I’ve learned many useful things that I can apply to my work.
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