| Jason O'Toole JCU Management student.
I'm interested in a career in human resources, working with people. What I like about the course is that it lets you look at the big picture - business planning, financial management, information technology, the lot. You're not confined to just one narrow field. I've developed an interest in financial management, I really enjoyed that part of the course. Academically JCU is fantastic - it covers everything, and it's helped me make sense of how the business world works. JCU's a great place to study. If you combine that with the laid-back lifestyle in the tropics, living the good life, it's unbeatable. |
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| Verushka Montesanti JCU Tourism student.
Because Cairns is an international tourism destination, I can get industry experience while I'm studying. So far I've done work experience with Qantas and a major hotel. Our class has worked with local industry and Tourism Tropical North Queensland, researching visitor satisfaction. It's a great advantage to have professional contact with the local industry from the early stages of your degree. |
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| Tanya Reedman JCU Environmental Engineering student.
I chose to study at JCU because the School of Engineering is well known in north Queensland for its high quality and has a good employment record for graduates. Townsville is a growing city with everything necessary to lead a busy and fun life while at university. Another advantage I have found is having the opportunity to make friends from all over Queensland. |
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| Paul Bowman JCU Sport and Exercise Science student.
I play centre for the North Queensland Cowboys, so I study part time. Working on my degree now means I can build a career after football - because football doesn't last forever. I had done one year of a similar degree down south before I joined the Cowboys, and JCU was really helpful in giving me credit for those subjects. The course here is much more practical and hands-on than what I studied earlier - subjects like physiology and fitness testing relate directly to what we're doing in training, and to the work I'd like to do in the future. |
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| Sean Paul Smith JCU Freshwater Ecology student.
I can still remember my student number from when I studied at one of the big southern state universities. I was 9074412G! I've got no idea what my number is at JCU, because here I'm Sean, not a number. Coming to JCU is easily the best choice I've made. I'm studying freshwater ecology, so I've gone from studying the goldfish and guppies at my old uni pond, to the incredible diversity of rainforest creeks near JCU. We've got rainforest, pine forest and mangrove habitats all within ten minutes of the campus. And last year we did one whole subject on the road, studying tropical geomorphology from Cairns to Kununurra, via Kakadu. |
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| Matthew Gordon JCU Marine Biology student.
My honours thesis is on the box jellyfish, Chironex fleckeri. During stinger season I'm out on the water with my supervisor three times a week, netting for jelly fish, tagging them, tracking them. Every time we go out we learn something new about them. Working that closely with your supervisor means you really get the most out of your time at uni. JCU's not one of those unis where you have to make an appointment to see your supervisor. You can't beat JCU for marine biology. I grew up on the NSW coast and spent a lot of time in the water - but my first dive on the Great Barrier Reef - mind blowing! |
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| Jackie Stock JCU Visual Arts student.
I started out studying something else, but changed to my first love, painting. The Bachelor of Visual Arts has been incredibly fulfilling and I can see great scope for all kinds of work opportunities. I had checked out courses at some southern unis, but chose to come back to JCU because of the strong focus on drawing skills. Our lecturers are world-renowned and I feel privileged to have got to know them. Practical experience programs mean that we get to know local gallery staff and directors, and the College's interaction with the local community has helped me gain valuable contacts. |
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| Stephen Beck JCU Anthropology student.
I am hoping to specialise in maritime archaeology, and JCU is one of only two universities in the country to offer this specialisation. Why go anywhere else if you've got the Great Barrier Reef right there! The School is pioneering field-technique training for maritime archaeology, and we've got an intensive course on Magnetic Island this semester break, with lots of diving sessions. Archaeologists need good practical skills, and at JCU students get plenty of opportunities for field work and hands-on experience. North Queensland offers so much for the study of archaeology, right at our doorstep - rock art and the archaeology of Aboriginal Australia, Oceania, historical archaeology and water-based archaeology. |
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| Nathan Williams JCU Communications student.
For me the best thing about being an Indigenous journalist is a chance to tell the positive stories, celebrate the achievements of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. At JCU we have students from all over, from as far away as Western Australia and South Australia. We all connect as Indigenous people, work together, help each other out. We all have different skills, and we work as a team. I started out working in radio, but the course has given me a chance to try print and television. Now I'm working in print, for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Corporation. |
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| David Peters JCU Law student.
I've wanted to be a lawyer for as long as I can remember, but I finished school after year ten and I went on to become a commercial pilot. JCU took into account my training for my pilot's licence and my work experience, and they put me onto the pre-law course for Indigenous students. I'm in third year now - I'll probably work in criminal law when I start out, but eventually I'd like to specialise in intellectual property. In between classes I spend a lot of time at the School for Indigenous Australian Studies - it's a good spot to have a coffee, catch up with other Indigenous students and get some study done. |
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| Bama Daly JCU Phd student in Literature.
The library staff are fantastic. A good library is essential for postgraduate students, and the JCU librarians are always ready to help with things like Internet access and Internet searches, and interlibrary loans. The library has all the latest programs, and the staff are very knowledgeable and really go out of their way to help. |
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