Meet our students
At the University of Sydney, our students enjoy freedom to pursue their passions, and our great minds come to us with a variety of life experiences. Whether you hail from a cattle farm, a sprawling metropolis, or a tiny coastal town, we encourage you to embrace your goals and enjoy the challenge and variety along the road.
Here you can read stories from our current students, and what they like about their studies, or you can discover the interesting roads our graduates have travelled so far.
Read about students from:
Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Architecture, Design and Planning
Arts and Social Sciences
Business (The University of Sydney Business School)
Dentistry
Education and Social Work
Engineering and Information Technologies
Health Sciences
Law (Sydney Law School)
Medicine (Sydney Medical School)
Music (Sydney Conservatorium of Music)
Nursing and Midwifery (Sydney Nursing School)
Pharmacy
Science
Veterinary Science
Visual Arts (Sydney College of the Arts)
Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Rebecca Thistlethwaite
Studying: Bachelor of Science in Agriculture
"Sustainable agriculture is so important – it keeps the world functioning, provides employment and ensures the next generation can feed itself."
Cassia Ferguson
Studied: Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (graduated in 2005)
"After finishing my degree, I said that I didn't want to work in an office and that I wanted to work with people, doing something creative.
Looking back, those were tough criteria but my degree gave me everything I needed to find that perfect job. My job takes me all over Australia and I get to meet fascinating people and help support Australian business."
Architecture, Design and Planning
Jonathon Donnelly
Studying: Bachelor of Design in Architecture
"Studying architecture has an intensity I couldn’t imagine or predict until experienced. The last three years have been consumed by countless sleepless nights, hundreds of models, thousands of drawings and the inevitable computer crashes and modelling injuries.
But as I emerge from the hazy fatigue of design submissions, all I want is to do it all again. Strange, but true …"
Arts and Social Sciences
Deborah White
Studying: Bachelor of International and Global Studies
"I have a passion for international issues. The world is changing on many levels and my course explores globalisation from a political, economic and social perspective. I found it to be an exciting degree that offers the flexibility of an Arts degree while maintaining an international focus.
But my learning isn’t restricted to the classroom. From debating the global financial crisis in tutorials or contemplating American cultural imperialism with friends over lunch, to my involvement in the United Nations Society and the Politics Society, I have been inspired to engage with the outside world on both a theoretical and practical level."
Business (The University of Sydney Business School)
Tara Foord
Studying: Bachelor of Commerce
“My aim is to maintain a balanced lifestyle, achieving high marks while participating in the many opportunities available at Sydney. I am a member of the Commerce Society, play interfaculty sports and make sure to spend time with the friends I have made. After uni I would like to work in banking or finance. My degree allows me the flexibility to combine my majors – finance and accounting – with a wide range of other subjects. I know that no matter what happens in the future, I will end up in a career I love, which to me is most important.”
Dentistry
Deepa Thirukumar
Studying: Bachelor of Dentistry
“My undergraduate degree was not from a science background, so I found the first year of dentistry a challenge, but that made the success even more rewarding. The support network of lecturers and students made my transition easier, and I’m really looking forward to embarking on the final years of my degree.”
Education and Social Work
Alex Wharton
Studying: Bachelor of Education (Secondary: Humanities and Social Sciences) / Bachelor of Arts
“I love being a Sydney student. The lecturers are approachable, friendly and professional. The campus is awesome, clean and well maintained, and the opportunities to get involved in clubs and societies are endless. Education is the most powerful tool to change the world. That’s why I wanted to become a teacher."
Lauren Petrie
Studying: Bachelor of Education (Secondary: Human Movement and Health Education)
"Academic reputation and sporting opportunities are just a couple of the many reasons I fell in love with Sydney."
Engineering and Information Technologies
Amy Fu
Studying: Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical)
"I've had plenty of relevant work experience since I've been here and even submitted my first research paper!"
Moses Bangura
Studying: Bachelor of Engineering (Aeronautical - Space)
"As a kid growing up in rural Sierra Leone, I became interested in building toy cars – especially military jeeps from milk tins and aluminium wires – and it inspired me to do engineering. I chose aerospace engineering so I could be at the forefront of research and push the boundaries. As an engineering student, I have a very busy schedule and sometimes I have found the 24-hour day to be too short, but on my days off from uni I work at Canterbury Boys’ High School, helping students from refugee backgrounds."
Health Sciences
Michael Zheng
Studying: Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Radiation Sciences - Diagnostic Radiography)
"My degree offers six-week internships every semester that take me to a range of different locations. From enjoying dawn on Coogee Beach when I was at Prince of Wales Hospital to my time at the Dubbo Base Hospital where I experienced twilight in the fields of Dubbo, I have had amazing experiences both personally and professionally.
I have been exposed to a wide spectrum of practical training, from general x-ray to CT and MRI. I can’t wait to take the knowledge and experience I have gained into my career.”
Bridie O'Dea
Studied: Bachelor of Health Sciences (graduated in 2009)
"My degree has given me so many possibilities and opportunities. I'm now examining the use of online social networking among adolescents for my PhD."
Law (Sydney Law School)
Tracy Liu
Studying: Bachelor of International Studies/Bachelor of Law
"My course covers everything from the legal intricacies of our everyday life to matters I didn't even imagine I would come into contact with!"
Patrick Bateman
Studying: Bachelor of Economics (Hons) Bachelor of Law
"I divide my time between my law studies, a lot of debating and my work as President of the University of Sydney Union and Student Dean of St Paul’s College. I’ve always loved filling my days with as many different things as possible, so Sydney was a natural choice for me.
I’m looking forward to fourth-year law, specialising in human rights law. Working on cases in South Africa and at the Redfern Legal Centre, I’ve seen first hand just how fundamental this area of the law can be and how much work still needs to be done. It also allows me to combine my interests in public policy and international relations with the law."
Medicine (Sydney Medical School)
Monica Nashed
Studying: Bachelor of Arts (ADV) (Hons)/MBBS
"The medical profession brings science to such a personal level. I hope to become the sort of paediatrician that children look forward to visiting."
Music (Sydney Conservatorium of Music)
Bridie O'Mahony
"Music has always been a huge part of my life – my mother is a music teacher and my grandmother also went to the Conservatorium. It only seemed natural for me to continue my musical studies at the Con. I receive private instrumental lessons from an excellent teacher, my music education lecturers are at the top of their field and teach with an infectious passion and I love turning up every day at a building which buzzes with creativity."
Sydney Nursing School
Yashodha Amaresekara
Studying: Combined Nursing and Health Sciences, focus on Exercise and Sport Science
“My passion for health arose from spending part of my childhood in Sri Lanka, where even the basic health necessities are treasured. I was certain that my future career lay down a path that focused on health, and Sydney has provided me with the momentum to broaden my mindset on health issues that affect our local communities and those overseas.
My combined degree offers a diverse approach to health and allows me to complete both a bachelor’s and master’s degree all within four years.”
Pharmacy
Max Timmins
Studying: Bachelor of Pharmacy
"My father is a pharmacist so I grew up learning a fair bit about pharmacy, and always found it really interesting, helpful and quite sociable as well. It’s pretty important to me that my chosen career incorporates human contact – I don’t want to just be sitting at a computer day after day.
I chose Sydney because of its long-standing reputation – in pharmacy especially – and because there’s always something happening on campus. So far I’ve enjoyed close to every minute of my time here (minus a few exams!) and I’m sure I’ll continue to for the rest of my degree."
Science
Benjamin James Spinks Pope
Studying: Bachelor of Science (Advanced)/Bachelor of Arts
"What keeps me at it is a driving curiosity. Every day at university my lecturers and friends show me the strangest, most surprising things – I am very enthusiastic about lecture demonstrations and have a few favourites, like the tesla coil and chaotic pendulum. My reaction is always to try and explain them.”
Veterinary Science
Jessica Sue
Studying: Bachelor of Veterinary Science
"I did a year of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience while working at a local vet practice, in order to secure the marks for transfer into Veterinary Science. I am always asked why I want to become a vet – I have always loved animals and they have never been far from my side.
It’s been challenging but very rewarding, with lots of practical experience – although not many of my non-vet friends would agree that a bovine rectal
is one of the best things on a winter morning!”
Visual Arts (Sydney College of the Arts)
Kate Williams
Studying: Bachelor of Visual Arts
"In the chaos of my life I find 'order' working in visual arts. It's my way of making sense of life. Or not. Some things don't make see – they defy reasoning."