My name is Anna, my uni is USQ.

I graduated high school in Sydney and I didn’t really want to go to uni – I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do. So I decided to travel. I went overseas for 6 months, came back, worked for a bit, was fairly interested in nursing or paramedics, but wasn’t quite sure, and wasn’t ready for uni. I did a 6 month course to become an AIN, which is an Assistant in Nursing. As soon as I started working as an AIN I just become so much more fascinated in what the Registered Nurses were doing, and I thought, right, I’m going to do the degree.

When I was applying for the different universities, USQ’s website was very friendly. It looked so open and nice, and the people on the phone were very pleasant and easy-going, so I was pleased when they offered me a position as a student here, and I was like ‘yes, I’m ready’.

I felt very welcomed when I came here. The size of the college that I lived at was quite small. It was a lot of fun, there were a lot of social events. Moving here onto campus, onto college, you just get to know everyone within a week. It does give you a really good community feel.

The community helps because there is always someone else doing the same enrolment pattern as you, and you need help with subjects and exam time especially.

I really wasn’t keen to come to university as soon as I finished school. I didn’t think it would be for me. I had this impression that it was all theoretical studies. I didn’t think there would be such practical and diverse opportunities involved in a nursing degree through university. I was blown away when I finally decided to enrol, and I’ve just been given so many opportunities.

At USQ, the nursing program is very practical and hands-on. You participate in a lot of lab settings, and they put you in good scenarios – challenging ones with help if needed – and then they send you out on prac that complements the labs you have been participating in. It’s a really good structure.

Nursing, particularly, is very flexible with how you enrol in your patterns at USQ. It’s supposed to be a three-year degree, but you can condense it to two years at USQ by enrolling in summer subjects.

My plans are when I graduate to move out of Toowoomba, and I am keen to nurse overseas. I really don’t know what the future holds for me, I’ve got nothing holding me back.