I am Jess, and I’m a USQ student.

My mum was actually a mature-age student who got into teaching, and I think that’s where my interest was sort of sparked. She had me when she was quite young, and then had my sister. So she used to get me to tick off some of the homework and things like that. So I think, sort of from then, it has always been an interest but, as I said, it was never just..the timing was never quite right.

I actually didn’t even think that I would get in, ah, to university to be honest. I applied very last minute.

I applied on the 17th of December; I had 7 days to get my work experience in, which was the 24th of December, to get all my letters from past employers. I didn’t think I would hear anything in the first round of offers, which was January, and I got it.

I put USQ Springfield as my first preference, and only preference, and I got it, and I think...yeah, if you really wanna do it, give it a go, because you’ve absolutely got nothing to lose.

I know some of my lecturers, well all of my lecturers, on a first name basis, and some of them I have developed very good student-lecturer relationships with.

They have an open-door policy which is great because it means if something isn’t going quite well I know that most of the time I can just drop by without having to make an appointment, or I can send them an email which is really, really good. Ah, I have also found that I have used to Learning Support Unit a couple of times, primarily in my first year, because it had been such a long time since I studied.

I got one of my assignments back and I didn’t do very well, I didn’t even know how to write a paragraph. I didn’t realise because it had been so long. And just going and talking to them was really good and after that it has been fantastic sailing.

Lecturer to Jessica: Don’t think that trunks are always...

Jessica: Straight?

Lecturer: Straight. Yep.

It is a student-teacher relationship, but it’s more of a...a partnership, they’re helping to develop you as opposed to...instruct you, I guess. So...you’re nearly kind of on even ground. There’s that mutual respect, which is really nice.

Yeah, they really enjoy it. My daughter puts on a little imagination play and puts on her little backpack, “I’m going to uni today!” which is all very cute. My husband is just, has just been a wonderful support. I...wasn’t quite sure how he was going to take it when I broke it to him that this is what I wanted to do, but he has been a fantastic support, and I really couldn’t...as typical as it probably sounds, I just honestly couldn’t do it without him. I don’t have any family in Brisbane; he is my family. So... he has just been a huge support.

I was so unsure, and I just went for it. And going on prac has just absolutely confirmed that this is what I want to do.
Even on the hard days, it’s just such a rewarding...it’s going to be such a rewarding profession, and I can’t wait to get into it.