Postgraduates: Profiles
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Lynda SuryadiBE (Environmental), Master of Environmental Engineering |
I chose to undertake the Bachelor of Environmental Engineering because it covered interesting topics that relate to our daily lives. This includes waste, water, soil and air. Generally, we don't appreciate how crucial these things are in our lives and more importantly how people impact on the environment. In addition to this, there are not many environmental engineers around in my home country, Indonesia, a place where the environmental conditions are very poor.
The course made me realise things I'd never thought about before but do everyday. A simple example is waste generation and disposal. I never thought about where waste went after I put it in the rubbish bin or what happened to waste water from the toilet or sink. The course also included several field trips that I enjoyed. So we didn't just sit in a room studying, we had opportunities to go out and see applications in the real world. From another perspective, I liked the course because the male/female student ratio was relatively equal.
I learnt under a system where information is readily available through an electronically catalogued library and internet. I also learnt about how to use the technology in a new era where everything is computerised.
I also learnt about other cultures from different parts of the world. I met people from many different countries. This made me more globally aware.
As I was also pretty involved in organisations, university programs and events, I developed my leadership and communication skills and also improved my thinking ability and my confidence levels.
I really liked to spend time at Union House during breaks where my friends and I discussed assignments over a snack. When we needed to be more focused on our discussions, there were many libraries to go to. The Baillieu library is the one we liked the most.
Melbourne University also provides good facilities for students. When I felt like doing a work-out, I could just go to the Sports Centre. When I did not feel like reading text books and wanted to read some non-academic books, the Roden White Library is the place to go to.
Melbourne University offers a lot of events and programs for students as well as lots of organisations to be involved in. These are fun and educational.
I am now working for a multinational engineering consulting company where I work as an Environmental Engineer. I basically get to do everything from marketing, trying to win a contract, tendering and the final report for the client. This involves client liaison, project management as well as all technical aspects.I like my work because it is relevant to my academic background. In addition, I have an opportunity to develop and improve skills other than my technical ones. The position also offers me an opportunity to build my own professional network that will be useful for my career in the future. Also, I have the opportunity to maintain my English language skills because most of the office correspondence is in English.
undergraduate profiles here