When Alvin Chan learnt he’d won the UTS College Outstanding Graduate prize – for the highest Grade-Point Average (GPA) in the Diploma of IT – he called his parents in Hong Kong right away. Then, he went out to celebrate. “I still remember that day. I went to a Japanese barbeque with a bunch of friends,” he says. “I love Japan. Hong Kong people like going there because it’s close. My family would go there twice a year.”
A love of new cultures and environments
Other travels with his family to Korea and the USA teased Alvin’s appetite for exploring new cultures and environments – and influenced his decision to study abroad. He says, “By the final years of high school I realised I didn’t want to go to uni in Hong Kong. I’d been to Australia once before when I was ten-years old, and Sydney looked like the perfect place because there are so many cultures there.” When he started looking at Australian universities, UTS stood out to him. “I like how they provide professional experience,” he says. “What you learn is applicable to industry, so they prepare you for the future workplace.”
Setting his sights on UTS
An early interest in gaming sparked Alvin’s interest in IT. “It got me wondering, ‘How does everything work?’ That’s when I started programming by myself, just getting into different programming language. I love all IT related stuff,” he says. Alvin set his sights on studying IT at UTS and like many international students, he began his Australian studies at UTS College. He says, “It was a really good experience, like a kind of transition between high school and university. The classes are smaller so you can talk with your teachers when you don’t understand. And there are peer helpers who’ve been studying at UTS College just like you. They also show you how to manage your studies, which was good for me because time management and planning weren’t things I learnt about in high school.”
He found Learning.Connected, the UTS College model of learning, worked well for him. “It’s like a flipped classroom,” he says. “We go through a bunch of ‘pre-work’ before classes, and then we can ask the tutor about things instead of having a lecturer doing all the talking. It’s a good way of learning because you get to understand on your own instead of being ‘force-fed.’ It’s active learning, but you still have support. You just have to invest the time in the pre-work.”
From diploma to degree
After successfully completing his diploma, Alvin was accepted into second year Bachelor of IT at UTS, where he’s majoring in enterprise systems development. He’s enjoying life on campus (his favourite spot is the Alumni Green) and says his experiences at UTS College have set him up well. “I think time management was the most valuable thing I learnt. Everyone has 24-hours, seven days a week, but how you manage that time is the most important thing. I always plan now. For example, setting aside time for lectures and going through notes, and for doing assignments. But I also always reserve time to take a break. I think time management is a kind of stress management,” he says.
When he’s not studying, Alvin enjoys exploring Sydney. He says, “It’s a good place to just walk around. I like the parks. I usually go to Hyde Park because it’s the one I know best.”
Planning his future
Although he’s keeping an open mind about the future, Alvin’s interested in being a software developer. “I’m also considering being a project manager,” he says. “I think it would be fun to manage a project. I enjoy planning, which is so important for project management. And I like leading a team. I usually take up the role of team leader when we do group work at uni.”
Alvin sums up his advice for other students in one word. “Perseverance. You need to set a goal and then work hard for it. Just work hard – put in the time and effort – and I believe you’ll succeed. Have a goal and never give up.”