Chriselyn will always remember the moment she got the news about her Outstanding Graduate award. So will her parents. They were working downstairs when they heard screaming from her bedroom. “I was in a flash of tears, like, 'Oh my God!'" she says, laughing. “At first I didn’t think it was real.”
Due to the pandemic, Chriselyn studied for her UTS College Diploma of Business from her home in Medan, Indonesia. Despite a strong desire to study in Australia, she did not wish to put her future on hold. She says, “When things are uncertain, why wait? You could be waiting for a long time – all your life!”
A global, practical approach
UTS College was her first choice. “It was a big decision,” she says, “I have cousins in Australia and one of my uncles is an alumnus of UTS, but that’s not why I chose it. I think it’s new and young – more engaged with the future. The facilities and infrastructure are so modern. Also, they think more globally and have a practical approach. That’s what appealed to me.”
At first, Chriselyn wasn’t sure business would be for her. “I was looking for something creative and dynamic where I would learn about problem-solving. That’s when I thought, ‘why not business?’ It’s always changing and it’s all about creativity and problem-solving. I want to do something inspiring that will have an impact and I believe business is the platform to achieve that.”
The courage to dream
Having completed her UTS College Diploma of Business, Chriselyn is now moving on to UTS for her Bachelor of Business. She plans a double major – International Business and Information Technology.
She says, “In the future, I want to be the founder of a digital company. I believe that everybody has a dream, and everybody needs the courage to dream. I feel that it’s a pity when people don’t have the means to achieve their goals. That’s why I’d like to build an education platform that makes things more accessible. Also, in a world where so much is online and we spend so much time on screens, I’d like to develop a system that’s better for our eyes – find a way to reduce the harm. We need good eyes to see this beautiful world. I hope that I will meet others who share my vision and that we can create something together.”
Although she looks forward to the day she can study on-campus, Chriselyn has positive things to say about her experiences learning Live Online with UTS College. “The teachers were encouraging and engaging. It was flexible and there was a lot of support to help us,” she says. “Everything was packaged perfectly for us. I found it easy to adapt and I enjoyed the way we communicated through the Zoom meetings.”
Support to overcome challenges
She says the high level of support at UTS College helped her overcome challenges and meet her study goals. “UTS College encouraged me. They reminded me that my goals were achievable and gave me the mindset I needed. My lecturers and teachers guided me and pushed me forward. They believed in us. That might seem simple, but it makes all the difference,” Chriselyn says.
Chriselyn has words of encouragement for students preparing to study at UTS College. “Don’t be afraid. Just reach out to your tutors or whoever you think is going to be helpful for you. People aren’t as scary as you think. And remember social interaction is important because you can feel overwhelmed if you think you’re all alone. You can think you’re the only one who’s struggling with a hard assignment. That’s why it’s important to have friends to chat with. So don’t be afraid, and don’t wait for other people to reach out to you. Just make all the friends you can."