CQUniLife - Start Uni Now (SUN) Success from a Seized Opportunity

One part of me was bursting with excitement while the rest of me was shaking in my boots! I vividly remember it like it was yesterday. I had just signed up for my first University course through the Start Uni Now (SUN) program. However, there I was in my last year of school questioning whether I had what it took to excel in this new academic environment. Was I really ready for this? How was I going to juggle all my school responsibilities with the additional pressure of University? Had I just sealed the fate of my final year of school? Only time would tell!

That day was three years ago. Fast track to today, and I’m about to embark on the final term of my Bachelor of Nursing. My name is Phoebe Bickell and I’m one of the many University students who began their journey at University through the SUN program. Much of the success and amazing opportunities I’ve experienced throughout my degree I attribute to taking that important step back in school. I believe it helped set me up for success in my first term which has had a domino effect on the rest of my degree.

When I entered my first year of full-time University study, not only was I already ahead of all my classmates who graduated school alongside me, but I was also familiar with the University’s online learning system and assessment process. This lightened my study load throughout the year thereby giving me extra time to dedicate to opportunities that presented themselves. This included speaking at my first conference as a nursing student and planning a medical humanitarian trip to the Island of Espírito Santo in Vanuatu. While there are many more benefits that I’ve experienced, there isn’t place to include them all here. However, if you have the opportunity or are considering this pathway to University I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.