My name is Ruby Hubbard and I am currently studying a Bachelor of Agriculture at CQUni in Rockhampton, which I will complete in 2019.
After leaving school in 2014, I went to a university in Brisbane to study nursing. After 6 months of persevering with the degree, I finally concluded that it wasn’t for me – what a relief that was. I took the rest of the year off, to work and decide what I wanted to do, and this brought me to CQUni in Rockhampton.
Why Rockhampton? Because Beef Capital of Australia
After deciding I wanted to study Agriculture, I began looking at a variety of universities that offered an Agriculture degree, and I became drawn to CQU in Rockhampton, due to the simple fact that it is the Beef Capital of Australia, and I wished to pursue my interest in the livestock industry.
The other degrees I had looked at were specific, such as ‘Ag Science’ or ‘Agribusiness’.
For someone that didn’t yet know what they’d like to do, CQUni’s ‘Bachelor of Agriculture’ provided me with the opportunity to study a broad range of subjects that would help me discover my interests.
Persistent changes in the Ag industry
it is important for farmers to be able to bounce off each other and present their ideas.
I began my studies on campus at CQUni in Rockhampton in 2017, where I instantly felt like I was in the right place, and surprisingly didn’t have the first semester jitters of the university. The best aspects of the course that I have noticed so far, is the broad range of subjects we have covered. I didn’t, and still don’t, know what I’d like to do after I complete my studies, so the subjects have helped me to focus on my interests and try to establish plans. The lecturers are constantly encouraging us to bring forward our ideas and ask questions about things that interest us.
The Agricultural Industry is constantly changing, which is why it is important for people at all academic levels to be able to bounce off each other and present their ideas, and I certainly feel comfortable doing this in class with my lecturers, and fellow peers.
Practical based training
The Agricultural Industry in Rockhampton provides an endless amount of opportunities for Ag Students at CQUni, with students being able to speak with people active in the industry regularly. We also attend some field trips to various locations, visit properties and speak with producers, and even attend events like Beef Week – which is right in our backyard! The practical side of the course is definitely one of the unique aspects. We have gone on some field trips to Belmont Research Station (that you can visit during Beef Australia), which is run by AgForce, Visited Teys in Rockhampton, and met with some Crop and Livestock Producers in the area. These field trips, in combination with the practical sessions we participate in the labs at Uni, have been really beneficial and interesting to me.
After graduation, I am really looking forward to starting a full-time job. Although I am not sure where that will be yet, I can’t wait to get involved in the industry. I can recommend CQUni in Rockhampton to anyone considering studying Agriculture, especially if you have an interest in the Livestock Industry.
CQUniversity is the official higher education and research partner for Beef Australia 2018. Beef Australia is the cattle industry’s national exposition and largest event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It is held just once every three years in Australia’s beef capital, Rockhampton.
