In this article, Jaycee McLaughlin shares her experiences of studying Science at WSU.
Register for Western Sydney University’s Open Day: Sunday 27 August, 2017.

So, a little bit about me:

My name is Jaycee McLaughlin. I am a student at Western Sydney University, currently completing my second year of a Bachelor of Science.

I graduated from Bede Polding College in 2015, after receiving an early offer to WSU, Hawskebury Campus.

My whole high school life, and also through first year uni, I was an athlete in the Australian karate team. I started karate when I was three, and it instantly became one of the most important aspects of my life. It started with training for fun, but then progressed to flying around the world fighting, and coaching other students.

Unfortunately, life gets busier – and I knew that my big goal was to pursue my dream career in forensic science. Currently, I am completing my Science degree at WSU with hopes to join the NSW Police Force – and, one day, the federal police!

Check out WSU Policing: the only Sydney-based Policing degree!

THE IMPORTANCE OF OPEN DAYS

Making the move toward a career in science seemed extremely daunting and, quite frankly, like a distant dream.

Seeking guidance, I spoke to a lot of people and asked questions. I was constantly on websites searching for information that may help.

Open days were an instrumental part of my decision to study at WSU. I attended open days for several universities and colleges.

Initially, it was to make sure that the ‘university experience’ was actually for me.

Once I decided to commit to the experience, it began a quest to understand what different unis were offering, and which was going to be best for me.

Going to open days and information sessions made it a lot less scary, and made such a stressful time full of excitement.

At WSU in particular, I was able to talk with people who understood what I was going through: the uncertainty, the trepidation. I was given some great advice on how to deal with the stresses of life, moving from high school to university – and also on what to expect from uni in general.

During WSU’s open day, I met a range of course advisers, who helped me work out what I really wanted to major in. If you’re unsure about what to do after Year 12, I really, really recommend open days!

FACILITIES

One of the best things about studying Science at Western is access to excellent facilities.

WSU has recently opened $30 million state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities at the Parramatta Campus. According to WSU:

“The building, which has a total floor area of 4,600 square metres, will include undergraduate science teaching laboratories, an advanced simulation lab for collaborative science learning, science research laboratories, high-tech spaces for materials testing and equipment, social science teaching spaces, psychology research labs and an art therapy studio.”

It’s very nifty!

But as a forensic science student in particular, I also get access to Crime Scene House.

Crime Scene House provides really realistic simulations of crime scenes. It allows students to practise how to approach real-life situations, which is obviously great for future employment prospects!

Moreover, Western does first-year students a huge favour: in 2017, WSU provided free digital textbooks for first-year units (valued up to $800!). And that’ll be the case again in 2018.

OPTIONS WITHIN THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Although my studies are centred on forensics, the Bachelor of Science at WSU is very diverse.

As part of the degree, you can focus on a huge range of specialities; you can see some of them here.

Depending on what you actually study in the Science degree, you may also satisfy requirements for admission to a range of professional bodies. These include:

•     the Australian Mathematical Society and the Statistical Society of Australia;

•     the Royal Australian Chemical Institute;

•     the Australian Society of Microbiology;

•     the Australian Institute of Biology;

•     the Australian Institute of Physics;

•     the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; and

•     the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales.

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So, y’know, that’s pretty nice!

You won’t have a complete picture, though, unless you go to open days. If you’re considering Science, get along to WSU on Sunday 27 August!

Register for Western Sydney University’s Open Day: Sunday 27 August, 2017.