Meet ANU Bachelor of Science student Kieran Hancock, who is studying Environmental Science and Science Communication.

Growing up going to research stations on the beach every year with my mum, I always knew university was important. And I always expected to go to my local university as well.

But, it wasn’t until I began to consider traveling interstate for university that I discovered ANU.

I was searching for a university that I could be proud of, and I wanted to know that I was attending the best university in my country. And that is exactly what I found at ANU.

But, what I didn’t expect to find was adventure, people, and life-changing experiences.

Studying a Bachelor of Science at ANU and living on campus at Uni Lodge has honestly been the most eye-opening experience I’ve had so far. 

My first weeks at ANU were characterised by new friends, new adventures and new ideas. I know I’ll keep these with me for the rest of my life.

From meeting lifelong friends at my college, to conversing about mysteries of the universe and Ugandan politics amidst a night out.

Topics I’ll admit were over my head at the time, but which have become part of day-to-day life living in such an academically minded environment.

This has made ANU both a personal and intellectual adventure from day one.

The result of these new learning experiences eventually lead me to discovering what I want to do after I graduate.

After starting in International Relations and I ended up transferring to Environmental Science and Science Communication.

I did this after being given the opportunity to participate as a volunteer events director, managing events for over 1000 guests, which eventually led to becoming a student ambassador for ANU. The Student ambassador experience saw me talking to hundreds of high school students from Australia which quickly lead me to discover my interest in communications.   

By adding Science Communication to my degree, I was able to combine it with Environmental Science and Geography to have even more amazing experiences.

Just some experiences include excursions sitting on the beach patting kangaroos (yes, they were that tame!), explaining climate change to the public, and even interning with ANU which allowed me to be responsible for saving thousands people from the deadly disease in Africa known as ‘konzo’  – all for course credit.

While my experiences of ANU have been truly life-changing, I now feel ready to take on the next step into my career after I graduate this semester. From internships, to managing events as part of my roles with clubs and societies, to becoming a student ambassador, to the skills learned throughout my degree, all of these experiences will be invaluable when applying for jobs in the future.

To me, university is more than just about what you learn inside the classroom. It’s also about the experiences and adventures you have during your degree and what you make of your opportunities. 

For any future students thinking about ANU, I can truly say after looking back: do it! These are the best years of your life and a time when you have endless opportunities to discover who you are, what you’re interested in, and to go after new opportunities. A dregree at ANU is about more than just the piece of paper- it’s also about the people, places and experiences you’ll have along the way.