Course Changers: Meet students who found their path by changing their studies

Finding a pathway to success isn’t always a linear process.

If you’re a student who’s started a degree or major and sense it’s not quite right for you, Swinburne is here to support you through that change. The ideal time to make that change is before your course’s Census date – the last opportunity to change your enrolment without incurring the cost of the units.

Swinburne alumni Grace and student Samuel share their stories on how they made the decision to change tack and find their path.

Grace’s pivot from ICT to Media and Communications

When Grace began her journey at Swinburne, it was in the Department of Information Technology studying a Bachelor of Information Communication and Technology (ICT). She stepped into that degree because she thought it was a good way to set herself up for the future.

But, it soon became clear to Grace that studying ICT wasn’t where she wanted to be.

“I realised pretty quickly that it just wasn’t right for me,” says Grace. “It was a mix of gut instinct and noticing that I didn’t feel any interest in what the (very talented!) staff were teaching.”

“No matter how hard I tried, so many of the concepts just weren’t clicking, and that’s when I really started to question if I was in the right degree.”

Taking time out to find the right path

Grace made the decision to step away from her studies for a year, taking time to work and consider what she wanted to do next.

“At the time I felt overwhelmed and a bit behind my peers, but looking back, it was the best decision I could’ve made,” says Grace.

“That break gave me clarity and a much better sense of what I actually wanted.”

A year later, she walked back into Swinburne doing a Bachelor of Media and Communications (Public Relations).

The benefits of change were instantly clear

Grace says it took some resilience to get back into the uni routine and accept that some of her high-school peers might be a year or two ahead. But after her first class, she felt a positive shift.

“I quickly noticed the difference in how I enjoyed the content and understood the topics more compared to my old classes,” says Grace.

“I started being able to envision my future career path and where I wanted to be. When family and friends asked me about what I wanted to do, I was actually excited to tell them my plans!”

“Meeting so many fellow students with the same goals and passions as me really helped fuel my drive and creativity as well.”