The hottest course right now, according to student advisor Cynthia
Cynthia spends every day helping students choose courses and reach their goals. She spills the beans on the hottest course right now, and everything else she knows from her time answering student questions.
What do you love most about helping the people who contact you?
I love to help students from different walks of life! I really feel that I can help them meet their career and study goals.
What’s some advice you’d give to someone thinking about taking the leap into study?
I would advise them to start slow and also to build up their confidence by taking the first two core subjects in the area that they’d like to study. They can then move on further to a bachelor degree or similar down the track.
What is the most exciting course you have recommended to a student and why?
I think the Bachelor of Global Security (Terrorism and Counterterrorism) from Murdoch University is a very good course. I’ve actually recommended the course to a police officer who wanted to upskill in his career. Through it he gained more knowledge in the areas of safety and global security.
How do you guide students in your day-to-day role?
Every day I give advice to students to make sure that they understand the different needs of courses and the entry requirements, help them to figure out their areas of interest, and build up their confidence to meet their career and study goals.
Do you have a success story of a student you have guided?
I helped a student who was a housewife with a dream to become a teacher, I helped her to get into the Bachelor of Education and now she is studying it!
What’s the biggest misconception about study that you regularly debunk for students?
The biggest misconception that students have is that they think that they need to do a fixed number of subjects during a study period. But in reality, they can actually plan their study in a flexible way. Open Universities Australia offers flexible study plans so that you can study part-time or full-time depending on your life commitments.
What is your superpower in student advisory? How does it help you guide students?
My superpower in the student advisory is building trust with students to help them reach their academic and life goals!
How has Open Universities Australia helped you reach your own goals?
Open Universities Australia has given me an opportunity to help people in need to meet their life goals. It’s also helped me build up my knowledge in different areas of study myself.
Have you ever seen a student’s confidence in themselves change from when they first call, to when they enrol?
I do have students who have first contacted us who aren’t confident about getting into study because they’re afraid to commit. But later on, they realise that they can actually do part-time study or full-time study based on their life needs. That has actually changed their willpower towards study!
Are you considering taking the leap into study? Why not call one of our friendly student advisors? You may just get Cynthia on the other end of the line. Every call or live chat is friendly and no-pressure. They will help you explore your options so that you can feel confident about your future.
