Deakin gave me the opportunity of a lifetime

Hi, my name is Ba Huy Nguyen, but you can call me Harry. Ever since I moved to Australia in 2015, I have had dreams of becoming a civil engineer.

The Melbourne Skyline is simply awe-inspiring. However, university tuition for international students in Australia is not known for its affordability, and my family had doubts on whether we could afford it or not. Luckily, I have been granted a full Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship, and I am extremely grateful. It really is the opportunity of a lifetime.

Currently, I am studying the Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) at Deakin’s Waurn Ponds Campus in Geelong. My decision to choose Deakin University was heavily influenced by a family friend who was a civil engineer. He told me, ‘If you want to study civil engineering in Australia, then Deakin is your best bet.’ And he was right.

As a first-year student, I expected studying a challenging degree like engineering to be rather laborious and difficult. The COVID-19 situation and the transitioning to online learning did not improve my confidence either. However, both the lecturers and staff have been so incredibly responsive and helpful in this difficult time. The online material and university websites are formatted to be clear and intuitive, and the University has been very understanding and supportive.

“I hope that my passion for civil engineering and Deakin’s prestigious degree will land me a job in a multinational construction firm.”

The quality of the teaching at Deakin has been second to none. Lectures are concise and engaging, tutorials are helpful, and constant student-tutor interaction has helped us to consolidate our understanding on previously confusing topics.

Sadly, due to the COVID-19 situation, I only spent the first week at the Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus. However, that was more than enough to see the many facilities offered, such as Student Central, the library and the sports field and gym. The most exciting thing was the many buildings that housed lecture halls, classrooms and laboratories; their structures and architectural designs are impressive and exciting, fitting for Deakin’s School of Engineering. If you go to Deakin expecting boring, repetitive classrooms and hallways, you will be pleasantly surprised.

With Deakin’s strong industry ties I hope that by the end of my degree I will be able to get an internship or a position at an Australian civil engineering firm. In the long term, I hope that my passion for civil engineering and Deakin’s prestigious degree will land me a job in a multinational construction firm.

To conclude, the Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship, which enabled me to study Civil Engineering, has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for which I am eternally grateful. It opens up many possibilities for my future career, and I plan to someday contribute to the community and give back to the university that helped me chase my dreams.

For further information about studying at Deakin and courses that relate to civil engineering, visit our engineering page.