Steel city export fired up by education on the Gold Coast

Study 

The Gold Coast is a long way from the steel city of Jamshedpur in India, where Pooja Jaiswal was born and raised. The 21-year-old enrolled in a Bachelor of Health Sciences with Bond University and was studying online until this year, when the pandemic subsided enough for her to make her life-changing move Down Under. Pooja says that campus life has fired her passion for study and awakened a new-found confidence in herself.

Q: When you first started studying at Bond University, you lived more than 7000km away. Tell us a little about how that unfolded?

I did my Year 12 in 2020, then I wasted a year in lockdown in my hometown, hoping that the international border restrictions would relax. But that was not happening anytime soon, so instead of wasting another year, I decided to start at Bond online and close the gap.

Q: Did you find it challenging?

Yes, there were some challenges. The time difference for one. A 9am class on the Gold Coast was 4.30am in India. I was not ready for that! But I adapted.

Q: When did you arrive on the Gold Coast?

I arrived on 24 February, 2022, then I went back home during my semester break, but I have been here constantly since May. Being here and attending my classes in person and interacting with the professors and lecturers, I was taken right back to my original decision that I really loved biology and loved studying sciences.

Pooja loves doing lab work and working with specimens.

Q: What led you to study Health Sciences in the first place?

Thinking back, I always loved biology and chemistry in high school, and everything about the human body amazes me. I am hoping to pursue a research degree afterwards, but I don’t have a particular area yet. I just know I love doing lab work and working with specimens.

Q: How is studying on the Gold Coast shaping your personal life?

I have made so many new connections and friendships. Having a cultural and environmental change has helped me grow and mature as a person. I am more confident and do not hesitate to try new things and challenge myself. I had no relatives here, no connections here. It was my curiosity and my adventurous and enthusiastic personality that made me move to Australia, and I'm really, really glad that I did!

Q. I understand you also have a job as a biology tutor with Cluey Learning… Can you tell us a little about that?

I got that job because I wanted to support myself here. As you have discovered, I love biology and I enjoy teaching. My friends here and at home say that I am really good at teaching and helping others. It also helps me with my knowledge, as I expand what I know because I'm teaching.

Q: What would be your advice to someone who is considering studying on the Gold Coast?

Go for it! It is so rewarding. It is precious and it is worth investing in. And my advice as an international student? Don’t be shy. You should explore your passion.

Having a cultural and environmental change has helped Pooja grow and mature as a person.

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