Following interests, finding the way

Shannon O’Brien wasn’t sure how she would ever leave her small regional town and make it to uni until the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) and a generous scholarship was brought to her attention.

When you live in a rural town and leaving home to study at university is your only choice, ‘How?’ is your first question and biggest problem to solve. For many students, getting to uni is a matter of looking up the local train timetable to figure out the shortest route to campus that allows for maximum sleep-in and time to grab a coffee along the way – sorted. But for other students like Shannon who was living almost 400km from the North Sydney Campus, she saw nothing but roadblocks.

“I sort of had to close the blinds to opportunities as I was so limited on where I could afford to go and was really disadvantaged in that way,” she said. “I was very concerned about how I’d be able to afford to move to a new place and pay for accommodation and those day-to-day living expenses like groceries.

“But then I got headhunted by ACU and first learnt about the new Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation).”

Shannon was awarded a history prize while she was still in high school and ACU reached out to her. “I heard from the uni that they thought this degree would be a good fit – they were right. The course is literally perfect for me.”

However, finding her degree was only the first hurdle, and ‘How?’ was still very much top of Shannon’s mind.

Enter the Ramsay scholarship.

“When I found out I had received a $90,000 scholarship, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders, and my family’s too.

Before this I’d never really pictured myself going to Sydney to study. Suddenly I could afford it and not have to worry about getting a part-time job and I could actually focus on my studies – and myself.”

Life in student accommodation

With the Ramsay scholarship to support her, Shannon opted to move into ACU’s student accommodation in Sydney’s inner west.

“Living here is pretty good. I’ve made some really nice friends and there are always social events going on. The staff are so committed to making sure we have a fun experience, so they organise all sorts of things like bowling trips, water fights, movie nights.

“We have lots of international students living here too, so we have international-themed events like we did Bollywood movie night with all of this fantastic Indian food, and it was great! I’d certainly never seen a Bollywood movie before. It was really cool. Plus, I just love living in Camperdown and I’ve been exploring all over.”

Surviving the first year

Aside from the expenses, back when Shannon was in high school, deciding what to study was her other stumbling block – she simply had too many interests. “I was thinking about arts, journalism, history, business, maybe a double degree, maybe not. I just couldn’t figure it out.

"So when I started reading about the Western Civilisation course and learnt it had philosophy, history, a bit of art, some literature as well, that was it. It combined all of my interests and my strengths. I was all in.” 

While Shannon has loved her first year of uni, she advises other students thinking of studying the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) to be prepared.

“It’s not a course that allows you to float downstream – you have to swim. It’s a small cohort and right now there are 14 of us in the course. You have to speak up. But I’m not super extroverted and I was a bit apprehensive about navigating a big class, so a small cohort really works for me. I actually really like our debates.

"In class we’ll have to discuss philosophical debates throughout history, and you get exposed to all these texts and new ideas. It’s so interesting to me, but it’s challenging.

“The other advantage of studying in a small cohort is you really get to know your teachers; you’re not lost in the crowd. Whenever I’ve struggled with something all I do is say, ‘Hey, I need some extra help’ and they’re right there, helping me catch up.

“Also, coming straight from high school, I experienced a bit of culture shock when I first started,” she said. “Everything is strictly dictated to you in school, whereas now we’re encouraged to do a bit more of our own research, come up with our own ideas, and go beyond what’s taught to you in class and pursue the avenues that interest you.

“So, my advice is ask a lot of questions first about the course so you know what to expect. And I won’t lie, it can be pretty full-on. It requires a lot of reading, a lot of research. But if that’s your strength, and you like learning all sorts of topics, then I’d definitely recommend it. You just have to be dedicated, open and committed to learning.

“The other thing to know is we love our lounge! It was built just for the students studying Western Civilisation at the North Sydney Campus. We hang out in there all the time and do group study sessions together. It’s a great space on campus to have.”

International experience

The highlight for students studying the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) is the opportunity to study overseas, and Shannon’s fingers are crossed border closures will end soon.

“I love that it’s a course requirement and a fully immersive experience. I’ve always wanted to travel, but it’s not like we will just be tourists wandering around.

“You can opt to go to ACU’s Rome Campus, or a few other destinations. I have a feeling I’ll be picking Paris.

"The lecturers have said you really get to engage with your studies while you’re there. I’ll be studying an art subject, so we will get to see all the significant historical sites connected to events like the French Revolution and the Renaissance period, and learn more about famous French artists in history.”

Learning her lessons

Shannon has come a long way from her small town to living and studying full-time in the heart of Sydney. And lessons have been learnt along the way.

“My best advice for others in my situation is don't limit yourself like I did. I told myself I couldn’t possibly live and study in Sydney and I thought I’d have to stay close to home as it would be all I could afford.

“I wasn’t actively looking for opportunities to get me here and I feel so lucky that ACU reached out to me personally and suggested the course and told me about the incredible scholarship – I wouldn’t be here without it. So, my advice to other high school students like me is know there is a way, you just have to find it.”

If you’re interested in a study experience and scholarship like Shannon’s, learn more about the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) and Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation)/Bachelor of Laws at ACU.