Jonathan Maveni

I was born and raised in Western Sydney and grew up in a massive pacific islander family. My parents are from Tonga and always drilled into my head the importance of family and education. I went to a small high school in Western Sydney, with a cohort of just 30 people in year 12 and so coming to UTS was a very big change for me. From a young age, I was always curious, annoying my parents with non-stop questions about the world and how things worked. This thirst for knowledge eventually led me to science at UTS.

At UTS I work for a program called Pasifika Mentoring, a new initiative that was created in order to help support Pasifika high school students in school and help encourage them to continue their education with tertiary studies at university. As someone who grew up knowing very few people from my background who went to university, I’m passionate about going to these schools in Western Sydney and speaking with these Pasifika kids from socially diverse environments. I aim to encourage them to pursue tertiary education while supporting them in getting there.

Nothing beats the location of UTS! Being right in the middle of the city surrounded by hundreds of different restaurants and shops means that you could probably shop or eat somewhere different every day. I also love the buildings and architecture of UTS and how modern everything looks. It’s a pretty stylish place and there are heaps of cool photo opportunities.

The Bachelor of Medical Science Bachelor of Business is a double degree that offers boundless opportunities. I really enjoyed studying science and business in school, so I was inspired to study this degree because I wanted to keep studying these subjects and later incorporate the skills I had learned in this degree into a career.

I would describe the Bachelor of Medical Science as rewarding. The Bachelor of Medical science, Bachelor of Business is definitely a lot of work, but the information and content you learn really open your eyes to the boundless opportunities that the degree offers. My advice to new students would be to remember to take breaks and treat yourself. Studying all day, every day, can lead to burnout. Make sure to keep doing things you enjoy as well as making time to hang out with your family and friends.

One highlight of my studies has been the anatomy practical classes. Getting the chance to see real body parts up close as well as the opportunity to study these parts really helped ignite my interest for the human body. I also really enjoyed these practicals because I met a lot of really cool people who later became some of my closest friends.

Studying this degree has definitely made me more organised. One of the biggest issues in my first year was trying to juggle assignments and study with work, family, and friends. My advice would be to keep a planner and make sure to constantly update it with due dates, your work schedule, and any social or family commitments you have coming up. Also, learn to be independent! At university, there’s no one chasing you up on assigning or telling you about upcoming due dates. You need to manage your time wisely and keep track of all the due dates for your assessments and quizzes in a diary or calendar. As long as you manage your time wisely and keep track of your due dates, university will be one of the best experiences you can have.

Next year I will be studying a Master of Orthoptics at UTS, with plans to become an Orthoptist. Once I become an orthoptist I hope to live and work in Sydney while taking a few months out of the year to travel overseas or to rural Australia to provide care to those who lack access to specialised healthcare like eye care.