Sophie Torrens
Studying at UTS overall has definitely allowed me to develop a stronger work ethic
I grew up in Sydney's Inner West, as an only child with my parents. I graduated high school in 2019 and intended on travelling in 2020 before commencing further studies. However, due to Covid-19, I decided to start studying earlier.
I wanted to challenge myself by taking a degree in which I had little knowledge. Forensic science at UTS looked really fun and I was excited to be more hands-on with my learning. I'm passionate about the environment and being sustainable whenever I can.
The UTS Science faculty have an Aptitude Test, an exam for students who felt like their atar didn't reflect their full potential and want to pursue a science career. This was appealing to me because my atar wasn't high enough to get into Forensic Science.
University is very different to high school and my degree is very hands-on. An experience that has stood out is undertaking many classes in labs and fake crime scenes, I think it will really prepare me for a professional job in the future.
Studying at UTS overall has definitely allowed me to develop a stronger work ethic because of how independent you have to be. I really like how independent you have to be, it's motivating to be in charge of your own studies.
I'm thinking of taking a traveling gap year after I finish my studies since I couldn't in 2020. After traveling I would like to apply for some jobs or internships that focus on forensic science or chemistry.
The Bachelor of Forensic Science is a very hands-on degree. It includes a lot of practicals in labs and crime scenes. My advice would be to pace yourself in practicals, otherwise, you might run out of time to complete the work.
I would say that it's important to stay motivated so you don’t fall behind, and prepare to be independent because no one is going to remind you about exams or assessments.
My atar didn’t reflect my full potential because I took very difficult subjects at school and didn't study enough for the HSC. With the aptitude test, I knew if I did well enough I'd be able to get my first preference and get into UTS.
Anyone who felt like their atar didn’t show their full academic potential and wants to pursue a career in science.
I was so happy when I found out I got into UTS. So much stress had disappeared once I was accepted into my dream degree and I felt less worried about my future.
