Student review [#47877] for Public Policy
at Australian National University

As a university located in the nation’s quiet and sparsely populated capital, studying at the ANU is a unique university experience for most of us living in Australia. With most students being from interstate or overseas, the ANU experience is marked by its ‘on campus college culture’ and the move to living in share-houses with university friends in later years. In this way, it’s a great way to experience independence and lasting friendships made through the shared realities of ‘first time out of home’ responsibilities!

While the campus life itself is somewhat lacking – in part due to the fact that most students will return to their dorms, there is an easygoing joy to living in a city dominated by students. Grocery shopping and nights out tend to be opportunities to bump into classmates, and there are plenty of spaces for both extroverted gatherings and introverted recharging.

Academic support in some departments and mental health services are somewhat lacking. However, there is a broad and flexible range of degrees available to students, and it’s easy to switch degrees according to your experiences and shifting interests (as I have done many a time!)

One particular plus point of the ANU is their Year in Asia program, which allows students studying a language to do a year abroad (I’m spending a year in Korea right now!). The department which runs it – the College of Asia & Pacific, are fantastic, and the global exchange team is also very responsive and helpful! There are no strict requirements to this program, bar the continued study of your language of choice, and it allows you to broaden your academic fields and cultural experiences by living and studying at a leading university in Asia.

The ANU also has an internship program (ANIP) which, given the university’s proximity and connections to the Australian government, offers students an opportunity to include an internship experience in their degree.

In my final semester now, my time at the ANU has been long and winding, filled with its fair share of ups and downs, but it has been one of the most enriching and growth-filled experiences of my life. I’ve learnt a lot, not just in my studies, but also about life and who I want to be – and I hope your university experience will offer you the same.