Student Profile

Nicole Hentrich

Graduate 2011
Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary)

I completed my undergraduate double degree and Honours at Curtin because they had the majors I wished to study, an excellent reputation and faculty whose research strengths matched by own interests. I continued onto the GradDip because I enjoyed studying at Curtin and being involved in university life here.

Curtin is an excellent university if you enjoy innovative approaches to study and learning, a diverse student body, great facilities and academic and administrative staff who genuinely want to help you. The GradDip has only reinforced what I already knew about Curtin and the Faculty of Humanities from my undergrad study: that I wouldn’t want to study anywhere else in Perth.

My biggest highlight overall would have to be going on exchange to Queen’s University in Canada for a semester. My other highlight is from this year and that was going on prac. It was great being able to put into practise what we were learning in the classroom.

I’ve been quite involved in university life in my time at Curtin. Uni is so much more than just study and class. Anyone who graduates from uni gets a degree, but it’s the extra activities that you get involved in and the opportunities you take that enrich your own experience and make you stand out. I have been fortunate enough to be a Student Ambassador as well as a Mentor for first year students. I work at the Student Guild and have been asked to give to Welcome Address at Orientation Day to all the incoming first-year students. I represent Curtin in rowing and have gone to Uni Games and I have been involved with John Curtin weekend as well as be a part of the Curtin Team for the World’s Greatest Shave. Uni really is what you make of it and Curtin will give you plenty of opportunities to make something amazing.

The staff are one of the best things about Curtin as a university and the GradDip as a course. They are always willing to help and provide extra guidance and support if you need. They are genuinely concerned about how you are doing and will take the time to chat about any concerns or problems you’re having. They bring a wealth of experience and humour to classes and what’s great is that most of them have only recently left classroom teaching, are still teaching or have even gone back for a stint of “real” teaching to get a feel for how education has changed. This means that the people that are teaching you have real, contemporary experience in the profession.

I would definitely recommend this degree to prospective students. The staff and the support they provide would be the main reason and no matter how independent and tough you think you are the GradDip in Education is incredibly full on. You really need that guidance and even if you don’t ever use it, knowing that they are there and are so approachable gives you piece of mind and confidence.