Q&A with Angel Maliakkal about her transition from school to university

AngelProfilePic.jpgHaving graduated from high school in 2016, Angel is currently undertaking her undergraduate studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Queensland. She is passionate about the energy sector believing it is the enabler of all other industries and hopes to pursue a career within it. 

Q1.  How did the subjects you studied in school help with the choice of your Uni course?

 I studied Chemistry, Maths C, Maths B, Physics, and English as my five OP subjects. These are essentially what underline chemical and environmental engineering. In first-year engineering, you revisit the knowledge learnt throughout grade 11 and 12 more in-depth and at a much faster rate, and so having a foundation within these areas made it much easier to manage the workload.

Q2. What was the transition like from high school science into university-level science?

I had to change my style of learning; in high school I would listen in class and ask questions about topics I didn't understand then I would go back home and revisit the topics, to ensure that I fully understood. At uni, your lecture theatres can be filled up to 400 students so asking every question you may have isn't quite possible. I also found that it was hard to understand and follow at the pace of the lecturer if you hadn't already completed the pre-reading that was necessary.

Q3. If you could take back time to your high school years, what would you have changed about the way you approached your learning?

I wish I had studied smarter; I was somebody who dedicated my last two years of high school to just study, so this meant all my time was taken up by it. I missed out on a lot of opportunities and memories outside of schooling. I strongly encourage you, girls, to take up more extra-curricular activities and really branch out on your interests.

Q4.  What do you find the most interesting about your University course?

I'm somebody who likes connecting with people and believes that people are your best asset. With engineering being such a diverse field; I am constantly given the opportunity to meet people who are so different from each other and learn from them.

Q5. What is the most difficult part about Tertiary study?

I would definitely say that staying motivated is the most difficult part. To do well, you must overcome all of the small obstacles along the way, but the best part is, you can really count on your peers to help you because everyone knows how hard it is.

​ © Brisbane Catholic Education​, St John Fisher College Bracken Ridge (2019​)​