People Who Share

We can learn a lot from each other.  We can all share our experiences - good or bad.  Sharing your successes and failures helps others think about themselves and their lives differently.
Don't discount your experiences, don't down play your successes, and always be open when someone is asking you how you got to where you are, because who knows who you will inspire along the way.

This is why I accepted to give a speech for new students starting at Murdoch University, mainly as external students.  I was asked to 'share' my story in front of what turned out to be about 150 students preparing to make that transition into University life.

We learn from one another's stories because we can see ourselves in the choices of other people, and we can try and avoid mistakes if someone has already made them.  If you ask questions to the people you meet - and you in turn open up about the questions that they ask you - you never know what someone is going to learn.  You could be inadvertently changing someone's path.  Give back a little of your experience's when asked.

Heres parts of the speech that I made.....

"My name is Janine, and I have been invited here to tell you my story, and I’m sure all of you sat here in this room, have a story to tell.

So, here’s mine... and a very brief account it will be....

I'll start from the beginning, I am from the UK, a place called South Yorkshire.  I am 31 years old and I am just starting my second year at Murdoch.

Back in the UK, I went to a normal comprehensive school, the school leavers age is about 15, I completed my GCSEs however I didn’t really do quite as well as I could have done.  During this time my mother had a very bad stroke, which disrupted my studies rather a lot, and also, I was too busy just being a young girl at school, I didn’t feel the need to stay home on an evening and study. After my exams had finished, I really wanted to progress onto further education.    In my day you either had to have done extremely well in school to get accepted into University, or, have lots of money, I didn’t have either, so this was not an option.  However, I really wanted more out of life, so, I did a 2 years college diploma in Sports and Beauty Therapy. 

I did very well in this, I was one of the top students, and since completing the course, I ran my own very successful beauty salon straight out of college, and have always done beauty therapy since.  This really did teach me some excellent communication skills, which have been of great importance later on in life.

Although I wasn’t a grade A student at the time, I feel that it has been my life’s experiences and the fact I went to college and worked within my industry all that time that it gave me an open door into University.  I thought it would be impossible for me to do, but it really isn’t! I decided to go to University because of quite a few factors.  

Since living in Australia I have had personally, quite a rough time.  Leaving home was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, I did not really want to move here in the beginning, as all of my family are still in UK , and to leave everyone and everything I knew, and my business, was very hard and didn’t really hit me until later on, but I did leave for reasons that I wont go on about today.  Since then I have had my fair share of ups and also a fair share of downs.  Not to dwell on the past, as past is past, but I am here to share my story with the hopes that some people can relate, so share I will.  To mention but a few, I had to endure a miscarriage and also had the responsibility for caring for 2 elderly and ill family members for about 2 years, all this whilst working to save to build a house and going through my own anguishes and anxieties, which I think had stemmed from my mothers stroke, leaving home, having to deal with loss and being a carer for someone terminally ill, things build up until one day you don’t know where or who you are anymore. It was a very hard time and life just seemed to plod along.  I couldn’t see a way out. 

But one day I just realized and thought, without any help and advice from anyone else, what the hell am I doing with my life, I had been doing the same job since school and was getting very bored with it, I had achieved everything I could achieve in this industry and was yearning for something else.   I moved to Australia for a new life and look where I was…. I asked myself, what is it I am truly interested in, what, if any subject I could study, what would it be.  Well, science, in particular Environmental Science, had always been of great interest to me along with sustainable development too, however I was always under the impression that I was no way near clever enough to get in, but I had to try.  I sent off my application, which I thoroughly and carefully compiled and sent it off.  I GOT IN!  It was the single greatest and proudest day of my life.

The only challenge that I had to face was actually overcoming my own fears and doubts about my ability to do this.  As I was a mature student I was concerned I wouldn’t fit in, or I wasn’t clever enough etc.  This I now know was so unnecessary.  The fact that I stepped out of my 'comfort zone', and hey we all have them,  and also having to deal with anxiety issues and the fact I had shut myself away for so long, it was a very scary situation to be in, but I had done so well to come this far.  

My first day was great and all the worries I had had just diminished into nothing, and the fact that I had absolutely fantastic tutors really helped me to fit in with much ease and enthusiasm.  Since that day, I have achieved a hell of a lot here at Uni and now working along side some of the most inspirational people I will ever meet.  

All I can say to anyone who is wanted to further their education but think it’s impossible is don’t, because it’s not.  Test yourself, step out of your comfort zone and believe in yourself.  There is so much in life to do than to sit and wonder what if, if you want to do something, do it!  You can find a way around things in order to succeed and Murdoch is very flexible, no matter what your circumstances are Murdoch can facilitate.  Give it a go it will be the best decision you can make.  If I succeed, fantastic, if I don’t, at least I have no regrets, as life is way too short for regrets, I have learnt this through tough lessons.  If something feels good and feels right, it must be good and right.  It’s all character building and any experience is beneficial.

Whatever reason you are here for, I can guarantee you one thing, that this experience, this journey, will be a positive one! 

It is changing me in so many ways, and all positive ways too, my confidence is growing from strength to strength and I am getting involved in things I had only dreamed I would be a part of.

Being mature age is really a good thing, when it comes to study anyway, as we already have well developed communication skills, and we are here because we want to be, so take advantage of the skills you already bring with you and use them to your advantage.

There will be times when it is challenging or overwhelming, but my advice is always ask for help.  Get to know your teachers; they are the ones that will guide you.  Be sure to keep communication with them at all times, studying externally can be every different from internally, I study some units internal and some external and there is a difference, so it is very important to keep close contact.

Be sure to check your University online website everyday and also be a part of the online communities, that way you will feel part of the group. 

So if you ever think to yourself “ I can’t do this!” well, you are here and you ARE doing this, and I’m a prime example that you can.

Enjoy this journey and good luck

Thank you