The key to a great postgraduate experience

OPINION: Having a great student experience is all about the people you meet and the friends you make while you are at university, says UNSW postgraduate student Melani Nikolic.

The 24-year-old is the Postgraduate Coursework Officer for the UNSW Postgraduate Council, which represents more than 10,000 postgraduate students on campus.

Nikolic, an international student, is currently completing the Master of Public Relations and Advertising at UNSW’s Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.

She studied psychology and management in Germany before being enticed by the Ranke-Heinemann Institute to consider postgraduate study in Australia.

“I just went there to get a bit of information on study options but they sold it really well and I have not regretted my decision. I think UNSW is fantastic,” she says.

When Nikolic arrived in Australia she didn’t know anyone, and the campus college where she was living was mostly undergraduate students.

“I wanted to find a way to meet other postgraduate students,” she says. “Getting involved with the Postgraduate Council was a great way to meet other postgrads from across faculties.”

The Postgraduate Council provides information, support, representation and advice on issues that affect postgraduate students at UNSW.

“The Council gives a voice to postgraduate students. We do a lot of campaigning on things like Opal cards and student concessions,” says Nikolic.

“We help postgraduate students connect because it can sometimes be harder for them, particularly if they have family or work commitments.

“I organise social events, and seminars with the careers centre, to help students network and find a job. UNSW also offers many programs in areas like mentorship and leadership – there are a lot of resources for students but they don’t always know what is available. That is part of our job, to get the information out there and help students.”

Nikolic says her interest in creative advertising and marketing led her to choose the Master of Public Relations and Advertising. She initially planned to do her degree by coursework but then decided on the research path.

“I didn’t think about writing a thesis until one of my lecturers encouraged me to consider it, and I am really glad I did. My thesis was on how virtual reality impacts advertising. It is a very new field so it was very interesting,” she says.

Nikolic says she is looking forward to putting her new skills into practice in the workforce.

“I would love to work in digital advertising and make advertising more interesting because, to be honest, everybody hates ads. We all skip them and change the channel.

“Digital media gives you so many more opportunities to be creative, to connect with the consumer on a different level and give the consumer more value,” she says.

Nikolic is also keen to encourage other postgraduate students take part in campus activities, get in touch with the Postgraduate Council, and make the most of their university experience.