Murray

Bachelor of Information Science

Why did you choose to study Statistics at Newcastle?
Newcastle was an obvious choice for me - although I was from outside the area, I have friends and family living there. Also I am a keen surfer, and Newcastle offers some of the best waves, and highest quality beaches in the world.

What was the best thing about your degree program?
The labs - using software to implement the theory. Even if I struggled with some of the material, with the help of my lecturers, I could usually make sense of it once implemented with real data sets. To me, this is what stats is all about - its not about the numbers, its about finding information from the numbers.

How did you find the support and service of staff at the University?
I have come to appreciate that my stats lecturers were of a world class standard. They were highly knowledgeable, experienced, and perhaps most importantly, they were approachable. They were willing to devote extra time to assist me with the material, and to support me through assignments and exams. The administrative staff were always friendly, and worked hard to address my needs.

Where are you currently working and what are you currently doing? How has you Statistics degree helped you in your professional life?
I am now working as a Clinical Trials Statistician for a Clinical Research Organisation. I get to apply the interesting parts of what learnt at Newcastle to my everyday work, and it's fantastic to know I'm helping to find better treatments and hopefully even cures for many different diseases and conditions such as cancer and HIV. The work is always exciting and each project is different to the last. It's well paid too.

It would be impossible for me to be doing this work without my undergraduate degree from the University of Newcastle. It has also enabled me to begin the postgraduate Masters of Biostatistics. There is a global shortage of skilled statisticians, so my degree means I am in demand world-wide, not just within Australia.

What advice would you give to future students considering studying Statistics at Newcastle?
Consider what you want out of your uni experience. It is important to make an informed decision - does Newcastle offer what you are after? If studying in a relaxed beach side city, with a great party atmosphere, or earning a world class degree that offers real career prospects is what you're after, then I recommend the University of Newcastle.