Student Highlights
Combining passions through postgraduate study

Originally from Indonesia, Eni relocated to Australia in 2011 and is very happy to call this country home.

While she initially studied an undergraduate degree in forestry in Indonesia, she decided to instead complete a short course and start her career in the banking industry.

Eventually relocating with her husband to Australia, Eni worked in nursing before deciding she wanted to return to university and undertake further learning to assist in her passion for helping others.

“My goal was to study radiography, however, my knowledge of English was a barrier. So, I enrolled in Open Foundation, completing it in 2018, and receiving the Brian Smith Memorial Prize for the highest academic achievement,” Eni said.

Eni went on to study a Bachelor of Diagnostic Radiography as she had hoped to do, and she placed on the Faculty of Health and Medicine Commendation List for 2019.

However, Eni’s other passions were making her re-evaluate the decision to study radiography.

“I truly enjoyed the radiography course and I benefited from the knowledge that I had learned in this short period, but my passion for data kept calling me,” she said.

Looking back on her time in the banking sector, Eni realised that she had enjoyed working closely with data and wanted to expand on this experience.

She also reached out to her previous lecturer for advice, who introduced her to the course coordinator for data science.

“Since I was always curious about data, I wanted to learn more about how I could get a wider knowledge of data and found that I would have to upgrade my knowledge through higher education.

“Back then, the University of Newcastle did not have an undergraduate program in data science*, so I enrolled in the postgraduate course,” Eni said.

Now in her final year of a Master of Data Science, Eni is looking forward to finishing her studies and putting her skills to use in the workforce.

“I like to think that I can contribute to the community by combining my data and health knowledge.

“I would also like to empower women from different backgrounds to pursue their dreams in STEM by sharing my experience with them and telling them there is nothing to be scared about statistics, mathematics, or computer programs,” she said.

Eni would love to show women that data science is a legitimate career path for them, especially when it is currently in such demand within the workforce.

“We can all learn these skills if we are passionate about them.

“During my studies, I have been exposed to certain algorithms and how to implement them. I also gained valuable knowledge about how to conduct research and write a quality academic report,” she said.

While Eni completed most of her studies online and through the pandemic, she still received the opportunity to network with peers and seek support from her lecturers.

“Although most of our courses are conducted online, we still have a chance to meet with other students from various professional backgrounds through group assignments.

“My most memorable moments are meeting inspiring students and having good discussions with them about data science topics.

“Also, the lectures and tutorials are very helpful, and we can reach out to our tutors if we are ever having any issues,” she said.

The flexibility of online study worked well for Eni, as she enjoyed the mix of face to face and online when juggling study and day to day life.

“For me, good planning, time management, and discipline worked best during my studies. I also learned to never give up if I found it difficult in certain areas.

“Understanding certain computer programs require patience and time and I found it was helpful to be proactive in discussing my concerns with my lecturer, tutor or mentor.

“Plus, I had great support from family and friends who lifted my spirits when it was needed!” Eni said.

* The University of Newcastle now offers a Bachelor of Data Science program. Learn more about the Bachelor of Data Science here.

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Eni Murtini

Eni will graduate this year with a Master of Data Science which she hopes will help her contribute to the community and combine her passions in data and helping others.

It was a long journey for me to find what I really passionate about in my life. It could be a short journey for some, and long one for others, but it’s never too late.