Whenever anyone asks me “Why are you single?” my response is always “It’s because I’m in a committed relationship with my degree.” and that’s because I love my degree. I’d dreamed of studying at this university for 10 years before I started. You probably think I’m weird, I possibly am, so here is why I love the Faculty of Arts to explain why I am this way.

I’m Studying What I Care About

I’m so fortunate I’m studying something I genuinely find fascinating and something I have found interesting throughout my life. I’ve always loved the media, and since I was in kindergarten I’ve always been aware of everyone’s gender. I used to always get upset as a child (and even now) when boys and girls are treated differently for their gender because we have created strict guidelines to follow. I remember as a child loving watching films and thinking “Why does this always happen in these kinds of scenes?”, “Oh! I’ve seen this in the real world!” and even “Wow! All these issue with the media have so many layers.” I am so lucky this university offers me what I love. The content makes me wish time wasn’t a thing so I could sit in the lecture theatre for ages.

I Can Apply What I Learn Everyday

We can never escape the media, it’s the biggest way we communicate information and ideas with each other. Moreover, gender is a discussion everyone is having now. I can constantly apply what I’m learning to the real world and even cross over content in my majors! They both are heavily relevant to each other.

There is always the potential for the readings to change from year to year because of developments in the world we live in. In one of my courses, we have readings about COVID-19 which would never have been done last year. Some of my readings were published in 2020, proving we are getting up to date information about what we’re learning when a course has existed for years rather than studying the same thing for centuries.

I Have Learnt How To Be Critical

A few of my assignments have  focused on “why is your opinion not valid?” which really makes you question yourself. It’s a really hard challenge, but I feel as if I’m a better person when it comes to politics and understanding how different people think. I found this really difficult in high school because I always thought my opinion was right. I’ve learnt how to look for the pros in the opposition point of view, or a different way of thinking, along with looking at the cons of my own perspective.

When I see something in the news on public debate and my friends are discussing it on social media, I’m always presented with a single solution. As a Bachelor of Arts student, I have learnt to be critical and slowly think the issue through and think of all the different changes which could be made in the world rather than following my friends and the media. The faculty has taught me to question myself and also think about different people’s way of thinking.

A vlog by Georgia-Rae Taylor in 2018 (available on the Faculty of Arts YouTube channel)

I’m Learning from Different Majors

While I major in Gender Studies and Communication, I also study from different departments . I’ve been able to dip my toes into different puddles while still being able to keep committed to my major. I’ve been able to do papers in Politics and International Relations, Drama and Anthropology which has allowed me to discuss content with students who have different majors. We study the same content and we build off each other and understand different perspectives. It means I don’t just study one thing, I can discuss content with all sorts of people and broaden my understanding of the world through meeting different people and studying different courses.

I would never change faculties, this faculty is the school of life and teaches me valuable lessons which can be applied outside the classroom. The students and staff are so friendly and diverse. I’m going to be able to bring the content I learn to the outside world and be able to challenge myself and critically view the world and media all thanks to this one faculty.