Student Story | Miranda
When Miranda received the message that her uni assignment extension was denied, she was hundreds of kms into walking the Bibbulmun track. She had just days to get her assignment done. That's when the psychology student from Tassie discovered the 24/7 Albany Study Hub.
bEST LAID PLANS
When Tasmanian student Miranda Gracie decided to visit WA to walk the Bibbulmum track earlier this year, her plan was to stay on top of university assignments by hitting track towns with WIFI just prior to due dates.
It worked well. Until she fell completely in love with the track experience.
The psychology student originally planned to walk 750km of the total 1000km track, which stretches from the Perth Hills to Albany on the south coast.
Feeling driven to walk the track in its entirety, Miranda decided she would ask her lecturer for an extension on her final assignment so she could focus on finishing the extra 250kms.
Miranda hit 'send' on her assignment extension request and continued walking out of phone and internet range, confident all was planned for.
an unexpected turn
Days later, out on the track 30kms east of Denmark, Miranda learned her request was denied, and her assignment was due in just days.
“I felt sick. Horrified. I frantically begged my Facebook Bibbulmun groups for a loan of a laptop with WIFI connectivity I could borrow when I reached Albany the following day,” Miranda said.
“Someone offered the suggestion of using the Albany Library… and the librarian I spoke to suggested reaching out to the Great Southern Universities Centre. “
“I emailed the UniCentre frantically, and the Student Support Officer Kristina emailed me straight back that she could help. I think I cried!”
“What I liked most was being set free of the stress and anxiety of the situation I found myself in. If I was to describe how much I was impacted by the Centre’s supportiveness... well there’s no words. ”
off the beaten track, into a world of support
“When I arrived, I was given a 24-hour access key to the UniCentre’s Albany Study Hub, use of a photocopier (perfect for printing all the class notes family in Tassie scanned and emailed me), a desktop computer with WIFI connectivity and Microsoft Office, and a laptop capable of loading the statistical software I needed to complete my assignment.
“Given I was staying around the corner in a tiny hotel room, the toastie machine and kettle in the Study Hub communal kitchen made eating while bunkering down and studying in Albany a lot easier.”
After a 15-hour assignment writing marathon Miranda powered through her assignment “in what was complete luxury after being in the bush for weeks.”
“I never expected to land in the position of thinking 'maybe I have to accept that there is no way I can do this assignment'. In psychology you need to maintain a distinction average to continue into professional level study pathways - so a zero result is a big deal.”
“What I liked most was being set free of the stress and anxiety of the situation I found myself in. If I was to describe how much I was impacted by the Centre’s supportiveness... well there's no words.”