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Student Grace Truman shares the reasons she chose a double degree.

Grace Truman is studying neuroscience, philosophy and sociology as she completes a Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Science (Advanced) degree. We asked her 5 quick questions about studying a double degree.

Her advice for anyone considering a double degree?
“Take the opportunity and run with it! There is so much to learn, and so many people to learn from. From your peers to your lecturers to the researchers and authors of your course readings, a double degree opens you up to more perspectives and encourages you keep pushing and expanding your own.”

What inspired you to pursue your double degree?

I was lucky enough to I grow up with many role models for pursuing Arts studies and careers in creative industries. When these family members and friends spoke of how formative their university experiences as Arts students had been, that definitely had an influence on me. And then through high school, I realised I loved studying science – the work of scientists blew me away, and the ongoing questions in science really excited me.

My interests were broad, and I wanted the opportunity to study a range of subjects – which is exactly what a double degree allows for. I also felt Arts and Science would complement each other well because both disciplines are curiosity-driven.

What are you hoping to do after graduation?

Exact plans are still to be determined, but I'm considering further postgraduate studies to pursue a career in academia – combining research with teaching and communication opportunities, as well as a bit of travel (fingers crossed!), has appeal at the moment.

Whatever I do end up pursuing, I hope that it will continue to combine my interests across Arts and Science fields.

What’s been the most rewarding part of studying two disciplines at once?

Finding connections across the disciplines – both in the sense of connecting with like-minded peers across multiple faculties, and in the sense of developing new connections in my thinking based on the insights from each discipline.

I've met some amazing people and made some incredible friends through both sides of my degree, which I'm so grateful for!

And then, whenever I can bring across examples or concepts from one side of my degree into the other, I get to deepen how I understand those ideas and see them in a new light – which I find truly rewarding.

How do you balance the workload and mindset shifts between the two fields?

Honestly, I think my choice of double degree does most of the balancing by itself. Each term I get to do a little bit of everything, so I don't get bogged down in too much of any one thing. And the assessment structures of my Arts and Science subjects tend to be quite different, so the workload gets spread out through the term rather than there being overwhelming assignment periods.

The most important mindset tool for me is really trying to contextualise how each subject, no matter the discipline, fits into the bigger picture of my overall studies – what information does the course build on, how does this course change or influence how I reflect on ideas I've learnt previously.

Can you share a highlight of your time at ���������¼� so far?

I've been very fortunate and been able to travel on two overseas exchanges within my degree, first to Berlin and then to New York City. For anyone considering an exchange program, I cannot recommend the experience highly enough. You can find yourself in a completely different lifestyle compared to your usual routines – between navigating a new city and a whole different university system – and while that can be overwhelming, it also gives you an amazing opportunity to explore and grow as a person.