Business As Usual

In hindsight, studying a double degree is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not only do I get to spend another year as a university student (no sarcasm here, being a uni student is actually the greatest – more on that in my next post) but I also get to build up knowledge and skills in two totally different disciplines, which means that I get to see the world from two totally different perspectives.

Under my Commerce degree, I major in Econometrics and Business Statistics. If you’ve never heard of that before, rest assured, neither had I until my first semester when I took the core statistics unit and was inspired to divert from my original plan to study Marketing. That’s one of the brilliant things about the course structure of the Bachelor of Commerce - the first-year core units give you a foundation in an array of majors (because after all, ‘Commerce’ actually encompasses so much). Doing the core units might confirm your intention to pursue a certain major or help you find the right one if you are a little more undecided.

I actually really like telling people I major in Econometrics when they ask, it is such a fun word to say and makes me sound like a genius! So what actually is it? Of course, you can look it up in a textbook or on Wikipedia if you’re after more official definitions, but to basically summarise, econometrics explores the theories and applications of modelling data. Modelling and data for what? Basically everything!

There are econometrics units to do with finance, economics and marketing, so it is especially perfect if you have the option of a double major. I personally took a few units run by both the Marketing and Econometrics departments, so I did actually get the chance to study a bit of marketing. Through my major I gained quantitative skills and have had practice with some statistical software, which I anticipate will be extremely useful, with data playing an increasing role in business and in our everyday lives. Commerce and econometrics have helped me gain an appreciation for business. Business is everything and everywhere in the world, and econometrics has allowed me to see the value of making sense of this world through numbers and models.

Under my Arts degree, I major in Communications and minor in Human Rights, but I have also taken units in Film and Television Studies, International Relations and History. I have so much love for this side of my degree as I have had the opportunity to peek behind the curtain at all these fascinating and diverse disciplines. I have also become excellent at research and essay writing, which I hope will serve me well in my career. Studying Arts has encouraged me to constantly reconsider and re-evaluate the way I see the world, all the big issues that face it and all the little things that make up it.

At certain points in my degree I have questioned the congruity of all my units, they seem random and irrelevant to each other but when I take a step back it occurs to me that it is indeed advantageous, not to mention fun, to have this much variety in my studies. It is highly unlikely that anyone else has studied the exact same combination of units that I have, and so I have unwittingly designed a unique course path and a unique lens to see things. Isn’t that spectacular?

I chose my course because I was interested in a range of areas, but didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. The tipping point for the course was when I came to open day and spoke to current students. Their experiences matched my own, and so I felt best suited to doing a double degree in Business and Arts.

Q. How did you choose your double degree and why do you think Business and Arts complement each other?
A. I chose my combination based on my passions. I really enjoy politics, both domestic and international, and I also have a strong interest in business, so I went with a Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Arts. These areas complement each other well; you get a political perspective on business, and a business’s perspective on politics. I feel it improves my marks as I have a depth of knowledge single degree students might not possess.

Q. How has your double degree impacted your future career goals?
A. The double-degree gives me the opportunity to go a range of different range with my future career. It really opens doors in terms of which businesses can employ me, and how employable I am when looking for work.

Q. What are the best parts of your degrees?
A. The best part of my business degree is the ability to take on industry based learning placements and internships. It’s great to experience the workforce before you leave university, as you know you’re a lot more capable, and more attractive to employers. My Arts degree has also given me the opportunity to study abroad, and encouraged me to really fulfil my potential, in terms of what I can achieve while at university.

Commerce/Law was the perfect choice of degree for me. I’ve always been deeply interested in development economics – the study of how developing countries can enhance the wellbeing of their citizens. Law is a natural complement to that, as a mechanism through which complex social and economic policies are given effect.

Q. How did you choose your double degree and why do you think Commerce and Law complement each other?
A. To understand the law, you need to understand the commercial context in which it operates; to understand commerce, you need to understand the legal foundation upon which society (and therefore commerce) is built.

Q. What do you think potential employers will like about your double degree qualification?
A. The broad set of skills you pick up in the course of two studies, and the flexibility of mind instilled in students of two disciplines.

Q. What would you say if someone asked you why a double degree is a good option?
A. Do it if there are two different degrees you’re interested in, but not merely for the sake of it. Balancing two degrees is hard at the best of times!

Q. What are the best parts of your degrees?
A. The diverse range of subjects and the depth of knowledge you can gain in each of them.

I chose to study a double degree as it made the course more flexible. My double degree allows me to keep my options open as to what I want to do at the end of my course, and also allows me to work towards a triple major.

Q. How did you choose your double degree and why do you think Commerce and Economics complement each other?
A. I was offered a scholarship, which is the main reason I chose to undertake a degree in both Commerce and Economics. However they complement each other really well and increase the general knowledge I have in commerce.

Q. How has your double degree impacted your future career goals?
A. having a double degree means that I can keep my options open throughout the course and beyond. If I decide I want to go down a different career path, then that option is available to me.

Q. What would you say if someone asked you why a double degree is a good option?
A. Double degrees are a great option as they make your course more flexible and give you more choices, particularly in terms of subject selection. The extra degree means that you can mix up what you’re mainly studying with another area to help stay engaged and motivated by your course.

Q. What are the best parts of your degrees?
A. It never gets boring and I have the opportunity to experiment with many different areas of commerce and economics.