Janin Hentzen from our Master of Philosophy (Marketing) program shares her experience studying at the University of Adelaide.

Why did you choose your degree? 
I have an undergraduate degree in International Business and Management, but always knew I wanted to continue studying. Initially I was just  considering a Master degree, but after my exchange semester in Perth, my lecturer asked whether I would consider doing a PhD. She saw that I was a motivated and determined. Hearing someone you respect personally and professionally speak so highly of you really boosted my confidence and pushed me to search for opportunities beyond what I had initially planned for myself.

Why did you choose to study at the University of Adelaide? 
I don't think I chose the University of Adelaide, but I think the University chose me. As I mentioned before, I always had the ambition to get a postgraduate degree. Although initially I was only looking at a Master by coursework, after my exchange semester I started to consider Honours and PhD, as well as a MPhil.

Studying in Australia does come with its challenges, and for me the challenge was the financing of my studies. So when I came across a scholarship opportunity at the University of Adelaide, I knew I had to take my chances and apply. The fact that I am here shows that I did get rewarded for 'going for it'. So the scholarship was the first and probably most important reason as to why I chose to study at the University of Adelaide. The second and another very important reason was that I found great supervisors, who shared my research vision and excitement. I get along really well with my supervisors, they support me in my decisions. Lastly, the University of Adelaide is one of the top 8 universities in Australia. Based on this, I knew that the quality of education I would receive here would be very high. 

What do you enjoy about your degree? 
I enjoy the autonomy and freedom I am given. I get to structure my day and my research based on how I want it. Also, I really enjoy researching about what I am interested in. The University motivates and assists us in publishing our research, which is extremely useful for my future.

What are your career aspirations after university? 
That is a very good question and one I still ask myself and will probably keep asking myself in the years to come. The way I see it, I have multiple options. The older I get, the more I realise you can plan as much as you want, but in the end you can never anticipate all the opportunities that will present themselves to you. At the moment I am torn between going back the industry and use my research skills and business expertise to work for one of the Big 4 Consulting firms. On the other hand, continuing in academia also seems like an interesting and rewarding career choice.

What job role do you have now  and what kind of work does that involve? 
Apart from doing my MPhil, I am also a tutor/ workshop facilitator for an undergraduate management course. This is quite rewarding as I never thought I would actually end up teaching, but I do actually like it.