Cathy Reilly
Bachelor of Environments: Landscape Architecture

I chose the Bachelor of Environments because it’s a course that doesn’t lock you into one area. I liked the interdisciplinary approach and that you can pursue more than one interest.

I decided to major in Landscape Architecture because of the diversity it offers. Being a person who is interested in many things, I was drawn to its combination of both analytical and creative aspects.

My favourite subjects were definitely design studios because you finally got a chance to put together what you had learnt and create a design solution in a real world context.

To me, studying at the University of Melbourne meant being part of something different. As the first year to go through Environments, we faced a lot of challenges. Having finished now, I think these moments made us stronger and more committed to our fields.

My advice to new students is don’t wait to be told what to do. A lot of the most valuable things I learnt came from having to figure things out for myself or with the help of other students.

I am looking forward to doing my Masters and finally being qualified to practice. It’s a long and at times hard journey but hopefully worth the effort.

The BEnvs helped prepare me for dealing with issues that don’t have one simple solution. If I’ve learnt anything, it’s that you can’t even attempt to solve a problem until you’ve tried to understand it from many different perspectives.

Five words that sum me up are in the words of my friends: staunch, meticulous, perceptive, spontaneous and vocal.

My personal motto is cathy reilly…ultimately prepared.