Christie Bassett
Bachelor of Environments: Urban Design and Planning

I chose the Bachelor of Environments because of the diverse options it offered and its flexibility, as I would be able to pursue other areas of my interest such as Music and Development Studies in parallel with Urban Design and Planning Subjects.

I decided to major in Urban Design and Planning because of my passion for the mechanisms of city-making, and the way human societies relate to their environment. I have always been interested in human sciences, and this major offered me the possibility to explore different pathways within the broad field of urban studies.

My favourite subjects were Urban Precinct Studio 3, as our tutor and lecturer were able to communicate their enthusiasm for Urban Design through intellectually stimulating studio sessions. The satisfaction of seeing my ideas materialise into a final product was immense, and the collaborative work between students and teachers was a very enriching experience. I also enjoyed subjects such as ‘Society and Environments’ and ‘Inside the City of Diversity’ which explored the complex social fabric of the city.

To me, studying at the University of Melbourne was wonderful, because of the diverse campus life, the people I met, the whole idea of sharing life experiences in an environment which truly allows you to expand as a person.

My advice to new students is to go with the flow, immerse yourself fully in the whole university experience, to not be scared to be yourself and let others hear your voice.

I am looking forward to pursuing my studies in Urban Planning, with a particular focus on Social and Community Planning and hope to find ways to use my experience and knowledge in international development projects.

The BEnvs helped prepare me for a variety of career paths, allowing me to develop transferable skills such as strong written and oral communication skills.

Five words that sum me up are friendly, thoughtful, adaptable, open-minded and dessert-loving!

My personal motto is always trust your emotions, sometimes they need a bit of deciphering but they can show you the way to go.

I will chose to do graduate study in Urban planning because it would reinforce the skills and knowledge I have acquired so far and give me the opportunity to specialize in a particular area of my interest.

It’s different to study at graduate level because of your level of experience and a certain dimension of professionalism that you acquire in the way you communicate and relate with your peers.

In my Masters I am looking forward to working on a minor thesis on a topic of my choice while specialising in Social and Community planning and I am very enthusiastic about opportunities to participate in a travelling studio next year.

What inspires you at Uni? What inspires me is the passion of some of the tutors/lecturers and the way you can shape your learning experience and make the most of it; and mostly, enjoying simple things like catching up with a friend over coffee between two classes or having a snooze on South Lawn on a sunny day.