Alejandra Acosta Hermosillo
Alejandra Acosta Hermosillo
- Student type: International
- Degree type: Masters
- Year commenced: 2016
- Degree(s): Master of Advanced Engineering
- Major(s): Civil engineering
Where did you study your Bachelor of Engineering?
I studied my Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering at the Western Institute of Higher Education and Technology in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Did you go straight from your Bachelor degree to the Masters programme? Or did you have some time out?
I worked as an assistant engineer during the final year of my degree at a civil engineering firm that does infrastructure consulting. As soon as I finish my degree I went travelling around southeast Mexico and there I got my first job at a construction company. I settle there for a year and a half working in construction for a commercial building and residential development companies. After that year and a half, I went back home to work at my father’s company for a year and it was at that time where I applied for the Master’s course.
Why did you choose Monash?
I always had the desire to come to Australia since I was younger. I started looking for courses around Australia that had a focus in water resources management and green infrastructure, which is what I wanted. I came across this course as I was looking through universities around Melbourne and I discovered Monash. I started researching about the university and came to find out that is one of the best universities in Australia and around the world. I also notice that it has a very good ranking in engineering courses and that’s why I decided to study here.
Why the MAE?
I liked the fact that the course is a multidisciplinary approach to engineering. The course is Advanced Engineering so it has a very wide range of engineering courses from different disciplines, that’s why I saw a great deal of opportunity in doing a course that would allow me to expand my civil engineering knowledge to other streams.
Did you choose to study it in 1 or 2 years? Why?
I decided to do the two-year course because it gives you the opportunity to take several elective units during the first year. You can select units from different engineering disciplines and even from other faculties. The two-year course also gives you the opportunity to undertake a design and research project during the last year of the degree, which is a good complement for the coursework and allows you to expand your possibilities when finishing.
Have you had any industry work experience during your course? Where? What did you do?
So far, I haven’t had the opportunity to work in the industry within Australia. There is a Monash Industry Team Initiative (MITI) that runs summer vacation programmes with different partners to which I just have applied for this summer, it would be a good opportunity.
What have you enjoyed most about the course?
This degree has allowed me to expand my knowledge within my stream and other aspects of engineering. I’ve learnt how to make the most of all the resources that we get in every unit. Also, the fact that is multidisciplinary means that you are constantly in touch with other people taking the course, so you get to learn from them as well.
What was the best thing about being a student at Monash?
The fact that there is a huge international student’s community makes everybody feel welcome to the university. There is a lot of support for overseas students around campus to help you with university assignments, social activities and accommodation which is amazing. Another thing I really liked is the amount of societies and extracurricular activities that are constantly offered around campus.
What advice do you have for prospective students thinking about studying the MAE?
To get involved in student life and activities within the university. I think is important also to constantly be providing feedback about the units and courses for it to keep improving. This course is very new so it’s necessary for students to get involve to get the best quality education possible. The course is also very time consuming therefore I think is good to manage your times to study, resting and even do some part time work (if necessary).
Where do you think the masters will take you, where are you hoping it will take you? What do you plan to do next?
I would like to start working at a consulting company that will also allow me to be on site. I decided to study civil engineering because I didn’t want to be chained to a desk, I want to go where the action is. I hope I can get the opportunity to have some industry work in Australia, do some travelling and then go back home to start building my own professional pathway by creating my own projects.