Ben Barber

Final-year student, Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology

He has always been close to the ocean and its amazing organisms, says Ben Barber who came to AUT to study a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology.

“Growing up, I spent a lot of time around the water as my godparents lived on a boat for the first half of my life. They were a major driver behind me wanting to become a marine biologist. Since I was three, I’ve been saying that I want to be a marine biologist. At the time, I had no one to tell me what it actually meant to be one, but I’m glad I stuck with this career goal.”

Expecting to graduate from AUT at the end of the year, he is certain that the ocean will be a big part of his future.

“I just want to work near, in or around the ocean and the organisms that inhabit it. I’m planning to do my master’s degree in marine biology at James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland, and will do proper career planning once I’ve completed that.”

Choosing AUT
Ben says AUT was the obvious choice for his studies.

“I liked that the classes were more engaging and involved a lot more practical work than at other unis. The courses are very interesting and engaging, and are taught by brilliant people who care for their students. I’d recommend studying at AUT. From the people to the courses to the campus itself, AUT is a great place to be.

“Apart from meeting tonnes of awesome people, one of the most memorable experiences for me was the Plants and Animals Taxonomy course overnight trip. We spent the evening looking for cool bugs we found in the bush around the hut we were staying at. There were lots of laughs and learning about all the unique organisms we found.”

Student life was an interesting experience for him.

“I started university living at home with my parents, barely coming in because we were still in lockdown, but by the end of the year I had made great friends, and we moved in together for our second and third years of university. These people made my life a lot easier, as we were able to talk about concepts and help each other fully grasp them. Student life was only made easier by the awesome tutors and lecturers who were easy to reach and always forthcoming. Over my three-year journey, many different lecturers guided me and offered help readily. Out of my entire schooling career, AUT staff are by far the best at getting back to you.”

Advice for other students
Ben has some great advice for other students who are only at the start of their university journey.

“If I can offer one piece of advice; just stick it out. I know it can be tough, stressful and overwhelming sometimes but if you push through, things get better, plus you’ll have a degree.”

Time management is important, he adds.

“For me, the biggest challenge I faced was time management as life can so easily get away from you. Learning how to manage my time through the little tips I picked up from lectures allowed me to hand in assignments on time and to a high standard.”