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Meet Rayjessen, a final year student who is pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mining) at UNSW. Rayjessen is also the President of the and the Secretary of the .

What attracted you to study Mining Engineering?

I discovered my passion in the resources sector while participating in the city round of the International Earth Science Olympiad while in high school.
Within the mining industry, there are numerous opportunities to pursue, it comes with the realisation that without minerals supporting human needs, we would still be in the stone ages. I was very attracted to work in many commodities, to be part of the supply chain of the world, to work amongst people with diverse backgrounds and getting to be situated within the field sounds fascinating to me.

What would you say to current high school students looking to study Engineering at UNSW?

UNSW Engineering is currently ranked first in Australia and the lecturers are well known within the resources industry. UNSW is at the forefront of technological breakthrough and discoveries in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) through numerous company collaborations; hence, there are strong industry connections and world-wide recognition of the university. The experience you gain as an engineering student here is very practical and can often be applied in world-wide case competitions. 

There is also a huge community there to support young engineers through university societies, industry societies, and lecturers. The student life here is vibrant and there are so many cool events made through inter-society collaboration too. If you are unsure which engineering degree to go through, there is a flexible first year program for you to consider which stream you would like to be a part of for your future ambitions!! 

How do you think your studies at UNSW will help in your career aspirations?

My studies at UNSW have inspired me to take on global view on my career aspirations, as UNSW community will produce future leaders. Being surrounded with like-minded people, pushed and inspired me to take on challenges in the world and by having a support system through networking with my peers, I feel more confident and able to pursue more in life. Currently, I have my ambitions to work as a mining engineer in Australia and then to further my interests with on world-wide projects.

Can you share something about the mining industry that might interest someone considering studies and a career in this industry?

Without the mining industry consistently producing minerals, we would not have computers, smart phones, electricity, or anything that we have now. Fun fact, if the United Kingdom (population 31.5 million) transitions to electric cars, we would require more copper, nickel, and cobalt; and recycling would only meet 40% of the United States needs for lithium and cobalt.

The mining industry is not going to go bust, especially with current need of energy transition. There are many scholarships offered from mining companies to work as a cadet amongst other roles. The working lifestyle can also be very flexible, working on rosters. Examples include: 8 days working, 6 days off; 2 weeks working, 2 weeks off; fly to site and fly out of site. Working at the city is also possible demonstrating the vast potential of this degree!

What was your pathway into UNSW?

I am an international Student from Indonesia and my pathway to UNSW started through an amazing program offered from , where I did not need to study for Foundation at all. My first year at UNSW Global accounted as first year at UNSW, then I transferred internally to UNSW to start my second year. All I had to do was to meet certain criteria of the IELTS English language test and my high school marks needed to meet the requirements. As a bonus, extracurricular activities are highly regarded to be in the program.

Is there anything else that you would like to share about the benefits of your UNSW experience?

I have been involved in so many activities throughout my time in UNSW. I am currently the President of the where I lead collaboration between companies and student societies, connecting people with industry representatives, networking with peers from other engineering Societies through joint events. I am also the Secretary of the and have been to technical conferences around Sydney and Brisbane during my studies. I assisted the organizer of the in Sydney and met many professionals, this is all thanks to the industry connections that I made in UNSW.

Student life in this university is fun and I have gained many rewarding experiences. I met many of my friends through and . I also host social events with my society committees to foster friendships through bowling and BBQ events.