Amanuel Woldemariam
Beyond the classroom: my student society experience Written by Amanuel Woldemariam, Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Advanced Studies
When I first came to the University of Sydney, I felt out place. Having graduated from a high school with only four of the 100-strong class attending the University of Sydney, it was a daunting experience not knowing anyone. So, I began university life feeling incredibly lonely and lost. I soon made my first friend in my first ECMT 1010 Introduction to Economic Statistics tutorial. To this day, they are still one of my closest friends and together we set out to get to know more of our classmates. Surprisingly, I had not heard of the Economics Society until by chance, I went to a welcome event in my first semester. 18
I was amazed that students were able to organise their own events for people studying a similar degree. After meeting and talking to people who were as passionate about Economics as I was, I realised I had come to the right place. It was clear from those conversations, we truly believed that Economics had to the ability to be the catalyst for tangible change in the lives of ordinary people. In our naivety – and the benefit of hindsight – we believe we knew much more than we did, but I suppose that is a corollary of being the oldest students in the playground back in high school.
