5 Golden Nuggets of Advice

Golden Nugget 1 - Embrace MacDonalds Moments

Throughout my university years, my dad would say to me. “You live a champagne life on a MacDonald's income”. I didn’t quite understand what he meant. I was working many hours part-time through university, which many of you will do as well. ?I asked him to unpack that thinking for me. He quickly highlighted that I didn’t pay for rent, water, or electricity. I had a fridge full of food at my disposal, that miraculously refilled every few days and a weekly cleaner who vacuumed my room and usually picked up my clothes off the floor. My only expense was petrol and my social life. Everything I earned was spent on me. It was great, but it was not a long-term reality. Here was I thinking that I was conquering adulthood and all of its responsibilities, but little did I know the reality check that was waiting for me.

There will be a time in your life when you need to live a ‘MacDonalds life’. It might be during university. It may be in your early years after graduation. It might be at a time when you are looking to buy your first home.

MacDonald’s moments, on reflection, can often be some of the happiest times in your life. They can teach you gratitude for the things you have and help you to determine what is important in your life and what’s not. Don’t lose hope in your MacDonald’s moments. It’s all a part of the journey.

Golden Nugget 2 – Be More Than a Degree

You have heard us say many times at St Hilda’s that you are more than an ATAR. I take this one step further, while you are on the cusp of tertiary studies, to remind you that you are more than a degree.

A university education goes well beyond a qualification. At university you will further shape your understanding of the world and your place within it. University is a launching pad for intellectual curiosity, growth and personal development. It extends far beyond just filling your head with knowledge and securing your first job. It’s also about having lots of fun, romance, new adventures and new friends.

I encourage you to broaden your horizons and surround yourself with different people. If you surround yourself with people who are the same as you, you will all start thinking the same and being the same. The world needs difference. The world needs originality. Originality drives innovation and progress. It makes you more interesting and engaging. Remember that your uniqueness is your secret sauce.

Golden Nugget 3 - Learn, Unlearn and Relearn

There is no magic to this. We need to be open to change. You’ve got yourself to graduation, congratulations. But what got you here, won't necessarily get you to where you want to be in 5 to 10 years’ time.

When we learn to unlearn and re-learn we can achieve transformative breakthroughs. This involves thinking critically about your own ideas, being intellectually rigorous, identifying your biases, your prejudices and appreciating your privilege. I encourage you to treat your assumptions with skepticism and stay open to new ideas and information. It’s harder said than done but is something that I think is worth aspiring to.

Golden Nugget 4 - See the World Differently

We live in a mobile world. Travel as often as you can. Explore new and exciting places. Dance on a rooftop in Soho NY, shop in Bond Street London, and?sunbath on the coast of Italy, but also, look for global experiences that will grow you. I personally recommend House building in Cambodia, working in a rice paddy in Thailand, and volunteering in an orphanage in Vietnam.

I promise that if you explore beyond your comfortable world, you will see the world, and people, through a different lens.

Golden Nugget 5 - Women Lifting Women

There are no words as powerful as Michelle Obama’s when it comes to women lifting women.

” You should always have three friends in your lives – one who walks ahead who you can look up to, one who walks beside you, who is with you every step of your journey; and one who you reach back for and bring along.”

Be that young woman who sparks a standing ovation for another deserving woman.

Be that young woman who is genuinely proud of what other women are achieving.

Be that young woman who coaches, mentors, and provides friendship to others.

Be that young woman who you would want to stand beside you in life.

Go forth and spark extraordinary futures with a St Hilda's education now behind you.