Student Profile: Tess Craven

Unbelievable, satisfying and ecstatic are three words that Bachelor of @SciMelb student and @NMFCWomens footballer @Tess.Craven_ would use to describe her win at the @AFLWomens grand final

When Tess isn't on the field, you'll find her enjoying the outdoors of our Parkville campus or the Student Pavilion. We caught up with Tess to chat about her studies and AFLW journey so far.

"To be so honest, I never really had a university in mind when I was completing my Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). I just wanted to see where my results would lead me. I had #UniMelb as, what I thought was, an ambitious goal, that ended up becoming a reality."

The Bachelor of Science has allowed Tess to explore and broaden her interests.

"The best thing about studying at UniMelb is the sheer amount of opportunities you have available to you as a student. Personally, I have been able to explore many subject areas in my course because I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to pursue. Specifically, I have really enjoyed taking breadth subjects, because it allows me to broaden my horizons outside of science as my primary interest."

Tess explains that her journey led her to develop a keen interest in sociology and psychology.

"In my first couple of years of being in the AFLW, I really struggled with anxiety and was socially withdrawn. An organisation called @TheResilienceProject__ came to training to speak with us, and everything they discussed resonated with me. Since then, I’ve put a lot of effort into improving and maintaining my own mental health, and I think this triggered my interest in psychology, both within the sporting realm and outside of it."

Tess's advice to anyone considering the same course at UniMelb is to embrace what you don’t know or aren’t certain about.

"Attempt to learn new things outside of your primary interests; you never know where they might lead you."