Learning the family way
by Heather Leggett
They might come from different generations, but mother and daughter Michelle and Shannon Wild are finding some common ground as classmates at UniSA.
Northern suburbs locals Michelle, 39, and Shannon, 18, are both studying a Bachelor of Education (Design and Technology Education) and both women have plans to become high school home economics teachers.
The choice was a natural one for Michelle, now in her second year of study, who has enjoyed a passion for dressmaking and other traditional pursuits since she was a young girl.
For Shannon, however, it was only after her mother brought home some interesting projects from uni that the now first year student considered enrolling in the degree.
"I had studied home economics at school and found it to be quite boring and traditional," she said.
"But when Mum started bringing home her assignments, I saw how creative the subject could really be.
"My first year of uni has been challenging but fun. And it has been nice to share it with my Mum."
Michelle was similarly surprised by how much home economics had changed over time.
"Back when I was at school, home economics was very old fashioned and not really relevant to a modern career," she said.
"My experience at university has been completely different. We cover a diverse range of topics, from food and nutrition to textiles design, all of which are highly relevant to a range of career paths.
"Plus, the education component means we will pass this knowledge onto a whole new generation of students."
Michelle, who didn’t have a computer in her home until a few months after she began her degree, now finds it is the computer-based subjects that she excels at.
"I think that when you enjoy something, you tend to perform better at it," she said.
When it comes to assignments, the Wilds do admit they have very different approaches.
"Mum is very practical and I’m more creative," said Shannon.
"I love creating things in Photoshop and the web design activities."
Differences aside, the pair concede that having a study buddy at home does have its advantages.
"While in some ways it doesn’t feel like we’re doing the same degree because we’re in different study years, we can give each other advice where it’s needed," said Michelle.