04 Sep 2022 | 6 mins
Overview
  • Year 12 students – from uni offers to degrees, here's what you need to know from a wiser, post high-school graduate.

Isn’t hindsight just the most terrible, amazing, beautiful, disastrous thing?

From taking that first sip of your choccy shake and immediately wishing you ordered strawberry, to realising you probably should have studied a bit harder for that exam, to regretting something you said that hurt somebody’s feelings – hindsight comes in all shapes and sizes.

Fortunately, hindsight helps you learn and you can use it to teach others before they make the same mistakes you did.

That’s where I come in. There’s a bunch of stuff that my friends and I were never really taught in Year 12, which would’ve really saved us a lot of time and stress when it came to picking what uni to go to. Fortunately for you guys, I’ve been through all that and I’m here to make sure that you don’t repeat my mistakes (I’ve made a few of them).

Your ATAR isn’t everything

Okay, your ATAR is important, sure. You should study hard and try get the best result you can (just like in everything you do in life), in order to get into the course of your dreams.

But is your ATAR the only way into uni? Definitely not.

If you don’t get the ATAR you need for your dream course – don’t stress! There are plenty of other ways to get into uni without an ATAR. Pathways, bridging courses, certificates and diplomas, and other entry programs all exist to make sure that the most passionate people get into the degree they love.

My advice? Don’t burn yourself out in Year 12. If you’ve got a goal or a course you’d love to study, you’ll find a way in.

The right uni offers more than a degree

As well as choosing a course you’re interested in, you should focus on the uni experience itself. Of course, the course is important – but there will be more to your time at uni then just textbooks.

Here’s a few questions you might want to ask when browsing through your uni optons:

  • Does it have a good exchange program?
  • Is the campus nice?
  • What is the uni doing to make the world a better place?
  • How big are the classes?
  • What type of learning structure and environment do they strive to create?
  • Do they have services to support you?
  • What is the uni culture like?

You’re probably going to be there for at least three years, so you want to make sure you’ll enjoy your time there!

A degree is nice, but getting a job is nicer

Aaaah yes, this ol’ chestnut.

You can get a degree at LITERALLY EVERY UNI! I repeat, every uni. You study hard, you pass your exams, you get a degree. But then what?

Ideally, you use that degree to go and get yourself a job. Sounds good, but here’s the catch: there’s more to getting a job than simply having a degree. You can get a degree at any uni, but not every uni will actually teach you the skills required to land yourself a job.

If I could go back to Year 12, “What does this uni do to help my launch my career?” is one of the first questions I would ask!