09 Dec 2018

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of your final exams and have been free to relax for a while now. You’ve almost tricked yourself into thinking that you’ve achieved a life of perpetual chill, but then you remember, ATAR results get released this week.

Of course, if you’ve been listening to our study advice, then you should be pretty sweet. You’ve done the best you can, there’s nothing you can do to change the upcoming results and, at the end of the day, you’re worth more than a mark.

Obviously just reading that kind of advice doesn’t stop the panic right away. Positive thinking won’t change ATAR cut-offs and there’s a chance that even after all your hard work you’ll miss the mark by just a few points.

 

 

You can still get into uni

Your ATAR isn’t the be all and end all when it comes to getting accepted into your dream degree. Universities like the University of Canberra (UC) offer pathway programs which allow students to complete a non-degree course like a certificate, diploma, preparatory course or foundational studies.

Upon completion, these universities guarantee you entry to a related degree, or your non-degree course may be used to apply for entry to other degrees. There’s even a good chance you’ll have your previous study credited in your new degree, which means you won’t have to double up on subjects and you’ll finish faster.

These pathways are super valuable for students and the universities that offer them understand that even if you don’t get your goal ATAR, you’re still capable of earning a degree.

Getting into uni through a different path doesn’t make you any less deserving than someone who goes down the conventional ATAR route. In fact, a 2016 study showed that only 26% of uni admissions were based on high school ATARs, with loads of people getting in through pathways like VET courses. It’s not something to be embarrassed about- it’s just another way to do what you want, and heaps of people are taking advantage.

What are your options?

Universities like UC have a number of pathways for you to get in the back door. At UC, you can enrol in UC College, where you’ll get to have the uni experience while you prep to start a degree and there are a tonne of courses available.

Diploma courses are available in Business, Business Informatics, Communication, Design, Information Technology, Health, Network and Software Engineering and Science. These courses take two terms of full-time study to complete and successful students are generally granted second-year entry to a range of related degrees.

For example, completing a Diploma of Business can be a pathway into accounting, and studying a Diploma of Design can get you into a Bachelor of Industrial Design.

These pathways are the perfect way to start studying at an amazing university without banking on your ATAR results. You’re not compromising the quality of your education, and at the end of it all you end up with the same degree as somebody that got direct entry. Win-win.