07 May 2020

There’s this weird idea that a lot of our parents and teachers have. They think that by the time we finish school we’ll have figured out what we want to do for the rest of our lives and that we’d be perfectly happy to jump straight into another four years of uni right afterwards.

Sure, this kind of life works for some, but what about the rest of us? What about us kids that don’t really know what we want to do yet? Or feel kinda intimidated by a four-year degree when we’re barely finished with our of 13 years of school?

What about us kids that just want to dive straight into the working life so we can start making our own dosh?

And what about us kids that really want to, but don’t think we’ll even get into uni?

Thankfully, there are other ways to get to the finish line. In fact, the more we think about it, the more we realise there are loads of different finish lines too – and the right one is different for each person.

Here's the lowdown

Our mates at Bedford College know this as well, and they wanna help us kids that don’t fit nicely into the idea of school > uni > work. They’re offering Diplomas and Certificates that will have you qualified within a year, which means you don’t have to commit straight away to a lengthy uni degree.

These shorter courses also mean you’ll have a nationally recognised qualification long before your mates at uni, leaving you to start your career sooner rather than later.

Alternatively, if you find that you’re really liking what you’re studying and that you’re finally ready for uni, finishing a Diploma at Bedford College gives you automatic entry and credit at several high-ranking unis in the state. This means your Diploma will count towards your degree and you’ll jump into it potentially in your second year.

Another great thing about Bedford College is that entry to their courses don’t even require an ATAR. This means that even if you don’t get the mark you want, you’ll still be able to study there – and even make your way into uni if you want to.

And with so much in the air at the moment with most of our schooling taking place online, this is amazing news. There are so many disruptions to the year already and it’s hard to tell what marks we’ll receive at the end of it. Thankfully though, non-ATAR entry means we can still plan for a stable future even amidst all the chaos.

Bedford College offers Certificates and Diplomas in business, leadership & management, child care, community services, school-aged care, aged care and training & assessment.

Their courses offer a great mix of theory and practice, which means you’ll not only understand why you’re doing something, you’ll have tonnes of experience actually doing it too.

This puts in you in an awesome position to either start working after you finish or start studying at uni with more practical experience than everyone else in your class.

Click here for more info on Bedford College.