27 Nov 2019

I don’t know about your high school, but mine rarely spoke about anything other than our ATAR; treating that final ranking as a currency everyone needed if they wanted a successful life.

Plot twist, it’s not true. You ATAR isn’t the most important thing when it comes to studying after high school.

If you’re anxiously waiting to receive your end of school results and stressing about whether you studied enough to get the mark you needed then please just take a deep breath and relax. Thanks to uni pathway programs, the uni door won’t be slamming shut any time soon because they know you’re more than your ATAR.

Everyone only ever talks about going directly into uni, so there’s a bit of confusion around pathways and why you should do them. Luckily, we’ve broken them down for you so you can get your head around all your options for when your final marks are released.

What’s a pathway program?

A pathway means that while everyone goes via the direct entry front door to uni, you go around the back, where your ATAR isn’t the most important thing. You all end up in the same place, but you just take a slightly different path.

Instead of starting a degree straight out of high school, you’ll begin studying a diploma at a uni pathway provider that’ll get you started in whatever area it is you’re keen on studying.

Will you fall behind everyone that went straight into uni?

Diplomas are ace because they usually only take about a year to finish and once you’ve completed it, you’ll have the option to go directly into the second year of a corresponding degree. This means you’re not trying to frantically catch up to your mates or being left behind while everyone else graduates.

You’ll also be studying on the uni campus and have access to facilities, social activities and uni clubs, so you’ll be as much a part of uni life as everyone else there, so there’s no chance of you missing out on the good stuff that comes with being a student.

What if I decide I don’t like what I’m studying?

A massive benefit of pathways is that you’re not committing to three to five years’ worth of study in an area you’re not even sure you like.

Let’s imagine you start a pathway course in Business because you did well in Business Studies in Year 12 and you reckon that’ll be a decent career. You go in with the goal of fast-tracking into the second year of a Business degree once you’ve finished your pathway course.

But let’s imagine you get to the end of your pathway course and realise you’re actually super passionate about writing and think a career in journalism or media is the way to go.

The handy thing about having done the pathway program is that you can switch up what you’re studying and not leave empty-handed because at the end of the year you’ll have a qualification (your diploma) which you might use down the line when it comes to landing a job after studying.

Pretty good, eh?

Are there other benefits?

Pathway programs have smaller class sizes and usually a more supportive learning environment than being thrown into a sea of thousands of other students in first-year uni. It’s a smooth transition from high school into uni and a solid option for anyone that’s stressing about transitioning into that ‘independent learning environment’ all your teachers have been telling you about.
 

How do I get started?

There’s a tonne of uni pathway programs so check them out here and find one in your state.  There’s plenty of courses and when it comes to applying, they know you’re worth more than your ATAR.

A lower than expected ATAR doesn’t mean your uni dreams are over. Suss out your options and find a way to get where you want to be – regardless of your final mark.