11 Dec 2019

If you’re living in Queensland, then you probs got your OPs back today.

It probably feels a bit weird. Over a decade of school, study, drama, good times and bad times all summed up by one simple number. One number which now determines what you can and can’t do at uni. What you can and can’t do with your life. Who you can and can’t be.

Well, if you’re not stoked on your OP (or your ATAR, or whatever it is your state uses to measure your value as a human – brutal, I know), we have some news you may like:

It doesn’t mean a thing.

Yep, not a single thing. Ya heard it here first.

 

The truth is, with enough will, there’s a way into any career path you like. Your OP might act like a shortcut into certain uni degrees, but there are sooooooo many ways to get into uni and even your dream career without one. Like, so many.

Think about it. School tells you that your final school mark is the be-all and end-all of your existence because, in a way, it’s the be-all and end-all of their existence.

If a school’s students get good marks, then their state-ranking goes up. If their ranking goes up, they become more prestigious and in the long run everyone at the school benefits. Teachers get better reputations, the school makes more money, everyone is happy.

So of course, they’re gonna tell you that your OP is the most important thing in your life.

But remember – it’s not.

Let’s say you wanted to get into the construction industry. Sure, you could do a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management and take that path into the world of construction. A great OP would probably help there.

But that’s not the only way into the industry.

You could easily study a VET course without having to work yourself into the ground trying to get a good OP. Even better, you can combine work with study by getting yourself into an apprenticeship without even a single look at your final school marks.

What’s so great about that, you ask?

Where do I even start?

Doing an apprenticeship means you get yourself a job while you’re learning. It means you graduate as a fully-qualified, industry-ready tradesman. Probably one with a job already lined up for when you finish. It means graduating without a crippling debt and it even means getting government subsidies to help you complete your studies.

Meanwhile, most of your mates who go to uni will graduate with little-to-no industry experience and might have a hard time finding work.

 

If this sounds up your alley, then you should hit up Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ). They help apprentices within the building and construction industry navigate the sometimes-intimidating process of completing their studies and apprenticeships.

On top of funding up to 75%-100% of your training costs and connecting you with RTOs, they are also just an incredible source of information about the construction industry in general. They even have a super handy course selector to help you kick-start the whole thing.

An important thing to remember is that even without getting epic marks in Year 12, without ever going to uni, without ever even standing within 10 kilometres of a uni in your life, there’s still a way into most careers out there. Whatever it is you’ve always dreamt of doing with your life – you can rest easy knowing that some number you’re given at the end of school isn’t going to get in the way of you making that happen.

VET courses, TAFEs, RTOs and private colleges all get you up to speed and qualified for such a wide range of jobs, whilst also giving you the practical experience and quality connections necessary to break through into the industry and kickstart your career.

So, if you’ve been stressing about your OP, your ATAR, or whatever number you’ve been given at the end of school – you can now safely chill out. Your future options are still the same. No doors have closed, no possibilities have been crossed out, nothing has changed.