05 May 2020 | 4 mins

If I could go back in time and repeat Year 12, there are a few things that I would do differently the second time around.

I’d work up the courage to ask out that girl I liked, I’d get my Ls as soon as I turned 16 and I’d say that witty comeback that I always regretted not saying that one time.

But I’d also change the way I thought about uni and life after school.

I’d look at exams, ATARS, uni applications, my parents’ visions for my future and what my mates were doing and have a completely different perspective on the whole thing. It’s so easy to get caught up in the vortex of high school and exams that you lose sight of what really matters – creating a life you love.

The only way to choose what to study

There’s only one way to figure out what you should study and that is to chase the things you love.

Who cares if your ATAR was 97 but the degree you wanna do only requires a 70. Or if you’re afraid your degree won’t earn you a tonne of money in the long run. None of that stuff matters.

Sooooooo many people drop out of their first year of uni, or wind up in careers that they hate, or make it to their forties only to realise that they’re really not happy because they were chasing the wrong things or someone else’s dreams.

Money, keeping your parents happy, a sense of obligation – forget about it. If you’re a gun at physics but you don’t enjoy it, you don’t have to do it! It’s deceptively simple.

Your ATAR is helpful, but not essential

You may have read this on the Year13 website once or twice before, but here goes again:

Your ATAR isn’t everything!

Sure, getting a strong ATAR is one way to get into uni, but in no means the only way. There are so many different ways to gain acceptance into uni that it’s kinda crazy how much people stress out about their ATARs. Admission pathway programs, back door entries, bonus points – you name it.

If I could do Year 12 again, I’d still try super hard, but I’d also enjoy myself a bit more as well.

There is more than one way to study after high school

Just as there are many different ways to get into uni, there are also a whole bunch of different ways to do uni.

You could live at your parents or you could embrace your independence. You could move to a city, or you could get out of the big smoke and head somewhere with a more relaxed pace, you could not move at all and study online.

Many different paths all leading to the same thing – your degree!

Some unis are super flexible and give you the opportunity to really turn your uni experience into whatever you want it to be. For example, Charles Sturt University have a number of campuses in regional cities across various states and territories (NSW, ACT and VIC). This means there’s a good chance you won’t have to travel far from home to study, or, alternatively, you could get as far away from home as you like!

Charles Sturt are also one of Australia’s top online unis, which means you could get an entire degree without ever setting a foot outside. Or without ever setting a foot inside! The choice is yours.

You’ll still be mates if you go to different unis

Never, ever, pick a course or a uni just because your mate is doing it. I’ve learnt that lesson the hard way and now I’m passing it onto you (you’re welcome).

We’re talking about your future here and as fun as uni with a mate is, you’re really holding yourself back. You’re stopping yourself from making new friends, from growing, and from discovering the world around you. You could even be stopping yourself from studying something that actually means something to you.

Think long-term happiness, not short term! 

Studying and travelling don’t have to be separate things

When I was in Year 12, I had such a close-minded view of uni. I thought that signing up for a degree meant that the next three to four years of my life would be spent doing nothing but study, and that travel would have to wait.

This is definitely not the case.

Many unis are all about getting you out and into the world so that you graduate with not just knowledge, but some life experience as well. At Charles Sturt, they have over 35 partner institutions worldwide including in North America, Europe and Asia – meaning you can see the world at the same time as you tackle your degree! Whilst we know that travel might not be possible right now, that doesn’t stop you from planning your future ventures and right now is the perfect time to learn about all your study abroad options.

The transition from high school to uni can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be hard. I won’t get the chance to re-do Year 12, but hopefully the lessons I’ve learnt along the way can help you guys make the decisions that will lead to a life you love!