Exam results: The many other options for getting into university

The HSC results are out and some recent students and/or their parents are starting to hyperventilate because they didn’t get into the university course they wanted, or any course at all.

But it’s not the end of the world.

There are plenty of ways for your child to stay connected to what he or she wants to do.

Two of the most important things to for them to remember is to:

1. Always remain in constant contact with all the educational facilities about what you want and how to get there. They like to see commitment and determination.
2. Work hard. Don’t just do one or two things and expect to be accepted into a course. Show that you want this more than anything else. Study AND work. Put in the effort.

The options and alternative pathways recent students can consider:

• Research a TAFE course that is in line with your career choice and study hard. Maybe do more than one at once.
• Go to a private college for a degree or diploma for your area of expertise
• Enroll into another degree and work your butt off, meet with advisors and find out how you can transfer into your degree of choice after a year of good grades.
• Have a “gap” year. This may be an opportunity to go backpacking around Europe and to spend time thinking about what you want to do.
• Start your own business while taking some online courses. Sometimes, the quickest way to learn is to jump into the deep end and then learn to swim
• Consider studying online or at a university in another state, and either complete your degree or look into ways to transfer into your university of choice.

I can highly recommend the following scenario as I have seen it succeed many times before:

Combine multiple TAFE studies in your area of interest as well as other certificates you can obtain. Also, gain experience by working in the industry for a few years. Once you are in your 20s you can approach a university with qualifications and experience (and some great references), and you’ll have a pretty good chance of going straight into a Graduate Certificate and possibly a Masters (in some disciplines).