What course of study should I choose?
Where do I want to study?
What do I want to study?
What are the entry requirements for my course?
How much will it cost me?
What career opportunities are available to me when I am qualified?
What type of learning best suits my current lifestyle?
What are the current growth occupations?
Deferring your enrolment
Year 12 – what next?
What course of study should I choose?
The best way to determine what course of study you should choose is by looking at all the information available and using this information to decide what is best for you.
You will need to think about such questions as:
- Where do I want to study?
- What do I want to study?
- What are the entry requirements for my course?
- How much will it cost me?
- What career opportunities are available to me when I am qualified?
- What type of education best suits my current lifestyle?
- What are the current growth occupations?
For more information see also: My Future
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Where do I want to study?
Studying at a higher education provider (provider) is very different from studying at school. Most providers offer careers nights or open days to explain the courses that they offer. These events also offer you a good opportunity to take a look at what the provider offers, with regards to the resources and facilities available. You should also investigate the quality of the provider, as this is very important for the recognition of your qualification, both in Australia and overseas.
See also: Higher education: quality
Visiting the provider may also give you some idea about how you are going to get there if you decide on a course. Some providers may be a fair distance from your current home or even interstate and you will need to keep in mind such things as expenses related to travel or living away from home when making your decision.
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What do I want to study?
Providers publish descriptions for each course of study they offer. These descriptions contain information that is particularly useful in determining whether the course of study is right for you.
It is easier to choose a course of study if you can narrow down the field of education before starting your selection. If you have certain interests or skills or if you are particularly good at certain subjects at school these things may be taken into account when you are deciding on what course to study. In making your decision about which course to undertake you should also consider how long it will take for you to reach your desired qualification.
See also: Course search by provider
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What are the entry requirements for my course?
Some courses of study have pre-requisites that you must fulfil to gain entry to the course. Different courses of study have different pre-requisites depending on their subject matter. You should look at matching the types of subjects that you have completed at school with the pre-requisites for the courses you are applying for.
If you are particularly interested in undertaking a course of study but don’t fulfil the entry requirements you can also look at alternative pathways into the course. Each provider may have different entry requirements so it is important to check with the provider before following an alternative pathway option.
See also: Other ways to higher education
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How much will it cost me?
When calculating costs you should make allowances for student fees and incidentals such as textbooks, travel and living expenses which will add to the total amount you will have to pay for your higher education. You should also investigate the costs associated with your study as these costs may vary for:
- different courses of study at the same provider, or
- similar courses of study at different providers.
The following lists a number of links for available options that can assist you with the costs associated with undertaking your higher education.
Note: You will need to check your eligibility for most of these options.
Commonwealth and privately funded scholarships
Undergraduate Scholarships and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website
Youth allowance or ABSTUDY
Centrelink
National Indigenous Cadetship Program (NICP)
The National Indigenous Cadetship Program website
Part-time work
Centrelink and Australian JobSearch
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What career opportunities are available to me when I am qualified?
The Graduate Careers Council of Australia (GCCA) surveys university graduates each year. In these surveys, graduates are asked questions such as whether they are employed on a full-time or part-time basis, their salary and their occupation. The information from these surveys is then published in the following reports:
- Graduate Destination Survey report (GDS)
- Graduate Starting Salaries report (GSS)
- Postgraduate Destination Survey (Postgrad)
The Grads Online website uses the GDS, GSS and Postgrad reports to provide details about what students have done since finishing their qualifications, including the earnings of some Bachelor degree graduates. You can use this website to help you determine if the course you have chosen is right for you by looking at what graduates with the same, or similar qualifications, have done since graduating, and what type of money they are earning.
See also: Gradlink
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What type of learning best suits my current lifestyle?
You should take into account your current lifestyle and learning preferences when deciding on a course of study. If attending campus to go to lectures means that you have to travel for hours or doesn’t fit into your lifestyle you could consider options such as distance education or part-time study.
See also: Distance education and flexible learning delivery
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What are the current growth occupations?
You may choose your course of study based on the current growth occupations. Growth occupations are based on the number of job vacancies that are available in the major daily papers and are a good indication of employment opportunities that may be available when you finish your course.
See also: Australian Workplace website
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Deferring your enrolment
If you have completed Year 12 but want to take some time off from studying or you are not really sure what you want to do, you could defer your enrolment. You could use this time to gain life experiences that will help you to make a more appropriate decision about what type of study you should undertake.
The following provides links to websites that provide information about some options that are available while you are taking time off from your study.
Available Options
Volunteering
International Volunteers for Peace
Gap Australia, Your journey begins here
Overseas Working Holidays
Australian Volunteers International
AusAid, Youth Ambassadors
Australian Volunteer Search
Community.gov.au, Information and Services for Australians
Self employment
Business Entry Point
Curriculum Corporation
Young Achievement Australia (YAA)
Enya
Working holiday
Global Work Experiences
Overseas Working Holidays
Travel
STA Travel
Flight Centre
Study abroad
StudyAbroad.com
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Year 12 – what next?
For more information on what options are available to you as a Year 12 student you should access the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) Year 12 - what next? website. The website contains information and links about the opportunities available to you.
The post-school education and training page explains the options available to you, with regards to continuing your education in the higher education and vocational education and training (VET) sectors.
See also: Year 12 - what next?
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