Course and Career Chat

Listen up as Kim, a passionate careers teacher, chats to current tertiary students and staff to find out everything you need to know about university and TAFE courses, the careers they can lead to and the transition from high school to further study.

Should You Drop a VCE Subject? 05/28/2025

How to Feel Confident About VCE and Choosing Tertiary Courses Part 3 [What Are You Really Good At?] 05/20/2025

How to Feel Confident About VCE and Choosing Tertiary Courses Part 2 [What's Your Favourite Subject and What Do You Like About It?] 05/13/2025

How to Feel Confident About VCE and Choosing Tertiary Courses Part 1 [Understanding How VCE Works] 05/06/2025

How Will AI Affect Your Career Choices? 04/01/2025

How Will AI Affect Your Career Choices? What we’re talking about: AI is everywhere at the moment, and there’s a lot of discussion about how it will change jobs and career pathways. Many students (and parents) are wondering—will AI replace certain jobs? Will the careers that seem like a great option now still be relevant in 5 or 10 years? In this episode, I break down what AI actually is, the ways it’s already affecting different industries, and how students can make career choices that will set them up for success in an AI-driven world. 2:40 – What is AI, and why is it such a big deal? AI is already part of our daily lives, even if we don’t always realize it. I explain some of the ways we’re all using AI right now (like how your phone suggests words when you text) and why it’s suddenly getting so much attention in conversations about work and careers. 5:15 – My first experience using AI in my work The first time I properly used AI was to help with my podcast show notes, and I was surprised by how useful it was. It didn’t replace what I do—it just made the process easier. This is exactly how AI will work in many careers: not replacing workers, but supporting them. 9:00 – AI is changing jobs, but that’s nothing new Every time there’s a big technological shift—whether it’s the internet, automation, or now AI—some jobs change or disappear, but new ones are created. I talk about why it’s important to keep an open mind and focus on developing skills that will always be valuable. 11:24 – Will AI take over jobs? This is a big worry for a lot of students, but it’s important to remember that AI can handle tasks, not entire careers. The most valuable jobs in the future will be the ones that involve creativity, critical thinking, and human connection—things AI can’t replicate. 15:30 – Choosing a career in an AI-driven world Instead of worrying about what jobs might disappear, students should focus on what they enjoy, what industries interest them, and where they can develop transferable skills. Universities and TAFEs are already adapting their courses to include AI, so there will be plenty of opportunities to learn how to work with it rather than against it. 19:30 – Why human skills will always matter AI might be great at processing information, but it can’t replace human creativity, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. I share why these skills will always be in demand and how students can future-proof their careers by focusing on what makes them unique. Links mentioned: Work with me: /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/35957180

Should You Take a Gap Year After Year 12? 03/25/2025

Should You Take a Gap Year After Year 12? What we’re talking about: Should you take a gap year after Year 12? It’s a big decision, and in this episode, I break down the benefits and drawbacks of taking a year off before further study. I also share practical advice on how to keep your options open, even if you're unsure about your next steps. 1:09 Common concerns about taking a gap year I’ve had a lot of conversations with parents recently about whether a gap year is the right choice for their child. Many students don’t know whether they should still apply for courses through VTAC, or if taking a gap year will impact their future plans. In this episode, I share my thoughts on how to approach this decision. 3:28 The benefits of taking a gap year There are plenty of good reasons to take a gap year, including: Taking a break – After 13 years of school, it makes sense to want some time off before starting further study. Travel opportunities – Exploring new places and cultures, or working overseas through programs like Camp America. Earning money – Getting a full-time job to save for university, travel, or other goals. Career exploration – Using the year to try jobs in industries you’re interested in, so you get a feel for what you might want to study. 5:39 The drawbacks of taking a gap year Some students worry that if they take a gap year, they’ll never go back to study. While that’s not always true, there are some things to consider: Losing the study habits you’ve built over the years. Feeling like you’re behind your friends who go straight to university. Starting uni with students who are younger and still in a “VCE mindset.” 9:54 How to keep your options open Even if you’re planning to take a gap year, I strongly recommend applying for VTAC courses now and securing a spot. Most courses allow deferral, so you can take your gap year with peace of mind, knowing you have a place waiting for you. It’s also much easier to do this while you still have access to school resources like career counselors and scholarship applications. 13:23 Final advice: Plan now, decide later There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to taking a gap year—it’s a personal choice. But having a plan in place (even if you’re unsure) will make your gap year experience smoother and more enjoyable. Links mentioned: Work with me: /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/35852375

How To Motivate Yourself To Study in VCE 03/18/2025

How To Motivate Yourself To Study in VCE What we’re talking about: 1:43 My observations around motivation as a Maths teacher I share my experience of teaching a particular class who were really focused, willing to learn, with high aspirations for their VCE results. Most people would assume that there’s not much a teacher of a class like that needs to do to in terms of motivation, but what I actually found was that in the second half of the year, these students were feeling really stressed and losing motivation despite the fact that they were doing everything “right” and still doing well on their SACs. I found that by helping them have some perspective around VCE and looking ahead to something fun that they were planning for the future, I could see that it really helped them get their heads out of VCE and visibly reduced their stress. 9:58 The podcast that helped me understand the science behind my theory I happened to listen to The Imperfects podcast episode with their regular guest, Dr Emily, teaching listeners about hope. She talked about hope being made up of 3 parts - the goal, pathways (including overcoming obstacles) and agency (or the motivation to follow through to reach your goal). The way she explained it helped me understand why for many students, having a goal linked to results (eg I want to get an ATAR over 90) can be really hard to maintain. So many students with goals like that find it hard to keep going when they hit a topic they find really difficult or have a bad day on a SAC. They could no longer see how they could reach their goal, they’d lose motivation because they no longer thought just working hard would help them achieve the results they wanted, and they’d lose hope. 16:43 A Better Way to Motivate Yourself in VCE I know that working with students to help them discover what they want to do beyond school in terms of courses and careers is truly motivating. I see it with the students I work with all the time. What Dr Emily was saying about hope helped me understand why. It makes sense to me that by finding a course or career that a student is excited about, you’ve found a goal. The next step is to find out how they can get there, and the reality is that there are so many pathways you can take to get into any course or career. Because there are so many pathways, it makes sense that if one falls over (ie you don’t get the ATAR you need), you can immediately see the next pathway. So now not getting the ATAR you need is an obstacle that can be overcome. Students can still have hope of reaching their goal because they can change the pathway and still achieve it. Links mentioned: Work with me: The Imperfects Podcast with Dr Emily on Hope: /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/35743605

How Do SACs Work in VCE? 03/11/2025

How Do SACs Work in VCE? What we’re talking about: Let’s talk about how SACs work in VCE so that you know what they are, how they’re used, and to bust some of the misconceptions around them that often come up throughout the year so that you can feel really confident as you move through VCE. 1:32 What is a SAC? Throughout your time at school from prep through to Year 12, you do different types of assessment. SAC stands for School Assessed Coursework and it’s called that because it is one of the assessment types that is used to calculate your study score for your VCE subjects, but it is written by your teachers and completed through your school (as opposed to the external exams at the end of Unit 3&4 subjects written by VCAA). You can find out how many SACs you’ll do for each subject and how each SAC will look by looking at the study design for the subject on the VCAA website. 4:35 How do you find out your SAC results? Different schools will report back differently. Some schools will give you an actual percentage mark for each SAC. Others might use a grade or a descriptor to give you an idea of how well you’ve done. These marks are not what is submitted to VCAA - your teachers will rank all the students for a subject based on their results in their SACs, and then these will be scaled up or down depending on how your cohort of students do on the external exam at the end of the year. The most important part of your SAC if you’re aiming to do really well in VCE is to make sure you understand where you didn’t get some of the marks and what you needed to do differently to get full marks on those questions. That will help you prepare for the next SAC and also for your end of year exams. 7:47 How are SAC results used? When you get your study scores at the end of the year, you’ll be able to see the grades you got for your overall SAC results (which might be split into Unit 3 and Unit 4, or might be put together as one SAC result) and then a grade or grades for your end of year exam(s) for that subject. Your SAC result may be higher or lower than you expected based on the feedback you got from your school throughout the year. This is because of the scaling that happens, and it has to happen to make sure that the SACs at one school are treated as being equivalent in difficulty to the SACs at another school. This is why you shouldn’t get too focused on your SAC results throughout the year other than learning from them - see the podcast episode “What is Your VCE Subject Ranking?” linked below for more information. Links mentioned: Work with me: Free Download - The Parents’ Guide to VCE: How are ATARs Calculated? What is Your VCE Subject Ranking? /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/35630700

The Parents' Guide to VCE 03/04/2025

The Parents' Guide to VCE What we’re talking about: This episode is all about explaining how VCE works and translating the jargon around VCE so that you can understand it more clearly and feel more confident supporting your child. Grab the free download The Parents’ Guide to VCE to have on hand (), and listen up as I clarify what the key organisations like VCAA and VTAC do, what all the acronyms mean, and tell you what you need to focus on and what you can ignore as white noise. 5:22 What does VCAA stand for and what do they do? The VCAA is the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. They set the curriculum for schools in Victoria from early childhood through to VCE (including creating VCE study designs), organise the external exams at the end of Unit 3 and 4 subjects, and calculate a student’s study scores for their subjects. 7:00 What is VTAC and what do they do? VTAC is the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre and they facilitate the transition between high school and tertiary education. They get students raw study scores from VCAA, use them to calculate students’ ATARs, and manage the offer process for tertiary institutions. Keep an eye on their website for important dates for VTAC applications and offers, and also for all of the University and TAFE Open Days (links below) 8:15 What is VCE? VCE stands for Victorian Certificate of Education, and it is the secondary qualification for students in Victoria. It now includes the VCE - Vocational Major which has replaced VCAL and allows students to explore vocational studies as part of their secondary education. 9:50 What is a SAC? SAC stands for School Assessed Coursework. They are set out by the VCAA in the subject study designs which can be accessed on the VCAA website, and a student’s ranking after all of the SACs are completed in a subject is used as part of the calculation of the study score for the subject. Not all assessment completed in Year 12 is a SAC. 11:49 What is a study score? A study score is the result that students get for each of the Unit 3&4 subjects they complete. It is a number out of 50 and it’s a ranking showing where you sit compared to everyone else who completed that subject in the same year. VCAA calculates the raw study score for each student, and then study scores are scaled depending on how well each cohort of students has done well across all of their subjects to be used in the calculation of each student’s ATAR. 14:38 What is an ATAR? ATAR stands for Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank and it is a ranking showing how well each student did in VCE compared to all other students who completed VCE in the same year. The highest ATAR a student can get is 99.95, which means that they’re in the top 0.05% of the state. It only exists because it is the most efficient way for students to get an offer into (a lot of) university and TAFE courses. It is not the only way of getting into tertiary courses, and as a society we need to stop giving it so much power. 17:28 What is SEAS? SEAS stands for Special Entry Access Scheme and it is the way that students can get extra points added to their selection rank if they have had any type of disadvantage in VCE compared to their peers, such as financial difficulties, health issues and other difficult circumstances. The focus of a SEAS application is how the issue has affected the student’s ability to perform at their best in VCE. A SEAS application will only ever be used to your child’s advantage. Links mentioned: Work with me: Free Download - The Parents’ Guide to VCE: How are ATARs Calculated? What Happens If You Do An Unscored VCE or VCE-VM? VTAC dates: University and TAFE Open Days (Please note that at the time of publishing this page still has dates from 2024, but it will be updated closer to July 2025): /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/35525920

For Parents: How To Help Your Child Succeed in VCE 02/25/2025

For Parents: How To Help Your Child Succeed in VCE What we’re talking about: After working with parents first as a teacher and now as a career counsellor, and now being a parent myself, I know how hard it can be to navigate that line between allowing your child to have their independence and also wanting to support them as best you can. In this episode I share how you can best support your child through the decision making process around VCE subject selection, tertiary course exploration and applying through VTAC. 2:01 Where is the responsibility? Knowing where your responsibility for your child’s studies ends and theirs begins is a bit of a grey area and really depends on the individual child. I give you some ideas of how you can support your child academically during VCE, but you know your child best, and you know what will help your child feel supported and what will just annoy them. 7:15 What do you need as a parent? When I’ve worked with parents in the past both as a teacher and now as a career counsellor, I know that the reason parents are concerned about school for their children is because they want the best for their kids. One thing that can really help, is lowering your own stress levels around VCE by understanding as much as you need about the VCE systems and VTAC processes. In this way, you’re not as worried because you know what’s going on and have the information you need, and you don’t need to hassle your child about it. If your child then is on track and gets the results they want and is confident about applying for courses, then that’s great. However, if they do get stressed further down the track, you are empowered to support them with concrete information. 10:00 How I help the parents I work with There are a few ways that I can support parents who have children in VCE. I have a free download called The Parents’ Guide to VCE (link below) where you can get a better understanding of the acronyms and jargon around VCE and the school system. When I’m working with a student, in most cases I’m originally contacted by the parent, and we have a conversation on the phone where I found out more about their perspective of where their child is at, and then answer all their questions to help them feel comfortable with the VCE system and the VTAC process. I also offer single sessions with parents where we can go a bit deeper into pathways for your child, and I’m currently working on a package for parents where you end up with a similar report to what families get when I work with the student, where I outline a range of courses that will suit your child, including pathways and other relevant information like early entry programs and campus accommodation. Please reach out via my website or Instagram if you’re interested. Links mentioned: Work with me: Do You Need a Tutor or a Career Counsellor?: The Parents’ Guide to VCE: /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/35420655

How to Have Success in VCE 02/18/2025

How to Have Success in VCE What we’re talking about: 1:40 What you can do if your measure of success in VCE is to get the best ATAR you can Using a planner to keep on track, creating a study timetable, using a calendar to keep track of SACs, extracurricular activities and your casual job if you have one. Work out how you will get help when you need it eg homework club at school or getting a tutor (see the link to an episode below where I talk about how to choose the right tutor for you). Choosing the “right” subjects - some people will think this means choosing subjects that scale up, I think the right subjects for you are the ones that suit you best so that you will lean into your strengths and not have as much trouble finding the motivation to study. 6:21 Why I don’t think that getting a good ATAR should be your only measure of success in VCE. If your only measure of success in VCE is to get a really good ATAR, you are going to spend a lot of time over the next two years feeling stressed out, feeling inadequate if you’re not ranked first in the subjects you want to rank first in for example or if you’re not doing as well on SACs as you think that you might. If that’s your only measure of success in VCE you are setting yourself up for a pretty awful couple of years. Two years of stress is too much as far as I’m concerned. There’s a difference between little pockets of stress the night before a SAC, and being completely stressed out for 2 years. 7:26 Your measure of success in VCE could be having a really great couple of years. Take advantage of all the amazing opportunities your school has to offer, including extracurricular activities like sport, drama, music and debating, as well as fun activities like the school formal. 8:30 How can we reframe the importance of your ATAR and it being a measure of success. The only reason that an ATAR exists is because it’s the most efficient way to get into a course. That’s it. Getting an amazing ATAR and having no idea what you want to do, that’s very short-lived success. And I know that because that’s what I did. I got the great ATAR, I got into the course that I thought I wanted, spent two and a half years in it being miserable until I changed my plans, and went back to wanting to be a teacher. I worked out how to do that and had an amazing career as a teacher. But getting that good ATAR was not what got me there. The plan was what got me to where I wanted, and successfully into a career that I really enjoyed. Really what I want you to think about is what success in VCE looks like to you, and what you can do to have a really great couple of years AND set yourself up for having many many fun, exciting years after VCE as well. Links mentioned: Work with me: Do You Need a Tutor or a Career Counsellor?: /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/35326465

Being Curious About Careers 02/11/2025

Being Curious About Careers What we’re talking about: An Instagram post from @biglifejournal prompted this episode. The story they shared about how parents supported a child in her dream of becoming a mermaid, in the process helping her learn fantastic life skills including how to reach her goals, made me think about how we are likely to dismiss teens when they come to us with ideas about their future career. 1:23 The post that inspired this episode Check out the link below to see the post that I’m referencing here. It involves the story of a child who says she wants to be a mermaid, and parents who respond by encouraging her to learn to swim and sing as these are things that mermaids are good at. They teach her how to set goals and work towards her dreams, which are life skills that will set her up the future, no matter what she decides to do. 4:00 How this relates to teenagers I think adults can be quite dismissive of teenagers’ career goals and plans for the future when they don’t think it’s the “right choice”, and not only is this not helpful, but it’s a missed opportunity to be more curious about why they chose that career to begin with. I share a story about being dismissed as a teen and how unhelpful it was in my career journey. 6:50 How we can be more curious with students It makes sense that students might latch onto a career they’ve heard of from somewhere, because they’ve been focussed on studying all year and all of a sudden need to make some sort of choice about their next step. What we can do as adults is be curious to find out why they have chosen a particular career, and then use their responses to dig a bit deeper and maybe even discover other similar options where they can pursue their interests and lean into their talents and skills. 10:50 Why I like discussing courses more than careers One thing I think makes more sense, particularly with teenagers, is to focus on the next step rather than the final career goal. This means that they can zone in on what they like to do, what interests they want to explore, and what skills they would like to develop, and it gives them more time to discover different careers and roles that they will be able to access with their qualification. With new jobs being created all the time, this also means they will be open to new careers that don’t exist yet but will be available to them once they finish their degree. 14:30 What this means for creative careers I see most adults being dismissive of students who want to work in a creative field, because they’re worried about the job prospects. While this may be a valid concern, I think it’s important to start by being curious and looking deeper into the opportunities available. When students are allowed to explore, they can find out about the wider range of careers related to the one they initially thought of, and they can get a more accurate picture of what a career in this field looks like. With this information, they can make an informed decision for themselves,, rather than dismissing it because “people say there are no jobs in that”. Links mentioned: Work with me: The Instagram post from @biglifejournal that sparked this episode: 25 Ways to Explore Careers: /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/35231405

Do Year 11 Results Matter in VCE? 02/04/2025

What If You Don’t Know What Course or Career You Want To Do? 11/26/2024

What If You Don’t Know What Course or Career You Want To Do? What we’re talking about: What if you don’t know what university or TAFE course, or what career you want to pursue? I work with heaps of high school students who either have no idea yet what they want to do, or who want to do EVERYTHING and need help narrowing it down. Here are some ways you can start to work it out. 2:56 Talk to people The people who know you best, like your parents or friends, will likely have some insights into what you might be good at, or how you can pursue a career where you can do more of the things you like to do. Alternatively, you can talk to people about the work that they do so that you can make a decision one way or another about whether you’re interested in this particular job. You can also talk to the teachers of the subjects you like about what types of courses and careers their subject could lead to. A career counsellor will also have insights into particular courses that would suit you, or could put you in contact with past students who can tell you about what they’re doing. You could also listen to past episodes of this podcast to hear students’ perspectives of particular websites. 7:41 Check out unis and TAFEs Check out exactly what some of the unis or TAFEs have to offer by looking at their websites. You can often filter a search so that you’re looking at subject areas that interest you, and then you can read about courses and google the job titles that they list on course pages to get a better sense of where the course could lead. You can also visit a uni or TAFE you’re interested in. Go to an Open Day, or if you’ve missed them and need to make a decision sooner, contact them and see if you can join a tour, or just turn up and walk around the campus to get a sense of what it’s like. 10:29 Do some work experience You probably did/will do work experience in Year 10, but you can do more than one work experience placement (even if you have to do a second or third placement in the school holidays). You can still do work experience if you’re in Year 11 or 12, or even if you’ve finished Year 12. Speak to your career counsellor to see if they have any contacts you could speak to about doing a work placement, or look up local businesses and see if they’d be happy to have you come in. Links mentioned: Work with me: /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/34153775

Which ATAR Calculator Should You Use? 11/19/2024

Which ATAR Calculator Should You Use? What we’re talking about: Exams are just about over, and now you’ve shifted to looking at your VTAC preference list and wondering what ATAR you might get. Lots of students are asking about ATAR calculators and which one they should use. Let’s have a look at how you can best work out your ATAR. 1:33 How hard is it to work out what ATAR you might get? Guessing your ATAR is really difficult because your ATAR is a ranking, based on your study scores, which are also rankings. See Episode 58 (linked below) to get a really clear understanding of how your ATAR would be calculated. There are a couple of ways you may be able to get an idea (eg if you have a sibling who went to the same school doing the same subjects and you perform very similarly academically, or your teachers might have an idea if they’re very experienced) however I explain why even these guesses aren’t super accurate. 10:00 What is an ATAR calculator? A quick google search will tell you that there are heaps of ATAR calculators to choose from, and nearly all of them will be advertised as the most accurate one. To use an ATAR calculator, you need to guess each of your study scores, and then it will use an algorithm to decide what ATAR it thinks you will get. The problem here is that it’s really hard to guess your study scores, and then your ATAR is a ranking, not a straight calculation. While the algorithm might come close, without accurate study scores it’s really not going to give you a good indication of what ATAR you might get. So which ATAR calculator should you use? None of them. 13:43 What should you do instead? Instead of trying to guess your ATAR, do some more research around courses so that you can include your dream course or courses, but then also find other courses that you’d be just as happy to do, or that can be used as a pathway into your dream course. Create a great VTAC preference list, and keep the extra information in your desk drawer in case you want to make some changes to your preference list in the change of preference period. Links mentioned: Work with me: How are ATARs calculated?: /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/33992417

How Many VCE Subjects Should You Do? 11/12/2024

What Happens If You Do An Unscored VCE or VCE-VM? 11/05/2024

What Happens If You Do An Unscored VCE or VCE-VM? What we’re talking about: If you’re trying to decide whether you want to do a scored VCE, unscored VCE or VCE-Vocational Major (VM), then listen up! In this episode I’ll explain the implications of choosing each type in terms of what happens when you want to apply to TAFE or university. 1:57 What’s the difference between a scored and an unscored VCE? If you do a scored VCE, then you’ll get an ATAR that you can use to apply to university and TAFE courses. There might be other criteria, but most Bachelor degrees require an ATAR, so doing a scored VCE is the most efficient way of getting into one of these courses. How an unscored VCE works may differ depending on which school you go to, but it essentially means that you won’t get study scores for your subjects or an ATAR at the end of the year. 3:47 Is an unscored VCE new? Most parents haven’t heard of an unscored VCE because it was very rare when we were at school. When students were kept at home during lockdowns throughout the pandemic, more students chose to do an unscored VCE because of the anxiety they were feeling about not being in the classroom. Since students have been back at school full time, the number of students doing an unscored VCE has decreased but it’s not back to what it was before covid, so while a minority of students are choosing to do an unscored VCE, it’s a larger minority than most parents would think. 4:40 Do all courses require an ATAR? While the vast majority of Bachelor degrees require an ATAR as part of the selection criteria, not all do. You can find Bachelor degrees that only require completion of Year 12 and maybe a prerequisite subject. There are also Diplomas and TAFE courses that don’t require an ATAR. 5:38 If you do an unscored VCE, you can look at pathways into Bachelor degrees If you don’t have an ATAR, there are still other ways that you can do a Bachelor degree at university if you want to. Listen up to hear more about guaranteed pathways, recommended pathways and why I think RMIT and Swinburne are great options for you if you need a pathway into a course. Links mentioned: Work with me: How ATARs are calculated?: /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/33770072

What VCE Subjects Do I Need? 10/29/2024

What VCE Subjects Do I Need? What we’re talking about: 2:16 A note for parents about prerequisites If you finished high school a while ago, you need to know that the prerequisites for courses have changed dramatically since we were applying to university. We’ve seen an increase in mental health issues, anxiety and comparison for today’s students, and this has led to less students choosing what some people call “harder” subjects. A lot of universities have jumped on board and changed their prerequisites to match what students are actually choosing. So my message to you is to look at what the prerequisites actually are instead of making assumptions about what subjects your child will need to do to be eligible for certain courses. 6:10 Should you do subjects like Specialist Maths? If you love the subject, want a challenge and want to explore the particular topics within a subject, then yes, absolutely! If you’re only choosing it because you think you need it, and you are worried about how you’re going to cope in VCE and how you’ll balance the workload, then double check the prerequisites for the types of courses you’re looking at and make an informed choice about whether you need to do it or not. 8:10 If I haven’t studied subjects that used to be prerequisites, how will that impact me later on? When universities change the prerequisites for a course, they will adapt the course to suit the new prerequisites. For example, they’ll take the content out of the VCE subject that traditionally they would have expected students to know, and they add it into the course. For a lot of students, this is a better way to do it because they no longer have the stress of VCE and ATARs over them as their learning more difficult topics. 10:40 Why do some universities still have the “harder” subjects as prerequisites? The more prestigious universities often have higher ATAR requirements and prerequisites for their courses, and this is because their courses are in high demand and they need a way to distinguish between the students applying for the course. It doesn’t necessarily make the course better. Employers are much more interested in which applicants can show that they are capable of doing the work, so it’s more important to find courses that allow students to do internships or placements and engage with the industry they’ll be working in. Links mentioned: Work with me: VCE Subjects: 5 Things to Consider When Choosing Yours - /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/33627417

All About the GAT (Updated for 2024) 06/05/2024

Should You Study a Bachelor of Engineering? 05/15/2024

Should You Study a Bachelor of Engineering? What we’re talking about: 1:11 What is Engineering? Most students who are into Maths and Science have heard the suggestion that they should look at Engineering, but what even is it? Check out the episodes I’ve linked below to hear students and recent graduates talk about their course and what their day looks like if they’re already working as an Engineer. Engineers create and build solutions to problems in a whole range of areas, and they use different calculations, methods and materials to solve the problems in the most efficient way. 3:17 What type of Engineering should you do? Different universities will offer different specialisations, including Aerospace, Mechanical, Civil, Chemical, Software and Robotics and Mechatronics. Think about what type of science you like at school and see what specialisation would use that science the most, and if you’re not sure, Google the different types to find out more. If you’re still not sure, you don’t need to stress - most courses have a common first year so that you can get a foundation in Engineering to start with and get a taste of the different types before you decide which pathway you want to follow. 6:16 What should you look at in a Bachelor of Engineering? Are you more academic? Or would you prefer to take things apart and see how it works? Engineering courses will all have a bit of both, but make sure you choose a course that allows you to lean into whichever type of learning you prefer. As always, you should also look at the placements or internships that are available within the course so that you can see what it’s actually like to work as an Engineer while you’re still studying, as well as building a network, learning heaps and potentially landing a graduate position with them when you finish your course. 9:27 If you’re considering Engineering, what else could you look at? There are lots of courses that are similar to Engineering in some way. If you like the idea of building and designing things, you could consider Architecture or Design. If you’re interested in the Health field you could look at Biomedical Science or Biotechnology. If you like the idea of Software Engineering, then Information Technology or Computer Science might interest you. Aviation or Space Science are worth looking at if you’re interested in Aerospace Engineering. Make sure you check out these other courses too so that you can choose the one that suits you best. Another option that is particularly in demand at the moment is Cybersecurity. If you want to find out more, I have two episodes about Cybersecurity that you could listen to (see the links below). Links mentioned: My website: Other episodes about Engineering: Electronic Engineering and Cybersecurity - Cybersecurity - Biomedical Engineering and Medicine - Robotics and Mechatronics - Software Engineering - Architecture - Civil Engineering - Heavy Vehicle Diesel Mechanic - /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/31299547

Should You Study a Bachelor of Psychology? 05/07/2024

Should You Study a Bachelor of Science? 04/30/2024

Should You Study a Bachelor of Arts? 04/22/2024

Should You Study a Bachelor of Arts? What we’re talking about: 1:33 What is a Bachelor of Arts? Don’t confuse “Art” with “Arts”! While the subject Art at school involves things like painting and drawing, a Bachelor of Arts is more about humanities and exploring ideas through a particular perspective. Some people are reluctant to pursue a Bachelor of Arts because they think it won’t lead anywhere, however if you look at the majors within the course, there are heaps of things you can study within a Bachelor of Arts that very clearly leads to a particular job or career. 6:42 What if you don’t know what you want to do in your career? If you don’t know yet what you want to do in your career, that’s totally normal and completely fine. I firmly believe that if you’re passionate about something and keep learning and networking in that area, opportunities will become available to you. I give a couple of examples of people who studied Arts and didn’t know where it was going to take them, including Ash Barty’s mindset coach, Ben Crowe. 8:56 A Bachelor of Arts works really well as part of a double degree A fantastic way to explore a greater range of areas, round out your education and have more to talk about in job interviews is to combine Arts with another degree. 10:51 The majors that are offered are important A Bachelor of Arts at 2 different universities can look completely different, so make sure you take a look at what’s offered so you can choose the right one for you. I go through some of the majors offered at The University of Melbourne, Monash University, RMIT, Swinburne and Deakin to give you an idea of what your Bachelor of Arts could look like depending on where you choose to study. Links mentioned: My website: https://www.roadmapeducation.com Previous episodes related to Arts: Anthropology and Human Rights: Speech Pathology - Arts and Psychology - Politics, Philosophy, Economics, Arts and Law - Science, Arts, Sustainability and Meteorology - Teacher, Tutor, Entrepreneur - Arts and Law - Communications (Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising and Media) - /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/30931568

Should You Study a Bachelor of Business or Commerce? 04/15/2024

Should You Study a Bachelor of Business or Commerce? What we’re talking about: 1:37 The difference between a Bachelor of Business and a Bachelor of Commerce While the words Business and Commerce are often used interchangeably, the two courses can be quite distinct. Find out what the focus of each degree usually is to help you decide whether Business or Commerce is right for you. Most importantly, make sure you look at what you can major in for each of the courses you’re looking at so that you know whether it has your area of interest. 4:40 What prerequisites do you need for Business or Commerce? In the past, you often needed a Maths subject as a prerequisite for Business and Commerce, but that’s no longer always the case, so if you haven’t studied Maths in VCE there are definitely options out there for you. It’s also worth noting that subjects like Accounting, Economics and Business Management are not prerequisites for these courses, however you may get a subject adjustment if you do well in them which could boost your selection rank. 6:50 What should you look for in a Bachelor of Business or Commerce? You should definitely look for courses that have a placement or internship as part of your course. These types of experiences give you the opportunity to see what it’s actually like to work in your chosen area, as well as giving you great networking opportunities, referees for your CV and potentially even a graduate position at the end of your course. 8:23 Other courses to consider Ever wondered why some places offer a Bachelor of Business or Commerce and a Bachelor of Accounting, for example? Find out why you might like to choose the more general Business or Commerce courses, or what circumstances might lead you to choose the more specific degrees. Business and Commerce degrees also complement other areas of study really well, so definitely take a look at the double degrees that are available. Links mentioned: My website: Previous episodes related to Business and Commerce: Fashion Marketing - Business (Professional) - Property and Real Estate - Commerce and Teaching - Communications (Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising and Media) - /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/30825638

What is your VCE subject ranking? 04/08/2024

Should You Accelerate in VCE? 04/01/2024

What You Can Do In The Term 1 Break To Prepare For Next Year 03/25/2024

Do You Need a Tutor or a Career Counsellor? 03/18/2024

Why is VCE English so Important? 03/11/2024

How Do VTAC Offers Work? 12/18/2023

How Do VTAC Offers Work? What we’re talking about: Listen up to find out exactly how VTAC offers work so you can make the best decisions for yourself over the next few weeks. 1:00 You can only receive one offer per round Don’t wait to see how many you get 1:33 You will get your VTAC offer 2 ways - through your VTAC account and via email from the uni or tafe 1:48 ALWAYS accept the offer You may not get another offer, so accept this one and get your foot in the door. If you get another offer later on, you can accept the new one and go back and reject the initial one. Follow all the instructions in the email to accept the offer, including enrolling in the course if that’s what they tell you to do (you will still be able to withdraw before the census date after Semester One begins next year). 3:45 What to do if you don’t receive an offer Check the VTAC website to check if the courses you have listed on your preference list make offers in the December round (not all courses do). Change your preferences to make sure that you have a handful of courses listed on your preference list where you have definitely met all the entry requirements (including having an ATAR that is well above last year’s lowest selection rank where applicable). Opt in to supplementary offers (see below) 5:57 What to do if you have received an offer Accept the offer If the offer is for your dream course, go and celebrate. If you would prefer an offer for a different course, still accept the offer, but then move the course you got the offer for to your 8th preference (or at least below all the courses on your list you’re actually interested in) so that you’re eligible to get an offer for one of the courses listed above it. 7:56 Supplementary offers If you don’t receive an offer in the December round, make sure you have ticked the box to give permission for VTAC to release your information to the institutions so they can contact you directly from the second round in January to make an offer directly to you. Links mentioned: My website: /episode/index/show/courseandcareerchat/id/29125988

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