When should you start thinking about university?

Students are taking control of their HSC journey earlier than ever before. But where to start first?

Short answer, no. Long answer… how long do we have?

Year 10 is all about decisions: should you stay at your current high school or switch, which subjects to choose for Year 11 and 12, and which tertiary course and institution you can attend in the future. There is no right or wrong answer about any of these options; more importantly, is finding the perfect fit for you.

Take a look at a few tips below if you’ve chosen your subjects, and are now thinking about where to navigate your tertiary education as a Year 10 student.

Familiarise yourself with the terms

All this talk about UAC, Capstone Courses, WAM, and so much more. But what does it all mean, and why do different universities use different terms? Try and familiarise yourself with the basic terms which will make course selection much easier down the track. Each University varies slightly, but we’re just talking about the basics which will help to simplify things a little more.

Bridging courses/Assumed knowledge 

If you’re adamant about a particular career post-high school, then subject selection is something you also need to take into consideration. Some University degrees have assumed knowledge topics – which aren’t mandatory, but they will help out if you’ve already taken them in high school (since you’ve already been exposed to the foundations). But it is important to note that assumed knowledge is not a prerequisite, and you won’t be turned away from your chosen university degree because of this factor.

We’ve picked some of the most popular courses from a few different universities (as well as their ATAR cut-offs for 2020) to give you a better example of the subjects which you would need to take.

If a particular subject is mandatory, then you will need to take a bridging course which is designed to fill in the gaps and get you up to speed before you start the course. These courses are designed to commence before the first term of university, usually in the holiday break. Take a look at the following course currently available for 2020 at The University of Sydney as an example:

Bachelor of Advanced Computing

ATAR: 90

Assumed knowledge: Mathematics of Mathematics Extension 1

Prerequisite: Mathematics (Band 4) or Mathematics Extension 1 or 2 (Band E3) or equivalent

There are also other things to consider which some universities offer to domestic students who have never undertaken any other tertiary studies:

HSC Plus: The University of New South Wales offers students who perform well in their Year 12 HSC subjects (at least those of which are relevant to their preferred degree) up to five points. Now we’re not telling you to rely on this purely if you’re interested in studying at UNSW, but it does make it easier to choose subjects which will then work in your favour once you’re deciding what to pursue on a tertiary level after high school.

Academic or School Leadership: The University of Sydney offers a program catering to Dux students and school captains at their high school in Australia. This requires a principals nomination, and an ATAR (or equivalent IB score) of at least 65 or above. A handy tip to know if you’re planning on attending The University of Sydney in the future!

RELATED: Should I Study The HSC or International Baccalaureate?

Attend a University open day

To get a look and feel of which university you would like to choose, why not attend an open day? This will give you a better idea of the type of course you might be interested, and what the learning environment will be like for each university. Some upcoming dates for main universities in Sydney include:

Macquarie University: Saturday 17 August 2019

Western Sydney University: Sunday 18 August 2019

UTS: Saturday 31 August 2019

The University of Sydney: Saturday 31 August 2019

The University of Notre Dame: Saturday 31 August 2019

UNSW: Saturday 7 September 2019

If only there was something you could do this month! We’re holding a free Year 10 ‘Bridging The Gap’ and HSC Scaling Seminar on Sunday 21st July at our Chatswood Learning Centre. This seminar has been specially made for Year 10 students entering Year 11 in 2020, and will discuss at length the new HSC Curriculum.

Our seminar will cover off the following:

Explain scaling, assessments and how to pick the right subjects in Year 11

Provide insights about the new HSC course structures and demonstrate with examples how to start preparing for your Preliminary year ahead

Show how Talent 100 has changed its course structure and explain why we teach our Year 11 course one term ahead.

You won’t want to miss out on this previously sold-out seminar which is absolutely free for all parents and students! Reserve your position today by clicking here, and we’ll see you soon at Talent 100.