Pathway News

Year 12 Excursion – University and TAFE

On Thursday June 15, Year 12 students will get a taste of what university is all about. Students will spend the day touring two campuses. It is a great opportunity for year 12 students to experience university life and view the facilities.  Students will choose their Universities of interest and in groups will travel to the venues with staff. They will be given a map of the universities grounds to explore the grounds, courses and faculties.

Pathways Choices and Assistance

Students are well under way in their studies and planning for 2017 with many students looking towards their future and considering what their pathway might be. Since starting at the College this year, I have already met with over 150 students to help them with their pathways planning. We have discussed lots of different things such as:

• What Universities can I go to?
• What are the different courses I can do at University?
• What if I don’t want to go to University? Can I go to TAFE or College?
• What courses are available at TAFE and Colleges?
• What is the difference between Certificates, Diplomas, Bachelor Degrees and Post Graduate Certificates/Diplomas?
• What are the different ATARs to different courses?
• What is an ATAR?
• What is VTAC?
• How do I apply for University or TAFE?
• Can I defer my course and take a GAP year?
• What are prerequisites and what prerequisites do I need for my course?
• What jobs are available to me?

I am amazed to see so many students, from junior to senior year levels, taking control of their future and making a sound plan on what they want to achieve. I recently conducted a poll of Year 12 students to see what they are hoping to do in 2018:

• 80% of students indicated that they are looking to go to university
• 6% are looking to take a GAP year
• 4% plan on going to TAFE
• 2% indicated that they would like to start working
• 8% indicated that they did not know what to do.

These results indicate that much of our students are seeking to further their studies by completing a tertiary degree, with a growing interest in taking time off after their demanding senior years.

I strongly encourage parents and guardians to support our young women in facilitating pathways conversations. It is important for parents and guardians to listen to your child’s future-plans, their interests and possible careers, no matter how strange they may sound at first. There are careers that our young women will enter that do not even exist yet.

Most students that come and see me state that they are seeking guidance on what to do after they finish school as they are not sure what they want to pursue. I always explain to them that this is a wonderful situation to be in as it allows us to be open to lots more opportunities. Many students have stated that their goal is to go to university, but are unsure of what to do. There are many Bachelor degrees available to students at various universities – a Bachelor of Arts can be a fantastic degree to consider if you are unsure – this degree allows for study in up to 40 different majors, from Ancient World Studies to Economics, History and Philosophy of Science to Sociology, Creative Writing to Media and Communications. Within a student's first year of studies, they can explore a variety of subjects, whilst finding their interests and passions to eventually develop their major areas of studies. Researching these areas through different university websites is also extremely important in finding something that might be of interest for tertiary studies.

If you wish to find out more information about upcoming events, such as university open days, information on VTAC, university and TAFE courses, internships and work experience, subject selection and career opportunities – please ensure that you visit and bookmark the Pathways Website – MSJ Pathways: msjpathways.wordpress.com

Students and Parents can also find MSJ Pathways on FaceBook: @MSJPathways

You can also contact me any time via email: jmcmillan@msj.vic.edu.au

I look forward to working with students and parents throughout the year and providing comprehensive and helpful pathways information.

Jay McMillan

Learning Leader Pathways