[CHAT]: Transitioning to higher education
Year 12 is over, you've got your results and you're sitting there thinking: what happens now?
Lectures, tutorials, majors and minors - the lingo used in the glossy pamphlets can seem like jibberish at first.
Then there's the other worries you might be having: How will I make new friends? What do I do if I'm not enjoying my course? Is it possible to pay attention in lectures without falling asleep? (Hint: it's not :P)
So whether you're just starting out or you've been studying forever, join us here at 8pm AEDT on Monday 23rd January, or click reply to start the discussion now!
Your OP is a whole number between 1 and 25, one being the highest. You get it by your grades in classes BUT you also have to complete the QCS, Queensland Core Skills test which are a bunch of tests like NAPLAN at year 10 level (apparently, mind you this is for year 12's) on english, maths and science (pretty sure).
If you don't want an OP, you get a rank. Now, everyone in year 12 has to complete the (useless) QCS tests, which are done over three days. And everyone's score effects each other. So there's a bell curve of results basically. Few people do really well, few people do really bad(and there HAVE to be at least one person who does shit or else the bell curve screws over and everyone's score is dragged down)
The difference between OP and rank is that OP is effected by everyone whereas rank is just the individual person's score (along with their school grades, I guess)
Did I mention it's stupid?
Apparently Queensland is planning on ditching this system though and changing to atar to be more standard with the rest of Australia (like moving year 7 to high school)
Honestly, QLD schools are morons.
I am thinking about doing a Masters of School Counseling, or something similar. But I'm pretty nervous as I actually kind of suck at studying, i much more prefer to actually go and DO the thing.... unfortunately sometimes you need a piece of paper before you can do the thing :P. But I'm really looking forward to it too, because I think it'd make me way more awesome at the things i already love doing a lot, this seems to help, i can write for days about things i actually give a crap about 😛
Does anyone get bored doing the same thing everyday? Like work wise? Same job, same skills, same info?
This is something that has worried me because I never have long-term interests.
Hey @Alison5, its a great and interesting question because the first degree i did led me to a job where I felt that but I think if you find something you really enjoy you can make space to be creative within it and that's what keeps it interesting. Also, professions or companies that believe in career progression will support you to keep growing in that way.
Also just an interesting fact, its totally normal to change your career, or move slightly sideways or end up doing something different than you expected a few times in your life. It happens to everyone! I guess thats what makes it exciting? but also good to remember that you have a lot of time! And it's okay to change!
In what ways do you think higher education will be/has been different to high school?
Well to tackle the first question- mostly the lack of structure. Sure, there are timetabled "classes" in that there's lectures and tutorials, but nobody is going to force you to attend all of your classes if you don't do it. You may end up regretting that decision around final exams though. (At least in a university context- I'm not terribly familiar with how the teaching in TAFE runs.) Classes are also a lot more spread out- there's typically only about 20 or so timetabled hours (although this differs based on what you're studying) instead of 6 hours Monday to Friday. This gives you a lot more flexibility for activities outside of class- like working part-time, volunteering or just hanging out with friends, which is quite different. However, it also means that you don't form friendships as organically as you might have in high school, because you're not really forced to spend time with anyone in classes or at lunch.
Oh, and there's a lot more work. Like, quite a lot more, and you're expected to absorb it much more quickly than you are in high school. It's challenging to begin with but you do eventually get used to it 
Hi everyone! As I'm sure most of you are aware, university offers went out recently, so we figured it would be a good time to discuss making the move from high school to...whatever's next, be that TAFE, an apprenticeship or university.
Going from the structured format of a 9-3pm high school schedule to higher education can be a big change, so we figured we'd ask our lovely community members to share a little about what you think the change might be like, what their pathways are (and from oldies like myself, what the process was ACTUALLY like, and see if we can't steal some handy survival tips 
)
During tonights discussion please remember to follow the community guidelines. If at any point you feel distressed or overwhelmed please contact Lifeline [13 11 14] or Kids Help Line [1800 55 1800]
Lets start it off with the first question!!
In what ways do you think higher education will be/has been different to high school?
In what ways do you think higher education will be/has been different to high school?
- Flexibility
You can tailor your timetables to suit you a little more than high school. You can choose to take longer to do your course by doing less hours per week, or smash it out by doing lots of hours.
- Responsibility
Its up to you to get your work in and go to class, there isn't any reminders
- Massive range of people
In highschool we're grouped with people around our own age, at TAFE or Uni you could be with anyone from 18 - 100!!
- Different learning environment
You've got tutorials, lectures, different classes, whereas at high school you're just in a classroom most of the time
- You pick your course at uni or tafe so you're more likely to be interested also
In what ways do you think higher education will be/has been different to high school?
-8am classes 😞
-lectures with like a hundred people (especially in first year as a lot of courses overlap)
-having to work with new people in tutes or practical classes
-having to do all the study in your own time
-assignments - referencing
-a lot of online learning
-readings that no one does in first year -actually no one does till masters
In what ways do you think higher education will be/has been different to high school?
As previously mentioned there is a lot less structure and you very much do everything on your own terms. This can be both a good and a bad thing. All of a sudden you have a lot more time to do what you want and a lot less pressure to be anywhere at any one time. This can lead to you finding your passion outside of uni work, you can join clubs and really put yourself out there. On the flip side, it can be difficult to stay motivated when you really have nobody telling you that you HAVE to be doing your work. I would use your first few weeks at uni to find a routine that works for you, making sure you set time aside for both uni work and some social time/other priorities (diaries are a must :D). Uni is very different from school and can be a shock to the system, but just try and have fun with it. These may be some of the best years and you are gaining a great new opportunity to meet new people and try new things!
In what ways do you think higher education will be/has been different to high school?
- it was really different for me, like @May_ i had a lot of friends at school and i saw the same people all the time
- it took me ages to adjust cause all my classes had so many people and my high school group all split up but in terms of learning I have enjoyed uni way more!
- way more different things to learn, lots of different clubs to be part of, a really amazing chance to learn something you care about!
hey everyone!
In what ways do you think higher education will be/has been different to high school?
I found that there were heaps of differences between high school and uni. Firstly, depending on which uni you go to, there can be a lot of students, so it's hard to get to know people if you see them once and then hardly ever see them again. The huge emphasis on referencing, and how precise it had to be was quite a shock for me.
There was a lot more freedom in regards to turning up to classes as well, which I know has already been covered, but I thought it was worth mentioning again 
What do you want to study/what are you studying/what have you finished studying at uni/tafe/apprentiship?
Well i did an undergrad that i didnt like btu now im doing a master degreee that I LOVEEEE. My advice is definitely take the time to choose something and dont be afraid to change until you find something you care about and want to do!
Some pretty big differences between the two with negatives and positives to both I think - and everyone's experience of both will be pretty unique 🙂
Next question...
What do you want to study/what are you studying/what have you finished studying at uni/tafe/apprentiship?
I'm a Psychology/Neuroscience double major at uni. Which is why I'm at the lab. At 8. In the evening.
The kicker?
THE SEMESTER HASN'T EVEN STARTED YET.
