First round university offers were published today!

You were waiting, and waiting, and waiting. But you didn’t receive your first preference. You’ve been going through an emotional roller coaster all day – what is going to happen to your future, what is going to happen now, what are my options, is my future ruined? You know, I’ve learnt (the hard way) that life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% how we react to it.

Firstly, your future is NOT ruined. Secondly, just because you didn’t get your first preference doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. Sure, things didn’t go to plan, but there is always ANOTHER WAY. Carl Jung once said that the shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.

We’ve heard countless stories about students who have changed courses, dropped out because they made the wrong choices about what to study, and students who didn’t realise there were other pathways to university. This gives you the opportunity to re-evaluate and reassess your future!

So, here’s a few things you can do right now:

1. Re-think your preferences 
   Sure you missed out on your first preference. If you missed out on getting into your course by a only a slight margin, you may want to sit tight and wait to see if an offer is made in subsequent rounds. But you are thinking of changing your preferences, you can do so from 10am this Thursday until 4pm on the the 31st of January. All you have to do is add or remove courses from your list on the VTAC website.
   There is a really neat platform called MyFuture which enables you to build a career profile online if you are thinking of changing your preferences. This can help you make a decision as to what course you might want to change to.
2. Talk it over with your parents or a school counsellor
   Sometimes it helps to talk it over with someone you trust and is able to help you figure out and plan your next steps. Your parents or a school counsellor are usually the best people to speak to. They have a wealth of life experience which they are able to impart on you and help you through this difficult time. They may be able to provide you with resources or connect you with others who might be able to guide you in making a decision or help you further.
   Your parents or your school counsellor might also be able to connect you with an employer or someone in the industry you would like to be in and they may be able to guide you or even give you some work experience! Ask lots of questions, talk to the people who are already in the industry you want to build a career in. You might find that what you initially had planned to pursue was really unsuitable for you now and it might open your eyes to new opportunities.
3. Look into pathways to your university course
   There are many pathways to the university course of your choice these days. It does not necessarily mean that you are behind, with many pathways enabling you to go straight into second-year university upon successful completion. For example, if you wanted to enrol in a Bachelor of Business (Entrepreneurship) with RMIT but didn’t get in. So you decided to complete a Diploma of Business (BSB50215) instead as your pathway course. You may be able to apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL) if you successfully complete your Diploma of Business and offset some of the units you’ll need to undertake for your Bachelor of Business (Entrepreneurship) degree. You can find out more about our Diploma of Business by clicking here. You can also check out the Department of Education’s neat platform called MySkills which gives you more information about vocational courses (aka your pathway courses) such as where it can take you, how much an average course costs, percentage of people who gain employment post-graduation, percentage of people satisfied with the course, and much, much, more!
   Plus, you have the added bonus of an extra qualification when you do complete your bachelor’s degree because you had the opportunity to participate in a pathway course! If you like working with numbers then you might want to complete an accounting diploma!

1. Take a gap year to travel or work
   In Germany, high school leavers are encouraged to take a year (or more) off to explore the world, learn more about the workforce and learn more about themselves. This is why their average entry age into university is higher than the rest of the world, and their drop out rates are much, much lower than the rest of the world.
   I am personally a huge fan of taking a gap year because it allows you to find yourself, it gives you the opportunity to grow and reflect, to explore and learn more about the world, and best of all, because of all the real-life experiences you have gone through, the gap year gives you the ability to be more informed about your choices (most of the time).
   Take time to travel, involve yourself in foreign experiences, take on a part-time job in an industry you want to work in and challenge yourselves. Take up activities that can help you find your passion, if you haven’t already found it.
   At Dolph Business School, we’ve found that our students who have already been in the workforce and have returned to study to build a brighter future for themselves make better students. They are more determined, they don’t easily give up, they put in the hard yards, they are more likely to complete the course than high school leavers and best of all, they know what they want, and why they want it.

So many people didn’t go straight from school to university and then on to a sterling career. One’s success is weighted more on your passion, your dedication and your perseverance to succeeding; than the diploma in your name. Employers ultimately want someone who is proactive, someone who is able to hold themselves well, and someone who is willing to go the extra mile for them. Qualifications matter, but your attitude and your approach matters more.

Did you know that data recently released by our Education Minister – Simon Birmingham shows that about 33% of students who enrolled in a university in 2009 had dropped out by 2014? Females were less likely to drop out of university than males. 48% of females finished their course by 2014, compared with 40.6% of males. This trend, however, was reversed in TAFEs and private colleges, where 43.3% of males completed their course by 2014, compared with 36.2% of females.

Students also need to ensure they have looked at all the options that are available, study online is a great option which might allow you to travel but at some time get that bookkeeping or accounting degree started www.edna.edu.au/online-courses/certificate-iv-in-bookkeeping

So take this opportunity to think through your plans, what you want for yourself, and where you see yourself in 5-10 years.  Don’t despair. Where there’s a will, there will be a way!

Before we sign off, we want to leave you with a parting thought –

Mirror, mirror, on the wall.

I’ll always get up, after I fall.

And whether I run, walk or have to crawl,

I’ll set my goals and achieve them all!

Magnitudo Vestra (greatness awaits you)!