Year 12 Uni Excursion
- Maria Pairitz
- Dec 7, 2018
- 3 min read
The past two days I have accompanied Year 12 on an excursion to visit multiple universities in southern Queensland. It was not only a great opportunity to explore different parts of the region, but also observe similarities and differences between uni in the states and Australia. On the way to the first uni visit, I talked with the career advisor, Brian, and Year 12 advisor, Sarah, and asked if uni was a popular choice after high school and if they felt that high schools did an adequate job preparing students for uni. They said that going to uni was not as popular a choice as it used to be as students are beginning to look at trade jobs and apprenticeships after school. They also said that retention rates after the first year are lower than they should be as students feel overwhelmed and can't handle the pressure and responsibilities. To me, that was not too surprising to hear as the population of students at BBHS are not driven or self-motivated as these are skills the teachers have failed to develop.
We visited Bond University, Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology, University of Queensland, and Southern Cross University. Visiting and listening to the presentations at each of these campuses made me extremely sad that I am at the end of my uni experience. The uni that made me particularly sentimental was University of Queensland. It reminded me so much of IU. All of the buildings were constructed from sandstone similar to IU's trademark limestone structures. The campus was enormous with beautiful landscaping. It just made me realize that never again will I those experiences and invest as much time and energy into developing myself as a person and professional as I did at IU.
For the excursion, BBHS paired up with another local high school in Mullum. As we were traveling together, I got to know the career advisor at Mullum quite well. She was so intrigued by my participation in Global Gateway for Teachers that she insisted I speak with her Year 12 students about my journey to uni and up to my study abroad. So, during the ride to one of the uni's, I rode the Mullum bus and spoke with them about my path to uni and how it will not be straightforward, but rather unfold as you start learning more about yourself. I was able to talk about switching majors, switching schools, overcoming social anxieties and how to take on any and every opportunity. Jenny loved that her students were exposed to someone outside of the Byron Shire bubble and bragged to Brian about how well I did, which in turn, made him want me to speak with BBHS students as well. I am really happy I had the opportunity to share my story with these students and it really fit perfectly as they are just beginning their journey as I am just coming to a close.
There were a lot more similarities than differences between Aussie unies and unies in the states. All unies emphasized real world experience instead of just learning in a classroom, career placement rates, student life and culture, and double majors. The major differences I noted were that Aussie students can get interest free loans for college and do not have to pay off their debts until they are earning over $50,000 a year. They also receive a government provided student stipend for living costs that will never need to be paid back.
We also had the opportunity to shop around in Gold Coast's famous shopping centres were I FINALLY found Christmas decorations! I have been dying on the inside from lack of Christmas spirit! It is not as big a deal as it is in the US! Leanne and Helen reckon it's because of the climate. They can't be bothered to decorate the inside extensively because they're always outside and they won't decorate the outside because it's too hot to!
I am really glad I jumped on the opportunity to explore unies with my students and help inspire them to get excited about their futures!
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