Year 11: A Step by Step Guide to Open Days 2023

Early offers are now part of going to uni. If you want to apply for an early offer, you need to know what uni you want to go to. 

You also need to know about prerequisites, recommended WACE courses and ATAR requirements.  Going to open days helps you gather this information from the experts.

Find your way around

Going to open days helps you to discover:

• How to get to the campus.
• How long it takes to get there.
• Where the Open Day takes place.
• Where to find food vans, toilets, and library.
• Where to find different exhibitions and lecture theatres. 
• Where to find student accommodation
• How to read the presentation and demonstration schedule.

Get an authentic experience 

Plan to go with a friend

Ask your friends to go with you and your family. What they are interested in? Make sure you know what they might want to explore. Make a commitment to support each other on the open day.

Your parents. will have the biggest influencers on your career choices, but your friends are great to bounce ideas off. They will give you views of someone your age. 

Check

Check the university open day web page with your parents and friends to find details about any special courses that you want to investigate or talks you want to attend. 

You may need to change the time you attend to see a presentation that is of interest to your career choice. 

On the Day

Find out how uni works

Each degree is made up of subjects (units) for which you get points. (Check First in Family site)

• Ask how many years it will normally take as a full-time student to get enough points for a degree.
• Ask about subject choices for each of the courses you are interested in. There will be handouts. 

Find out how to get started BEFORE you go to uni

Ask about programs the university has for school students. Some unis have courses for students to take while in year 11. 

• UWA Has the Aspire Program that engages with schools to support students to succeed in a pathway to UWA
• Murdoch has the Summer School program that gives credit points for uni.
• ECU has practical courses associated with WAAPA. 

Ask about support programs:

• UWA has the Aspire program
• If you can claim disadvantage ask about support programs: are you female going into a non-traditional occupation, RRR, migrant, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, do you have a disability? 

Ask about scholarships 

There are many scholarships you can apply for. Ask the careers staff to give you a full breakdown of scholarships that could match your profile. 

If you are interested in staying in uni accommodation, ask what financial support is available. 

Clubs 

There are a million clubs that you can join at university. You have more than a year to make choices so check out a few.  

Why not book an appointment with a career counsellor?

These appointments are free and it is the job of the career counsellor to help students.

If you get this help in Year 11, you will be more settled throughout the rest of the year and through Year 12 because you will have a stronger idea about what you want to do when you leave school. 

Entry Requirements

While you are checking out the courses ask about prerequisites and recommended courses that you should take before applying for particular courses. You also need to know the required ATAR score and alternative pathways to uni. 

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