Going to uni in WA in 2024. A Comprehensive Guide
Category: Year 12
Is the uni bus right for you?
Are your friends going to uni? Do you have FOMO?
Did the drivers of the uni bus visit you at school and sell you a ride?
Are your parents frightened that if you don’t get off the bus you will get lost?
Just because the university bus is ready to pick you up from school, doesn’t mean that you have to get on.
Maybe you need to wait for the next bus. Maybe you want to get on the backpacker bus. Or the travel bus. Or the Harvest Trail bus. Or the job bus.
If you are not sure what to do at uni, DON’T GET ON THE BUS.
Defer University for a Year
If you are not sure what course you want to do, you can still apply for a place at uni and, once you get offered a place, defer taking it up for a year.
After working for a year you will have a clearer idea about which units to enrol in.
Check out Year 12 What Next? Gap Year Ideas for 2022.
The Uni Bus Fare is Expensive
Buying a uni course is not like buying a car. You can’t sell your used course to the next buyer who comes along.
If you get off the bus before you get to the destination YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY.
If you fail, you still have to pay.
If you change courses, you still have to pay for the part you used of the one you left behind.
TAFE
There are hundreds of courses available through TAFE. If you are unsure what course you might like to do or how to enrol find a Jobs and Skills Centre near you for career guidance.
Many TAFE courses are now on a free list.
You can do a trade course or a course that reflects 21st Century jobs in cyber security, dental technology, and agriculture.
Lots of TAFE courses earn credits at uni.
Still not sure which ride is best for you?
If you are tired of trying to decide what to do and feeling overwhelmed by your choices it may be time to think about hiring a Certified Career Advisor to guide you towards your ideal next chapter.
Contact me for a confidential discussion at M:0434056412 or Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au
Infocus Careers is an independent organisation which is solely supported by insanely great subscribers who share information with me, support each other and help me to pay my bills.
I can talk about careers under water so if you would like to chat about how I can help you to improve your career or the services you deliver, give me a ring on 0434056412 or email me at Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au
Sending an apprentice to Bunnings for a can of striped paint is now against the law in WA
Workplace Initiation Rituals
Sending a new apprentice to Bunnings for a can of striped paint. 
Forcing new employees to clean work toilets with a toothbrush.
Telling the new employee to drink goldfish water.
Just a bit of fun
Bosses laughed at these workplace initiation rituals which were designed to humiliate new workers. They were seen as “Just a bit of fun”.
Laughing at the new workers’ humiliation shows poor leadership and flags a shitty work environment.
These “fun” pranks are called “psychosocial hazards” and they can impact on the physical and mental health of workers.
Psychosocial hazards include:
- bullying
- excessive work demands, and
- poor leadership practices
It just got harder to ignore, overlook or explain away psychological hazards as “just a bit of fun”.
New Code to create great workplaces
There is a new Code of Practice called Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace Code of Practice published by the WA Occupational Safety and Health Commission to support changes to the WA Occupational Safety and Health Act. 
Implications for School Students
Work Experience
Doing work experience or work placements is usually pretty safe. Any organisation that is willing to volunteer to support your school has their heart in the right place.
School based traineeships and apprenticeships
Students doing school based traineeships and apprenticeships may be more at risk as they are in the workplace longer and may be in workplaces where there aren’t many people.
Part time work
Part time workers are most at risk. Young part time workers have low status in the workplace and are vulnerable to being treated badly.
Get to know the Code of Practice so that you know what your rights are. Part time workers are usually not members of a union so they can’t relay on support if they are treated badly. The Code of Practice is designed to support you and other vulnerable workers and you don’t need to be a union member to get this protection.
You can check out the list of things that the Code is trying to stop in Section 2.
Long term career impacts
There will be workplace procedures set up so that employees have someone to talk to about bad work practices. Workplace inductions will need to make sure that new workers are aware of how to make a complaint.
There will need to be plans to eliminate toxic work practices.
Hopefully support for young FIFO workers will improve, women will face less harassment in mining sites and isolated workplaces will need to be safe for all workers.
Check Psychosocial Hazards Overview HERE. 
Thanks Danielle
Danielle Kabilio told me about these changes when we were having a coffee last week. She is a Psychosocial Coach at Careers West and is helping workplaces to put in new systems and managing grievances that must be addressed under this Code of Conduct. 
She sent in information and links for me to pass on.
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Leaving Year 12? These Gap Year ideas may interest you
“Sometimes you just have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down.” ―
It takes courage to take the leap from school and out of a supportive education and training world. These gap year ideas may help you to build your wings.
Volunteer Overseas
Projects Abroad
With projects based on the edge of the world’s best safari and close to Mount Kilimanjaro, it’s no wonder that Tanzania is one of our most popular destinations.
We’ve been based in Tanzania for over 12 years, giving us time to cultivate meaningful placements. Why not explore this magical country and leave a positive impact of your own?
In Tanzania, you’ll help support Maasai communities. Consider the following options:
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Work with legal professionals to advocate for the rights of women and children
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Help set up a small business to improve the economic prospects of locals
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Provide human rights education and mentoring to women
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Intern in Medicine, Nursing, and allied health
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Support children through Teaching and Childcare projects
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Leave a lasting impact by building new classrooms
These projects are available to people of all ages, so get involved! For more insight, read Laura’s story of her experience volunteering in Tanzania.
Check out opportunities HERE.
Work Overseas
LetzLive has opened up its working holiday opportunities in the UK, Thailand, USA and New Zealand.
Check out the programs provided by LetzLive.
Travel Australia
Harvest Trail
The horticulture industry relies on people to pick their fruit and veggies. In the past the pay and conditions have been shocking, but the pandemic caused the industry to change work practices. The Harvest Trail is a more regulated employment trail for nomads.
You can find Harvest Trail jobs HERE.
You can apply for Relocation Assistance HERE.
AgCAREERSTART
If you’re 18-25 and looking to start a career in a meaningful and exciting industry, an AgCAREERSTART gap year will help you gain skills and knowledge to grow the farms of the future.
Over 10-12 months you will live in an exciting regional location, earn a nationally recognised qualification and build life-long industry connections.
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Get hands-on experience
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Increase your confidence
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Work outdoors and discover rural and regional Australia
Find out more HERE
CBH Employs 1000 people on the wheat bins
This is from the CBH site:
Working as a CBH harvest casual is a great opportunity to explore, live, work and immerse yourself in regional Western Australia (WA) for a short period of time while earning decent wages.
CBH manages sites all across regional WA where our growers deliver their grain once it has been harvested, and each year we recruit a pool of harvest employees to help us keep these sites moving, getting growers and transporters in and out safely, quickly and back to harvesting.
Check out the opportunities HERE.
Hospitality and Tourism
The boom in tourism within Australia is being slowed by the shortage of workers in resorts, coffee shops, motels, road houses and caravan parks.
Look for these jobs on sites like Seek or phone/email the local tourist bureau and ask where to find a job in the area.
If you are 18 you can earn more money serving alcohol than cleaning or serving in a cafe. You will need your Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate to be able to work serving alcohol.
If you can find a job in a resort or motel chain, take that, it is more likely to pay sick leave, holiday pay and superannuation. Wherever you get a job, make sure your pay and conditions are legit. Ring or email the Fair Work Ombudsman if you need to check.
Work on a Station
Can’t ride a motor bike or muster cattle? Maybe you can make scones or serve coffee.
Ellenbrae Station, halfway between Derby and Kununurra, sells thousands of scones to tourists who travel up the Gibb River Road every year.
Most stations supplement their incomes through tourism.
If you can clean you can probably find a job supporting the station tourism industry. Look for jobs on sites like Seek.
Defence
Gap Year in Defence (skip this section if you don’t want to try defence opportunities)
The Australian Department of Defence provides a structured, paid path to discover lots of stuff.
You meet lots of new people from different places and find out about their lives. You will probably make friends for life with people you meet at this time.
You get to leave home without having to pay for rent, electricity and food.
You learn new skills. Trying lots of different roles and learning new skills will help you to decide what you like and don’t like, without spending time and money at uni or TAFE.
You find out about life in the army, navy or air force.
You can check out Defence Force Gap Years HERE.
Army Reserves – if you would like to serve part time
If you want to do something really different on a part time basis, while helping the community and giving something back to our country, you can apply to join the Navy, Army or Air Force Reserve. There are a range of Reserve jobs in every category, so please check the entry requirements on each job page. Find out more HERE.
Need Experience?
Once you leave school it is tricky getting work experience as employers aren’t insured to cover unpaid volunteers.
In Western Australia you can apply for volunteer work through Volunteering WA. People put in requests for volunteers to them and they place people and cover them through the Volunteering WA insurance.
The Volunteering WA people said that when you first start with them they are careful of the sort of work they let you do until you have proven yourself.
Free Tips
Youth Central
Check out Youth Central. It’s a Victorian Government site that has clear, unbiased tips on taking a gap year.
How to Prepare for a Gap Year – Tips from Omio
Omio has sent me a link to their Gap Year Guides which delivers great resources to prepare for a Gap Year.
The guide contains detailed information on:
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The benefits of taking a gap year
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How to organize a gap year step by step (e.g., accommodation, transportation, entry requirements & travel restrictions)
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Itinerary suggestions and tips for travelling in Europe on a budget
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Volunteering in Europe (10 suggestions)
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How to successfully find and apply for an internship in Europe
You can find all the articles here: https://www.omio.com/travel/gap-year
Good luck with your plans for 2023.
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Going to Uni in WA – Mind Map for Year 12s
This map delivers links to information for Year 12s in Western Australia who want to go to uni in 2023. The links are to:
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Deciding what to do
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Logistics of getting there
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Money matters
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Career resources
It collates In Focus Careers blog posts, resources and other mind maps for West Australian Year 12s who want to go to uni in 2023.
For more information and resources for West Australian students, subscribe to In Focus Careers News.
Year 12: Becoming clear on what to do next year.
If you are in Year 12, you need to decide where you want to belong when you leave school.
Most of us don’t remember our dreams. Your dreams, or even your vague ideas will come in a whisper, not in a shout. Here are some tips on how to listen to your heart.
Tip 1:
Take the best stuff from your life now into your new life when you leave school.
Career ideas don’t come fully formed. This simple trick will help you to see some possibilities.
Make a list of the things you do in a day. This list provides you with the raw material that you need to decide where you want to belong.
- Get up
- Have breakfast
- Bus to school.
- Maths
- English
- etc
Expand your list by adding what you do on a weekend or on holidays or things you liked when you were younger.
- Play basketball
- Go to the beach
- Customer service at Brumby’s
When you have finished your list, highlight the things you like doing most. Check out those things and use them to guide your decisions about where you want to belong next.
Ideas are most at risk when they are vague and new.
Ideas need pampering or they will fade away.
Talk to your career advisor to get ideas about how you can do more of what you like doing most.
You can also check out how to do more of what you like through a free appointment with a careers counsellor at a Jobs and Skills Centre.
For more information go to Get on track to uni in WA 2023 or .Year 10 Magic Happens: Careers Handbook
Tip 2:
It is tricky to be clear about what is important to you
For Donald Trump money and power are important.
For the Wiggles it is entertaining little kids.
You can figure out what is important to you through this game:
- Write a list of 8 people who you like. They don’t even have to be real people. Your dog could be on the list.
- Once you have finished your list write three things that you like about each person.
If you included your dog you might have:
MIssy – Friendly, fun, understanding.
You will have 24 different things that you like.
Group together similar things. The things that appear most are those things that are most important to you.
Let those things guide your decisions about where you want to go next.
If making money and having power is important to you, you won’t want to go to care for orphans in Cambodia.
If entertaining little kids is important to you, you might check out early childhood education. That is where the original Wiggles started.
For more information go to Get on track to uni in WA 2023 or .Year 10 Magic Happens: Careers Handbook
In Summary
From little things big things grow.
Start by listening to what you like now. From those ideas you can grow your future.
Check to see if those thing sounds true to your values.
Stand on the shoulders of giants. Ask older people for information. Ask what they did. We all want you to succeed.
Get on track to uni in WA 2023 Year 10 Magic Happens Careers Handbook
To discover career opportunities in Western Australia, subscribe to In Focus Careers News
So you want to be a doctor? May is important for 2023 applicants.
Notre Dame has its Getting Into Medicine information session on 3 May at 5.30 West Australian Time. Curtin has their information session on 9th May.
People who want to get into medicine in 2023 need to attend medicine information sessions to hear of course application procedures and they need to complete their UCAT applications.
Notre Dame and Curtin Uni Medicine Information Sessions
Notre Dame, Curtin and UWA run medicine courses in WA.
If you missed the Curtin information you can find the video HERE.
If you missed the Notre Dame information session, search “Notre Dame Medical Student information videos” for a suite of helpful videos.
UWA has not planned an information session. You can find information about medicine at UWA HERE.
UCAT Applications Close Soon
To get into medicine you have to score well on a University Clinical Admission Test (UCAT)
Students undertake the UCAT at a time they can choose between 1 July to 12 August.
There is a fee to undertake the UCAT. Concessions close on 10 May.
Applications close on 17th May.
Late bookings for UCAT
The late booking deadline is 31st May.
To see all dates go HERE.
There is a bank of tests that students should do to prepare for the test.
UCAT recommends:
you start by viewing the Preparation Advice and Resources before moving onto the Question Banks and Practice Tests and the Test Tools.
Training organisations that are not associated with UCAT offer additional training. UCAT has this to say about those organisations:
Commercial organisations will be using questions that are not necessarily of the standard you will encounter in the UCAT and this may distort your performance whilst practising. Screen views may be different and commercial organisations are unlikely to include the new question types, which you may encounter in your test. They may also not replicate the UCAT scoring and banding accurately and may give misleading indicators of your anticipated UCAT score.
Good luck to all of you who aim to get into medicine.
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Are you going to uni next year? Find out where, what, when and who you want to meet.
You can use the skills you developed when coming to high school to guide your transition from high school to uni.
Tip 1: Where
Online Study V On Campus
Get your student number and connection to the internet sorted. You will be given instructions about how to do this around Christmas time with the offer that comes after the final TISC results come out.
If face to face classes are available on campus, go to them. Uni is so much more than curated information about different subjects.
On Campus Accommodation
If you CAN stay on campus, do that.
We want students to stay at the on campus accommodation, whether they are from South East Asia or South Perth.
Professor Harlene Hayne, Vice Chancellor Curtin University
St Catherine’s College Curtin
There are people employed by residential colleges who have knowledge, networks and power to create an amazing university life for you. You will make friends for life, get help with study and create networks that will lead to jobs.
$$$$$$$$: Check accommodation scholarships HERE.
Public Transport
If you will be taking public transport to uni, figure out the best route and timetable and find out how to get your SmartRider ticket.
Tertiary SmartRider
Parking
Not being able to find parking when you are under pressure can break you.
Get your parking stickers/app during the holidays. Find where you can park and where to find parking during peak hours. Try to find free parking, although most good free spots will be taken by students who have been at uni for a while. 
Campus Layout
Go to movies, food van markets, play sport or join clubs on campus. Each baby step you make to become familiar with your uni will make your transition easier.
Walk around the campus. If you are doing engineering, go to the engineering building. Check out the room and lab locations. Find the library.
Whatever course you are doing, find your buildings and know where your classes will be held BEFORE Orientation Week.
Tip 2: What Subjects
If you aren’t certain which subjects to take, do a uni prep course – its free and it will help you to make better subject choices. You will be able to go to the same campus as your friends who are leaping into their degree straight away, and you will learn enough to be clear about what course you want to do before you start your degree.
- About 30% of students change courses as they find out more about their degree. This is an expensive path to take. Each subject/ unit at university will cost around $2000. You can check how much each unit will cost on the UWA Fee Calculator.
- Only 26% of university students go straight there from school on their ATAR results. Consider taking a gap year before you go to uni. You will expand your world and get clearer about what you want to do next. Check out Gap Year Ideas
- If you are worried that you won’t ever start to study again if you stop studying after Year 12, go to uni and choose broad subjects that allow you to specialise later, when you know more about the course or working in that industry.
- In response to COVID disruption ALL universities in Western Australia have significantly increased the amount of support that is available to future students. Use the free career advice that is available at every university.
Tip 3: When – Timetable
Lectures, tutorials and workshops will be scheduled throughout the week. You choose your timetable.Your school timetable is a good model to follow when choosing your class times.
Treat uni like school. Organise your timetable so that you go to uni every day. Don’t be tempted to pack your scheduled times into a few days and just go during scheduled times. Spend your “free time” doing your research and assignments.
If you treat uni as a job, with a 40 hour week and some good study planning you are on a good path to success. Schedule breaks where you meet your friends and where you play sport or engage in club activities. A mix of work and play is what you need to have a great time at uni.
Tip 4: Friends
The friends you make at uni can stay with you for your entire life.
There will be so many people to choose from. If you go to Curtin, there will be about 50,000 people to choose from. If you go to Notre Dame in Fremantle, which is our smallest uni, you will have about 6,000 to choose from.
If you pick clubs or sports or volunteer activities from the amazing choice that is available, you will find friends there who have the same interests as you. You can join clubs during Orientation Week.
If you arrange to stay at university accommodation you will meet lots of new people there.
So just 4 Tips
- Decide what uni to go to and how to get there.
- Decide what to study, or at least choose a path that will help you to decide.
- Look at timetables for this year. The chances are that they won’t change much next year. You will be able to draft your study timetable before Orientation Week.
- Look forward to meeting a bunch of new, wonderful people who like doing the same things that you do.
Get clear, unbiased career information for West Australian school students and educators.
Subscribe to In Focus Careers News.
To subscribe email: Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au
Pathways from High School Video Presentation for Senior Students
Get on track to uni in WA 2023Pathways from High School – Video presentation for West Australian Senior Students
The content was just what our Year 12’s needed, and the timing is perfect.
This 30-minute Pathways from High School presentation with video is a great alternative to the face-to-face presentations as it can be shown to students and families, at any time.
Students can even take a copy home and watch it with their parents!!
3 Pathways
It shows 3 different case studies.
Pathway 1: Judy the academic superstar
Judy is an academic superstar who checks out the Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) at Curtin, medicine everywhere, and Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) at UWA. Pathway 2: Flynn General ATAR, Alternative Pathway
Flynn is looking for alternative pathways for non-ATAR school leavers. He checks out all of the unis, looks at university preparation courses and seeks advice from career counsellors and Centrelink.
Pathway 3: Angie VET and Gap Year
For those wanting a Gap Year, who never to return to full-time study again. Angie looks at the Defence Gap Year program and at Harvest Trail as well as at some on the job training she can do at McDonald’s and online courses.
I recommend that all students seek professional advice that narrows down to their personal choices, once they have a general idea of which direction they want to take.
Find this presentation HERE.
University Open Days Tips for Years 9 -12 students
In years 9 – 12? Go to uni open days
University open days are starting in March this year.
Curtin University 3 April 2022
ECU South West 27 March
ECU Joondalup 10 April
ECU Mt Lawley including WAAPA 1 May
Murdoch 19 March 2022
UWA 27 March
Going to a uni open day is like going to a show. There are food vans, exhibitions and demonstrations and interesting people to meet, who WANT to convince you that their course is fantastic.
Check out the Worksheets at the bottom of this post.
Year 9 Tips
Start learning about life at university in Year 9. Check out the food vans. Listen to the music. Go into buildings and see the latest tech tools, computer games and research. See what workshops are on. Find the library, the shops and the toilets.
Year 10 Tips
Explore and Experience Try stuff. There will be people inviting you to engage with practical experiences in their subject. It could be VR. It could be checking out the latest medical research, making a short movie using their studio. All faculties will have practical experiences for you to engage with. Do it now.
Year 11 Tips
Get an authentic experience. Engage with current students. Build on what you have learned in years 9 and 10 visits by asking questions of both students, academics and staff. Check out presentations and exhibitions to see what you will gain most from and register for them, or just make a schedule of where to be and at what time.
Year 12 Tips
This is it. You need to be able to build from your other Open Day experiences. You will know what faculties to visit, and you will have a range of questions to ask. By now you should have narrowed down your options and you will be able to ask specific questions about subjects, industry engagement opportunities, mentors, support programs etc. You will know which presentations and demonstrations you need to revisit.
