INFORMATION BULLETIN - EDITION

Transcription

1 CAREER BULLETIN INFORMATION BULLETIN - EDITION 15 Queensland 04/09/2015 to 21/09/2015

2 Table of Contents Apprenticeships and Employment... 4 Accounting Cadetship... 4 Five ways to market yourself to an employer... 4 Going for a job interview?... 5 Road to employment... 5 Australian Defence Force... 6 Australian Defence Force Careers Information Sessions... 6 Women in Defence Information Session... 6 Career Exploration... 7 How do I start my career exploration?... 7 Queensland Government Youth website career advice... 7 Competitions Global Integrity Summit Student essay competition... 8 Focus on Architecture competition... 8 Queensland Brain Institute s (QBI) Puzzle Room Prison Break... 8 Reminder Queensland Science Contest... 8 Course and Institution Updates... 9 Applications are open for B Arts (Screen) at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS)... 9 Auditions open for 2016 entry to jazz courses at JMI... 9 Headstart Day at Bond University... 9 Latest news from the University of Southern Queensland (USQ)... 9 Queensland University of Technology (QUT) news Selected course event and due dates for 9 September - 9 October TAFE Queensland Brisbane Spring Workshops at Southbank Campus Thinking of Studying Architecture? Updates from James Cook University (JCU) Updates from the University of Queensland (UQ) Financial Assistance and Scholarships CQUniversity scholarships brochure Griffith Sir Samuel Griffith Scholarships JMC Academy scholarships Scholarships at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ)

3 Undergraduate scholarships at the University of Melbourne University of the Sunshine Coast s (USC) Scholarships UQ Merit Scholarships in Agriculture and Music UQ School of Economics Undergraduate Scholarships Vision Australia Further Education Bursaries Gap Year Program News Antipodeans GapBreak application days Gap Year program information events in September The Endeavour Youth Scheme for Occupational Information Jobs in the Creative and Leisure Industries Specialties in psychology What is allied health? Open Days, Expos and Career Markets Discover QUT Endeavour College of Natural Health Information Session Jazz Music Institute (JMI) Open Day New York Film Academy (NYFA) Australia Gold Coast open house QTAC and Tertiary Entry Bonus and special admissions schemes Choosing a university QTAC application checklist Regional Preference schemes Study Skills Helpful study skills websites Year 12 Questions More questions from Year 12 students

4 Apprenticeships and Employment Accounting Cadetship SRJ is an accounting and business advisory firm with offices in Brisbane, Strathpine and Caboolture. SRJ is now accepting applications for its 2016 cadetship program. A cadetship incorporates study with paid work experience. The SRJ cadetship program is open to Year 12 students planning to apply for a commerce, economics or business degree majoring in accounting in Applications close on 30 November SRJ will hold a cadetship information session at 5.30 pm on Tuesday 13 October 2015 at its Strathpine office at 3/27 South Pine Road, Strathpine. You can register to attend this session on the SRJ Chartered Accountants, Auditors and Business Advisors Facebook page. Alternatively, andrea.roberts@srj.com.au or call Andrea on (07) or Read about the SRJ cadetship program at Five ways to market yourself to an employer Five ways to market yourself to an employer As part of the Generation Success initiative (see a group of young people offered advice to young job seekers about finding their first job. One of their tips was Communication is king. This involves highlighting your strengths to potential employers by marketing yourself well. The myfuture website expands on this advice by listing five strategies you can use to market yourself during your job search. Highlight your selling points - A selling point is a statement about a skill or quality you have that directly meets an employer's need. Phone an employer - Cold-calling is when you contact someone who is not expecting your call. You can cold-call employers to ask about an advertised position or to ask about upcoming jobs. For each of these types of calls, you need to clearly explain the reason for your call. Meet with employers - You may be meeting with an employer about future job opportunities, or interviewing someone who works in a similar job to the one that you are thinking about. Information interviews like this are great ways to explore the requirements of jobs before you make decisions about your career. 4

5 Your career portfolio - A career portfolio is a personal collection of materials that document the events and achievements of your life. It helps you organise information so that you can apply for jobs, scholarships and courses. Manage your reputation - The things you share online, and what others write about you, contribute to your online reputation. Many employers research candidates through Google search, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social networking services. Read a full description of these strategies at Going for a job interview? It is wise to prepare for a job interview whether the interview is for a cadetship with a large corporation, an apprenticeship with a local builder or a checkout job at a supermarket. Your preparation should include thinking up job interview questions and how you might answer them. A good resource to help you with this can be found at Road to employment Two Canadian university graduates took a road trip across Canada to meet career professionals, employers and recent graduates to find out the best strategies to use when looking for a job. They have used the information they gathered to produce a video. The strategies they present in the video apply to all young people who are currently or will eventually be looking for a job. View the video at 5

6 Australian Defence Force Australian Defence Force Careers Information Sessions The following sessions will provide information about the range of options available in Australia s Navy, Army and Air Force. Thursday 17 September 2015 at Defence Force Recruiting, Level 13, 295 Ann Street, Brisbane CBD. The session will start at 6 pm. Wednesday 30 September 2015 at Spring Lake Hotel, 1/1 Springfield Lakes Boulevard, Springfield Lakes. The session will start at 6 pm. To RSVP, call or cptqld@dfr.com.au. Women in Defence Information Session This session will provide an opportunity to talk with currently serving females from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and discuss not only the recruiting process, but also life in the ADF as a female. It will be held at 6 pm on Wednesday 16 September 2015 at Defence Force Recruiting, Level 13, 295 Ann Street, Brisbane CBD. To RSVP, call or wid@dfr.com.au. 6

7 Career Exploration How do I start my career exploration? Deciding on your next step is a daunting task. However, there are many resources available to get you started. These include questionnaires to help you learn more about yourself and to come up with job ideas. The following links are for popular career questionnaires. Job Outlook career quiz Myfuture My Career Profile Myfuture Mini career explorer Career Quest Once you have a job ideas list, use the myfuture website to find out about the jobs. This will help you prioritise your list and decide what you most want to pursue after you finish Year 12. Talking to someone already in the job and/or doing work experience are excellent ways of testing if the job is really what you want to do for your first step. Queensland Government Youth website career advice This website at has a section on Work and Career. It provides advice and links to other sites that can be of assistance during your career search. 7

8 Competitions 2015 Global Integrity Summit Student essay competition To coincide with this year's Global Integrity Summit in October, Griffith University is offering Queensland Year 11 and 12 students the opportunity to win a $1000 cash prize by expressing their views about one of the greatest global issues of our time - climate change. Two runner up winners will receive $500 cash each. Applications close on Friday 11 September Details at Focus on Architecture competition This year the Brisbane Open House (BOH) photography competition includes a competition for students in Years To enter, visit any of the BOH buildings allowing photography on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2015, snap your winning photo and submit it via the Brisbane Open House website before 5pm on Friday 16 October for your chance to win a $250 prize for the best photo. Visit for details. Queensland Brain Institute s (QBI) Puzzle Room Prison Break The QBI's Puzzle Room experience is a challenging holiday event for high school students. Although it looks like an ordinary room, the Puzzle Room is actually a reallife puzzle with the potential for everything and anything to be a clue. Teams of five will have 45 minutes to solve the mystery and break free! This event will be held during the coming school holidays from 28 September to 2 October 2015 on the University of Queensland, St Lucia campus. The team who completes the Puzzle Room in the fastest amount of time will win a prize pack with a value of over $1000. Visit for details. Reminder Queensland Science Contest This contest is organised by the Science Teachers Association of Queensland to increase interest in science. The contest is open to primary and secondary students. Participants are required to submit a science project from one of six categories. Go to for contest details. Complete an online entry form by 9 October and send or bring your entry to the University of Queensland on Friday 16 or Saturday 17 October

9 Course and Institution Updates Applications are open for B Arts (Screen) at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) AFTRS is a national screen arts and broadcast school located in Sydney, NSW. Applications are now open for B Arts (Screen) in FEE-HELP is available for eligible students. The due date for applications is 1 November Find out more about the course, the entry requirements and the application process at %28screen%29/BASCR. Auditions open for 2016 entry to jazz courses at JMI The Jazz Music Institute (JMI) invites students to audition for entry to its specialised jazz courses, including B Music in Jazz Performance and D Music (Jazz Performance). Auditions are by appointment. Visit for details. Headstart Day at Bond University This event will be held from 9 am 3 pm on 19 October It will provide Year 10 and 11 students with an opportunity to try university subjects from across Bond's four faculties. You can obtain details about the day at Interested students should talk to their school guidance officer/counsellor about attending this event. Latest news from the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Campus transfer USQ and the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) are currently in discussions to enable the transfer of the USQ Fraser Coast Campus to USC to increase tertiary education opportunities in the region. The plan is for USC to take up possession from 1 February 2016 in time for the Semester one student intake. Read the news release at and information on the USC site at Study options evening This evening will be held from 5 7 pm on Thursday 17 September 2015 at the Springfield campus. This is an opportunity to find out about USQ courses, talk to current students and check out the campus. RSVP at 9

10 Not sure what you want to study at university? USQ s B General Studies gives students the opportunity to study a broad range of areas before deciding on a specific area. Find out about this course at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) news Fashion illustration for beginners - This course will provide you with the foundations for creating a fashion portfolio. It will be held from 10 am 3 pm on Saturday 7 and Saturday 14 November 2015 at the QUT Creative Industries Precinct, Kelvin Grove. Registrations for this course close on 24 October 2015 (early bird prices are available until 10 October). See for details. Pathways to teaching in the creative arts Pathways are available for teaching careers via the following undergraduate creative industry programs: B Creative Industries (in the study areas of visual arts; drama; English; film, television and screen; animation or music) B Fine Arts (majoring in dance; drama; visual arts; film, TV and new media production or animation) and B Music. Students complete their undergraduate degree followed by a two-year Master of Teaching majoring in Early Childhood or Primary (currently available) or Secondary (available in 2018). See the news item at for more information. Equity scholarships at QUT If you are from a low-income background or are experiencing financial or personal hardship, visit to explore the range of Equity Scholarships available at QUT. Applications for Semester open in mid-september You complete one application form to be considered for all scholarships under the scheme. It is important to apply early for these scholarships to allow QUT to contact you if more information is required. For help with applying, contact the Equity Scholarships team on phone or equityscholarships@qut.edu.au. Elite Athlete Entry Program - Elite athletes can apply for the Elite Athlete Entry Program to receive a bonus of up to 3 OPs (or 6 ranks) to help them gain entry to their chosen course at QUT. Visit for details. Applications for this program close on 29 November Elite athletes are also encouraged to apply for the Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship (Elite Athlete). For 10

11 information about this scholarship, visit Selected course event and due dates for 9 September - 9 October 2015 September 9 - University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs campus Headstart Program Information Evening CQUniversity Virtual Open Day Due date to register with QUT for B Fine Arts (Dance Performance); B Fine Arts (Dance); B Music JMC Academy Motion Capture workshop National Institute of Circus Arts applications close Queensland University of Technology Return to Study Seminar at North Lakes WE Explore Engineering Day at the University of Queensland William Blue College of Hospitality Management scholarship application due date Queensland University of Technology Return to Study Seminar at Caboolture campus APM College of Business and Communication Industry Scholarship application due date MBA and Post Grad Expo Jazz Music Institute Open Day Aptitude for Engineering Assessment test held (Griffith University) 11

12 21 - Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship and Support Scheme: Undergraduate application due date Day in the Life workshop at APM College of Business and Communication Day in the Life at William Blue Brisbane workshop at William Blue College of Hospitality Management Discover QUT at Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove campuses Discover QUT at Caboolture campus Billy Blue College of Design Brisbane campus Day in the Life Workshop 26 Day in the Life of a Designer workshop at CATC Design Day in the Life workshop at Australian College of Natural Therapies Day in the Life of a Beauty Therapist at Australian National College of Beauty UQ Robotics Holiday Workshops for students in Years Introduction to Robotics University of New South Wales Co-op Scholarship Program application due date QTAC 'On-time' application due date UQ Robotics Holiday Workshops for students in Years Artificial Intelligence NIDA applications for 2016 full-time courses close James Cook University direct application for B Medicine/B Surgery; B Dental Surgery; B Veterinary Science; B Physiotherapy due date University of New England s Early Entry Program applications close 12

13 October 30 - National Summer Art Scholarship 2016 program application due date UQ Robogals Workshop - Robotics Workshop for Girls Bond University s annual film competition, BUFTA, closing date Deadly Futures Job Placement and Community Day Due date to register with QUT for B Design (Honours) - Fashion; B Fine Arts (Acting); B Fine Arts (Technical Production); B Fine Arts (Visual Arts); B Business/B Fine Arts (Visual Arts) TAFE Queensland Brisbane Spring Workshops at Southbank Campus TAFE Queensland Brisbane is offering high school students the opportunity to sample some of the activities that are part of selected career areas through its spring workshops. The areas included are: 21 September 2015 Hairdressing Spring School 22 September Beauty Spring School 23 September Fashion Spring School 1 October Hospitality and Tourism Spring School 2 October 2015 Cooking and Baking Spring School All workshops will include guest speakers and practical experiences. They will be held at the Southbank Campus and will cost $20 for a full day, including morning tea and lunch. For more information innovations.brisbane@tafe.qld.edu.au or call Peta on Thinking of Studying Architecture? High school students (aged from years) who are thinking about studying architecture and design have an opportunity to learn more about the profession at a special workshop on Saturday 10 October 2015 at the Australian Institute of Architects, 70 Merivale Street, South Brisbane. Visit (scroll down to Thinking of Studying Architecture ) for more information. To book a place, qld@architecture.com.au (advance registrations are required). Updates from James Cook University (JCU) 13

14 Accommodation - JCU has an Accommodation Service that can assist with on and off campus accommodation options. Applications for the on campus residential colleges and halls in Townsville are now open. Find out more at Important due dates If you do not meet the following dates, you will not be considered for the related courses: 30 September the last date for Medicine/Surgery, Dental Surgery, Veterinary Science and Physiotherapy online applications to QTAC. 30 September the final date to submit the JCU written application to JCU for Medicine/Surgery, Dental Surgery, Veterinary Science and Physiotherapy. Visit to access the application form. 23 October the last date for Predictions of Academic Achievement form to be received by the College of Medicine and Dentistry. Applicants will be selected for an interview based on their JCU written application and their prediction of academic achievement. Get ready for uni - This JCU web page at has all the information you need to help you settle into university study and living. Information sessions Find out about studying at JCU in 2016 by attending one of the following sessions: 8 September 2015 Cairns Information Session 8 September 2015 Rockhampton Information Session 9 September 2015 JCU Mackay Futures Expo 15 September 2015 Townsville Information Session Updates from the University of Queensland (UQ) St Lucia Campus Tours - From now until Wednesday 23 December 2015 UQ will conduct one hour guided tours of the St Lucia campus every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 am and 2 pm. Tours depart from outside of the Student Centre (ground floor of Building 61). Register for a tour with the Future Student Contact Centre on telephone or ask@uq.edu.au. Maths B, Biology and Chemistry intensive mode courses Successful completion of these courses will meet prerequisites in these subjects for UQ degree programs. The courses will run from 24 November - 18 December Results will be available for the QTAC January 2016 major offer round. See for details. 14

15 Taste of Spanish 2015 This event is for Year 11 students who are currently studying Spanish. The program is designed to familiarise students with the St Lucia campus and give them an insight into studying Spanish at university. For more information and to download the program, visit Places for this event are limited. Talk to your language teacher if you would like to attend. Faculty guides are available online If you missed out on brochures at the open day, you can download them at 15

16 Financial Assistance and Scholarships CQUniversity scholarships brochure Download the scholarships brochure at Griffith Sir Samuel Griffith Scholarships Griffith University s Deans Sir Samuel Griffith Scholarships and the Sir Samuel Griffith Scholarships are awarded to school leavers with outstanding academic records and high level leadership and community engagement. These scholarships are worth from $24,000-$60,000 and include membership of the Griffith Honours College. Applications for these scholarships close on 11 December Find out more at JMC Academy scholarships JMC offers higher education courses in the creative industries. It will offer up to eight academic undergraduate scholarships at its Brisbane campus, covering one year of tuition fees for any of JMC s eight bachelor degrees. Applications close on the 18 December Find out more at Scholarships at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Chancellor's Scholarships - A scholarship will be awarded to the most outstanding applicant commencing full-time on-campus study in 2016 at each of the Toowoomba, Fraser Coast, Springfield and Ipswich campuses. Applications close on 30 October See for details. USQ Residential College Scholarships These scholarships are used towards the cost of accommodation at the USQ Residential Colleges, Toowoomba Campus. Applications are due on 30 October Visit for more information. John Ross Clancy Indigenous Student Book Bursary Two of these bursaries will be offered to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students studying oncampus at USQ in Applications close on 30 October Eligibility and selection criteria is available at 16

17 Elite Athletes Bursary Six bursaries will be offered in Visit for eligibility and selection criteria information and to download an application. The application due date is the 30 October Scholarship website Visit this website at (click on Scholarships ) for information about the full range of undergraduate scholarships available at USQ. Undergraduate scholarships at the University of Melbourne Chancellor s Scholars Program recipients receive a Melbourne National Scholarship and a Melbourne Global Scholars Award, as well as a guaranteed entry pathway into a professional master s degree of their choice. See ors-scholars-program for details. Melbourne National Scholarships this scholarship provides a tuition fee-exempt Commonwealth Supported Place valued up to approximately $30,500 and a $15,000 allowance ($30,000 for interstate students) paid in six half-yearly instalments. Interstate Year 12 and IB students also receive one return flight home during their degree. See for details. Melbourne Access Scholarships -provide an allowance of $15,000 paid in six halfyearly instalments for students applying through Access Melbourne. Visit grams/access-melbourne for details. Other scholarships visit rships_for_domestic_students for information about other scholarships. University of the Sunshine Coast s (USC) Scholarships USC offers scholarships on the basis of academic merit, equity (e.g. financial hardship), sporting achievement and community activity. Applicants submit one application form to be considered for as many USC scholarships and bursaries as they are eligible for. Scholarship applications for Semester one 2016 are currently open and will close on 31 October Visit the scholarship web page at for details about the various scholarships available and to access the application form. UQ Merit Scholarships in Agriculture and Music The University of Queensland (UQ) will offer the following scholarships as part of its academic scholarship program. 17

18 UQ Merit Scholarships Gatton Campus UQ Merit Scholarships Music UQ School of Economics Undergraduate Scholarships Current Year 12 students can apply for the following University of Queensland (UQ) scholarships: Year 12 Domestic Australian Scholarship Year 12 Onshore International Scholarship Year 12 Indigenous Scholarship. To be eligible, students must apply by the due date and be accepted into the B Economics for Applications close on 20 November For details see Vision Australia Further Education Bursaries Applications for the 2016 bursaries for students who are blind or have low vision are now open. The bursaries provide adaptive technology to help students fully participate in their chosen studies. Applications close on Friday 30 October For information on how to apply and to download the application form, visit 18

19 Gap Year Program News Antipodeans GapBreak application days Antipodeans Abroad is running important GapBreak application days from September This is the final round of application days before end of year exams. If students wish to participate on a paid work or volunteer travel program in 2016, they need to select a time for a 25 minute application meeting on one of these days over the phone or in the Antipodeans Sydney office. For more information go to Gap Year program information events in September Southern Cross Cultural Exchange Information Evening in Brisbane Career Counsellors USA (CCUSA) Australia information night in Brisbane 10 Antipodeans Abroad GapBreak Online Information Nights (Webinars) The Endeavour Youth Scheme for 2016 This scheme provides young Australians with a unique, challenging and inspirational experience at sea on the Young Endeavour. In each voyage 24 young Australians (the youth crew) and nine specially trained Royal Australian Navy crew embark on an adventure at sea. Voyage berths are allocated by ballot. The ballot is now open for applications for voyages sailing from January to June Find out more at 19

20 Occupational Information Jobs in the Creative and Leisure Industries The Future Now website at has information (flyers, videos, FAQs) on jobs in the following industries: Arts and Culture Hospitality Tourism and Events Information Media Printing Sport, Recreation and Racing Telecommunications. Specialties in psychology There are many specialties in psychology, including: Clinical Neuropsychology Clinical Psychology Community Psychology Counselling Psychology Educational and Developmental Psychology Forensic Psychology Health Psychology Organisational Psychology Sport and Exercise Psychology Read about these specialist areas at What is allied health? According to Allied Health Professions Australia allied health professionals include: Audiologists, Chiropractors, Dietitians, Exercise Physiologists, Genetic Counsellors, Music Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Orthoptists, Orthotist/Prosthetists, Osteopaths, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Podiatrists, Perfusionists, Psychologists, 20

21 Social Workers, Sonographers, Speech Pathologists, Audiometrists, Diabetes Educators and Diversional Therapists. To find out more about specific allied health professions do a search on the myfuture website at and visit the My Health Career website at You can also read information about many of these professions on the University of Queensland Health website at 21

22 Open Days, Expos and Career Markets Discover QUT This event will be held on Wednesday 23 September 2015 at the Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove campuses and on 24 September 2015 at Caboolture campus. Each campus program will include campus tours, opportunities to talk to current students, and course and scholarship information. The program at Gardens Point campus will include an Academic scholarships seminar and an Equity scholarships and financial hardship seminar. The specific program for each campus can be accessed at Endeavour College of Natural Health Information Session Endeavour College will hold a Complementary Medicine Information Session at is Brisbane campus from 6 7 pm on 16 September Visit for details. Jazz Music Institute (JMI) Open Day This event will be held at the JMI campus at Bowen Hills, Brisbane on Saturday 19 September See for further information. New York Film Academy (NYFA) Australia Gold Coast open house NYFA invites students interested in filmmaking or acting to its open house from 12 2 pm on 19 September Students under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Go to to RSVP. 22

23 QTAC and Tertiary Entry Bonus and special admissions schemes There are numerous schemes that may help you gain entry to your preferred course. In general, these schemes allocate bonus selection ranks or OPs, depending on the rules of the institution, to eligible applicants. Some of these schemes you have to apply for. For other schemes bonus points are automatically allocated when you apply through QTAC. Special consideration through QTAC - QTAC's Educational Access Scheme (EAS) helps applicants who have experienced difficult circumstances that have impacted negatively on their senior studies. The categories of EAS are Financial hardship, Home environment and responsibilities, English language difficulty, Personal illness and disability and Educational disruption. Read more about EAS on p. 22 of the QTAC Guide (institution policies about EAS are listed here) and on the QTAC website at Other special admissions schemes - These schemes include: Year 12 subject bonus schemes Access and equity schemes Regional preference schemes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander schemes University early entry schemes Principal recommendation schemes Elite athlete schemes You can access details of these schemes on pp of the QTAC Guide and from the QTAC website at 23

24 Choosing a university The Conversation has been presenting a series of articles on choosing a university. You can read the articles at The topics covered, with a very brief summary, are: How does your choice of university affect your future? Choice of university may not affect employment prospects but it may impact on earnings. Rankings, prestige, student experience: how to choose a good university - The diversity of institutions in Australia means that finding a good university is about finding the university that s good for you. Five things to think about when choosing a university course 1. Keep things in perspective; 2. Treat entry scores with extreme caution; 3. Focus on the big picture; 4. Remember job-specific skills aren t everything; 5. Think about the value beyond dollars. Does price matter when picking a university? Past research has shown that interests are the dominant criteria when selecting courses and price is seldom an important factor. Will this change if prices are deregulated? QTAC application checklist Have you submitted your QTAC application? The on-time due date is 30 September 2015 (during the school holidays). Applications made after this date incur a late fee of $134. Applications received after 9 December 2015 may not be assessed in time for the 14 January 2016 major offer round. You apply on the QTAC website at by first creating an account. Page 44 of the QTAC Guide has directions on how to fill out your application. The application will request your LUI, so make sure you have it before you go on holidays. Did you use the recipe when organising your preferences? The recipe is a strategy that has an inbuilt safety net. It consists of ideal courses (courses you would love to gain entry to but may not have the required OP/Rank), realistic courses (courses that have previous OP/Rank cut-offs that are less competitive) and foot-in-the-door courses (courses that are much less competitive and will provide an upgrade pathway to your preferred course if needed). You also need to check the major offer round dates of your preferences and make changes if necessary. Read the Order your preferences correctly section on pp of the QTAC Guide. Are your preferences listed in strict order of what you want? The QTAC computer is programmed to assume this is the case. It goes to your first preference first and if you meet all the requirements (e.g. prerequisite subjects and OP/Rank) you are offered this course. It does not look at any of your lower preferences. If you do not meet the requirements, the computer goes to your second preference and so on until it finds a course where you meet all the 24

25 requirements or exhausts the list and you miss out on a course in that offer round. Have you deleted all wasted courses? Wasted courses include those that: You do not meet the entry requirements for You would not do if you were offered them Are full fee or located in regional centres that you have not consulted your parents/guardians about Are too difficult or impossible to commute to given where you live Are very competitive and you list them below much less competitive courses. Regional Preference schemes These schemes provide bonus points to applicants who live in a specific geographical area. Eligibility is usually determined by the applicant s postcode. The bonus is automatically awarded when the applicant applies through QTAC. The following institutions offer regional preference schemes. Australian Catholic University Schools Relationships Bonus p CQUniversity Regional Bonus Scheme Griffith University Priority Access Scheme James Cook University Regional Preference Scheme Tel: Southern Cross University Regional Year 12 Bonus Scheme University of New England Regional Bonus Points Scheme University of Southern Queensland Regional Preference Schemes University of the Sunshine Coast s Regional Preference Scheme 25

26 Study Skills Helpful study skills websites Reachout - lists simple study tips and has a link to a goal setting fact sheet. Youth Central 6+resources/Top+ten+study+tips/#.UjUkwX-RYzc - top ten study tips. Test Taking Tips - focus is on the knowledge and skills you need to be a successful test taker. How to avoid Hubert face - a lighthearted three-minute video on de-stressing produced by Bond University students. 26

27 Year 12 Questions More questions from Year 12 students Q - I have successfully completed two uni subjects through START QUT this year. How do I let QTAC know about this? A - You need to put the subjects you are doing through START QUT in the Education and Experience section of your QTAC online application. QUT will provide your results to QTAC. Q - I am an international student completing Year 12 in Queensland. Should I apply for university courses through QTAC? A - If you are currently completing Year 12 in Queensland or another Australian state, you can apply through QTAC for tertiary courses managed by QTAC. QTAC will provide your application information to the institutions to which you have applied. These institutions will make course offers directly to you. Because of this, you can receive more than one offer, usually earlier than offers given to domestic students. Most universities provide specific web pages for international students. See the QTAC website at for information about applying and links to the institution websites. Q - I heard that the Certificate III I am doing at school could be used as part of my QTAC application. Is this true? A - Yes. Additional qualifications may be assessed separately by QTAC when you apply for tertiary entry. These qualifications include Certificates III and IV; Music, dancing and speech and drama qualifications (e.g. AMEB completed 7th or 8th grade) or tertiary study (e.g. Diploma). Find out more about qualifications accepted by the institutions for Year 12 students on p. 20 of the QTAC Guide. Q - I have completed AMEB Speech and Drama Grade 7. Will this help my OP? A - No. However, QTAC will allocate a Rank of 84 (comparable to OP 8 in 2014) for this qualification. This is a separate score to your OP. The rules of the institutions you are applying for will determine if this or your OP will become the first order or primary rank for the courses you have applied for. Q - I didn t study chemistry in Years 11 and 12. I want to do a course that has chemistry as a prerequisite. How can I pick up chemistry? 27

28 A - There are a few intensive bridging programs available that can help you meet subject prerequisites. Below is a selection. It is essential that you check that the university you want to get into accepts the bridging program you choose. Put the bridging course on your QTAC application in the Education and Experience section. Your results will be sent to QTAC. Hubbard s School Intensive courses in Maths B, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths A, and English UQ College - Intensive Prerequisite Courses in Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry Griffith University - Bridging courses in Maths A and B Q - Does the University of Queensland Bonus Rank Scheme apply to the MBBS (Provisional Entry for School Leavers) course? A - Yes. See for more information about this. Q - Does the Griffith University Bonus Rank Scheme apply to entry to its B Medical Science (MD Provisional Entry for School Leavers course)? A - No. See the Exclusions section in the information accessed at 28

29 'The above information has been gathered from a range of sources including publicly available websites, institutional and organisational newsletters, student and career advisers and guidance officers. Every effort has been made to ensure the information provided is accurate and up-todate at the time of publication.' 'The Career Information Bulletin can only be distributed and used by members of the school community of the school that has purchased membership to Options Career Information. Options Career Information does not give permission for any member to pass on its resources to any other organisation.' 29