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Careers and Employment
 
 
  How should students approach mid-year intake? How should they go about choosing courses?
   
    Choosing a course at mid-year is no different to choosing a course at any other time. There is a difference however in the method in which you apply. Courses that begin at the start of the year, particularly university and TAFE Diploma courses are clearly listed and explained in the VTAC Guide. There is no single guide or central application point for mid-year courses.
   
  What courses are available mid-year?
    To find out what is available you will usually need to contact each university or TAFE separately. All will have a website and an information line to help you find out what is available, for example Swinburne’s Mid-Year Entry website allows you to easily find a host of information. You can email your course related questions to: study@swinburne.edu.au, phone 1300 368 777 or visit one of the Student Information Centres on your campus to find out more.
 
  Some minuses in applying to mid-year courses
    bulletAs there is no central system by which to apply to mid-year courses, you must apply to every course separately. This can involve applying to the same University or TAFE more than once if there are a few courses that you are interested in.
bulletEach application form will have different questions, many relating to interest and aptitude for the course. Mid-year course applications often look at your qualitative information (e.g. what have you been doing that is relevant to the course in addition to your studies) as well as your quantitative data (what marks/ENTER did you achieve last year). These forms are usually long and time consuming to complete.
bulletNot every course will have mid-year places available. Usually, the number of courses and the number of places available are far fewer than at the start of the year.
bulletIt takes more work to find out which courses have a mid-year entry.
 
  Some pluses and minuses in applying to mid-year courses
    bulletUnlike the VTAC system, you are not limited in the number of courses you can apply to and you will not be limited to one course offer at a time
bulletThe mid-year entry forms often give you the opportunity to talk about your skills, abilities and interests in addition your marks. This gives you an opportunity to argue your case for entry into a program, where your marks alone may not have made you eligible.
bulletThere are usually fewer students interested in mid-year places than at the start of the year.
bulletAs it takes bit of work to find out about all the courses and fill in the forms for mid-year entry, fewer people apply, further reducing your competition.
 
  Some advice for students
    bulletSpend time thinking about your interests, abilities, values and style.
What have been some of the best subjects, hobbies, past times and books you have enjoyed in the past? (…and what have been some of the choices you regret?) What themes can you see?
bulletSpeak to many people and read about your course choice. There is no one person, book or website that will have all the answers you need.
Find out which universities and campuses run courses in the field/s you are interested in. Try not to be confused by the labeling; similar courses often have different names. e.g. Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Commerce
bulletFind out how to apply to every course you are considering and be very careful about the closing dates (they will not all be the same).
bulletLook at both the university and TAFE options. Some universities (e.g. Swinburne) have the advantage of offering both TAFE and University courses with well-defined pathways between them.
bulletBe realistic about the number of years you want to commit to study and the standard / pressure you want from your study.
bulletMost people are flexible and talented enough to find satisfaction in a variety of courses. It is quite unusual for there to be only one course that will be perfect for you. Often you will be choosing between two (or more) different but equally suitable courses, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
bulletDecide whether you want a targeted, specific course (eg engineering) or a more generic course (e.g. science). As most people in today’s workforce change their career several times and their jobs many times, a broader course can give you greater long-term employment flexibility than a highly targeted course. However, a targeted or vocational course has the advantage of demonstrating to an employer your commitment and skill level in one particular field and can make employment on graduation easier.