Taking the fear out of making uni choices

The deadline to submit 2009 university preferences to the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) is Tuesday 30 September 2008.
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Thursday, 25 September 2008

It's "crunch time" for South Australian school leavers applying to university, and with the deadline for SATAC preferences looming on Tuesday 30 September, potential students and their families are often worried about the decisions they're about to make.

But do they really need to worry? Not according to the University of Adelaide's Prospective Students Office.

"For many students, deciding on university preferences is not a simple process - they either aren't sure about what they want to study, or whether they'll get the grades for their chosen degrees. They're concerned about making the wrong decisions," says the Manager of the Prospective Students Office, Ms Karen Pichlmann.

"With so much choice on offer in South Australia, today's students can easily feel overwhelmed with options. A number of different study options might appeal to them, which makes their decision about what to study so much harder.

"It's also common for students to worry that they will be locking themselves into a future study and career path for the rest of their lives. This simply isn't true," Ms Pichlmann says.

"School leavers have enough stress at this time of year to deal with, and they should be aware that there is help and advice available to them if they need it."

Ms Pichlmann says students who have not yet made their decisions about university preferences have the opportunity to speak with course advisers at any of the State's universities to help confirm their choices and take some of the stress out of the process.

"At the University of Adelaide, we want to take the fear and the pressure off students and their families by providing them with practical advice about their study options and what they mean in the short and long-term.

"For example, students should be aware that this month's deadline for submitting university preferences does not need to be their final say on what they want to study - there is still an opportunity to change those preferences after their exam results are known," Ms Pichlmann says.

"Students should also be aware of how they can transfer from one degree to another, in case they do not get their first preference. These and many other issues can be talked through without the need to panic about preferences."

For more information about study options or the applications process, members of the public should contact the Student Centre on (08) 8303 7335 (Country and interstate callers can call toll free on 1800 061 459).

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