Open days

Open day season is officially here, and I hope all Year 12 students are adding open days to their calendars. This weekend is the biggest weekend in the open day calendar with Australian National University, University of Sydney, UTS and Notre Dame all hosting in the one weekend. Open days are not simply about getting freebies with a few spare pens, and wandering around. They really are full events that showcase the best of the courses. Below is a snapshot of the ANU list for their open days:

Make sure if you are interested in a course such as physiotherapy, that you attend that department, as there will be talks, Q&A sessions, meet-the-teacher sessions and more. It can provide a very good insight into the course, and what the next 3-4 years could look like for you. Look at the timetables in advance and add to your planners.

All of the open days are listed on this link: www.openday.com.au/tertiary/sydney/

Getting the most out of an open day

Most institutional open days are held in late July and August. However, you are more than welcome to contact an institution to arrange a visit any time.

What happens on an open day?

On open day you can visit an institution when it’s at its best. Everyone is there – academics, lecturers, current students and information officers. More importantly, you can talk with academics, lecturers and current students about what certain courses are actually like, and what is required to get into them.

Who should attend?

Anyone who is considering studying at a tertiary level in the next few years should attend.

Why should you attend an open day?
Apart from the opportunity to obtain course information there are many other reasons why attending an open day is a good idea:

• You are going to feel more comfortable arriving at a university or TAFE institute on the first day of classes if you have been there before.
• You’ll find out what is really involved in the course or courses you are interested in.
• If you have to move away from home, you can explore where are you going to live.
• You will be able to consider if you be happier studying in a large metropolitan institution or a smaller, perhaps rural, institution.
• You’ll be able to get a ‘feel’ for the place. Is it a bustling environment with lots of activity or a quieter, more relaxed campus set in landscaped grounds?
• You can consider how you’re going to get there. Is it close to public transport or should you start saving now for a car?

Careers with engineering

https://careerswithstem.com/read-it-here/

Character strengths challenge

Character strengths are traits that come through in our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Complete this online questionnaire to help identify your character strengths www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register

Gap Medics International medical work experience

Shadow doctors, nurses, midwives or dentists in hospital for 1-8 weeks www.gapmedics.com/aus/

Australian Apprenticeship’s: My Gain videos

The next series of Australian Apprenticeship’s My Gain videos have been published on YouTube. These videos ask apprentices and trainees to respond briefly to set questions about their job and job hunting experiences. They are directed at young people contemplating career pathways and where to look for job opportunities www.youtube.com/user/AAPathways