EXPLORING new opportunities is the main reason a number of local high school students will be embarking on a tour of QLD universities very soon.
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Calrossy Anglican School year 11 students Olivia Bowman, Grace Sweeney, and Tahlia Barwick are all gearing up to check out numerous tertiary education options available to them.
Their careers advisor, Charles Impey, is taking the three girls, other Calrossy students, and students from other local high schools on the trip in May.
They will visit the Gold Coast campuses of Southern Cross University, Bond University and Griffith University, as well as the Nathan campus of Griffith uni, and the Queensland University of Technology.
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Olivia is looking at going down a psychology or law path, and said it was great the school provided the opportunity to tour these universities to pick which was best for her.
"I think it's really great to seize those opportunities as they arise because it helps us make more informed decisions about our university choices," she said.
The tours have been going ahead since 2016, with the exception of last year due to COVID-19.
"I wanted to help students make sure there was more to universities than just UNE and Newcastle which are two popular universities, and that's okay, but we want to make sure students are thinking beyond those two," Mr Impey explained.
Grace said she wanted to see what life was like up in the Sunshine State. She's looking at a degree in science.
"Just to understand the culture and atmosphere of every uni so we know which ones we like so instead of going on what we think, you've got the actual information," she told the Leader.
You wouldn't normally buy a car without a test drive so why go to a uni, spend four years there and $60,000 if you haven't checked out the place to begin with?
- Charles Impey
Mr Impey also took 62 students from five different high schools to tour southern universities in February. They looked at campuses in Sydney, Wollongong, and Newcastle.
"It's all part of trying to ensure students across our region have a strong awareness of the university options they have and to broaden horizons for university programs they could apply for," Mr Impey said.
"You wouldn't normally buy a car without a test drive so why go to a uni, spend four years there and $60,000 if you haven't checked out the place to begin with?"
Fellow student Tahlia said it was a daunting process moving away from family, but "making those vital early connections in that small college environment is really appealing to me".
"I like the idea of the QLD universities because I have quite a large number of my family up there so that gives me an easier ability to make connections with my family than say, staying at a Sydney university," she said.
There might be more options for tours in the future, too.
Mr Impey is looking at planning a visit to campuses in the ACT in August, and maybe even an eastern tour of campuses in Lismore, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.
"Hopefully I won't run out of time," he said.
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