Whether you’re someone who’s mapped out their dream career since primary school, or you’re more of a ‘go with the flow’ type of decision-maker, the choice to study at uni can be overwhelming when it comes down to crunch-time.

Who better to give you advice than students who’ve stood where you’re standing? We spoke to current students and asked them what motivated them to pick the course they did. Though all of their stories are different, none of them would change a thing.

Choosing something you love

For some people, the decision of what to study is a matter of listening to your heart, like April. She’d wanted to be a teacher since she was a kid, so she approached the uni selection process with a clear focus.

“I always knew that I wanted to do teaching. For me it was more a matter of choosing what university I wanted to go to. So I went to all the uni open days and in the end I chose Murdoch because I loved the campus. The uni life here is so much better for me, and I love the nature.”

Figuring it all out

Likewise, Chelsea was also interested in studying teaching. 

“I did ATAR in Year 12 and felt like after doing all that hard work I had to choose something, because I felt like if I didn't go straight from school, I'd put it off and I wouldn't end up going.

“When I was little, I used to play teachers with my little sister, so I always liked the idea of being a teacher. I ended up picking teaching and thought it was really good course structure. I'm really enjoying it, and I like the prac elements as well.”

 If you’re not sure your ATAR will be enough, Murdoch offers a range of enabling courses which are a great way to get a taste for uni life and help to bridge your transition from high school to university.

Explore your interests

If you’re really unsure about what you want to do, that’s okay. Taking the time to explore your interests first is a useful way to narrow them down. For Murdoch student, Dominique, it took a break between high school and uni to work out what she was really interested in pursuing.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to study. All my friends knew exactly what they wanted to do, whereas I finished high school and had no idea. I ended up taking six months off then decided to go to Murdoch.

“It was good to have a bit of a break from high school and think about what I was interested in, not just rush straight into something. Since I was super interested in sustainability I emailed some of the lecturers and went and talked to them and it sounded really good.”

Can’t decide between multiple areas of study?

There’s no need to stress about choosing one area of study. It’s possible to personalise courses at Murdoch to enhance your learning experience and future employment options, just like Chris did. You could study a double major, which allows you to complete two majors under one degree, usually in the same time frame it would take to study a single degree. Or, you could study a combined degree, where you would study two completely different degrees at the same time, usually taking a year or two longer than a single degree. 

It’s okay to change your mind

If you find that the course you chose isn’t really for you, or you discover something different you’d like to study instead, that’s okay too. Even once you’ve started at uni, there’s still the flexibility to change – like Dominique did.

“Once I enrolled in my course I decided to take some random electives and did everything from PR, screen, and just really random stuff. One of my electives was in psychology and I enjoyed it so much I decided to switch. I’m now studying psychology with a minor in sustainable development.”

Come along to an upcoming event to learn more about Murdoch courses and to find the one that's right for you.