The five most common university myths debunked

DON’T believe everything you hear about university — there’s the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between. Explore the top five university myths and make up your own mind.

DON’T believe everything you hear about university — there’s the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between. Every year, the same old porkers resurface.

From not needing to study in your first year to never being able to land a job post graduation, here are five common myths we’ve set straight.

Your time at university counts, even first year.

Myth 1: First year uni doesn’t count

False. At most universities, first year grades will count towards your weighted average mark, known as WAM. Why does it matter? Your WAM is the main qualifying factor used when applying for graduate roles or postgraduate study. Even if you’re not interested in further studies and worship at the ‘Ps mean degrees’ altar, you will still need to complete every assessment to earn your pass. While individual grades might not mean much once you have your piece of paper, a row of HDs and Ds look a lot more impressive to a potential employer than Ps — put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes: if you scraped by and did the bare minimum at uni, will you do the same at the office?

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Myth 2: I’ll be paying off my HECS-HELP debt for the rest of my life

False. The HECS-HELP loan scheme was designed to help students pay their ‘student contribution amount’ which is repaid once you start earning above the taxable income threshold ($54,869 for 2016-17). If you go down the HECS-HELP route, your debt, on average, will be $19,285 per year but unlike other debts, a HECS-HELP loan doesn’t have any real interest charged and isn’t worth losing sleep over.

As the Herald Sun’s Barefoot Investor Scott Pape said in a recent column: “Why would you bother rushing to pay off the cheapest loan you’ll ever get — it simply increases with the general cost of living — when it’ll come out of your salary anyway?” Instead, save your cash for other pursuits like a deposit on a home.

MORE: UNDERSTANDING STUDENT LOANS

Start laying the ground work for your grad job while at uni.

Myth 3: I’ll never find a job after graduation

False. We get it, finding a job would be easier if we had a Fairy Jobmother to help us along, but the graduate jobs market isn’t all doom and gloom. According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last year, the jobless rate for graduates dropped to 3.2 per cent compared to 8.2 per cent for those without a post-school qualification — working hard to get good grades is very much worth it (see #1).

While you’re at uni, work on making yourself as employable as possible — standing out from the competition is key when looking for your first job. Get involved in uni clubs and activities suited to your interests and industry, attend networking events, sign up for a voluntary position related to your industry, learn a second language, do an internship, and most importantly don’t give up hope — you will find a job and it’ll be a lot easier if you’re in a positive frame of mind.

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It’s easier to make friends at uni than you think, especially when food is involved.

Myth 4: If I don’t make friends during O Week, I never will

False. You will make friends in every subject you take, on the train, at lunch — you might even become friends with those pains you’re doing a group assignment with. If you’re not particularly comfortable starting up a conversation with a random in class, get involved in a university club or two — you’ll have something in common from the start and there’s no better ice breaker. And remember, the other first year students will be feeling exactly the same as you — saying hello is free!

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Myth 5: Lectures can be skipped

True and false. It’s common to skip the first couple of classes — there’s no assessable content and you’re nursing an almighty hang over. Lectures are recorded and made available online, too, so technically, you don’t need to attend in person but there are a number of reasons why you should get in the habit of going to every class: Attendance might form part of a percentage of your final mark — be a no-show for a really good reason; you’re paying big bucks to sit in that lecture theatre (see #2), so you might as well show up and enjoy it; lectures provide an opportunity to make new friends and of course, impress a lecturer or two.

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