‘Passion and positivity’: how to navigate the journey of learning

By Peter Lenaghan

November 22, 2024 — 5.30am

A six-part series helping students navigate the rewards and challenges of university life.See all 7 stories.

Many school leavers finish their secondary education knowing they would like to go to university, but without a clear idea of what or where exactly they want to study.

These are big decisions for young people embarking on the next phase of their life, potentially setting a path for many years ahead.

Two experienced university admissions experts – Sydney University’s associate vice-president of Sydney Future Students Shane Griffin and Chaminda Ranasinghe, chief experience officer at Melbourne’s RMIT University – share their thoughts on some of the issues to consider and pitfalls to avoid.

Shane Griffin, Sydney University’s associate vice- president of Sydney Future Students.Credit: Stefanie Zingsheim/University of Sydney

Do something you love

The simplest starting point, both experts agree, is to follow your passion.

“Make sure you finish school; give it everything you’ve got,” Shane Griffin says. “You’ve been there for over a decade so push hard on those exams, get the best results you possibly can and then you have as many options available to you as you possibly like.

“Find the course that’s right for you, then find the university that’s right for that course.”

Keep the big picture in mind

The experts also urge school leavers to keep in mind that going to university is just a starting point.

“There’s no linear path – not anymore,” Chaminda Ranasinghe says. “If you start somewhere, that can lead to something completely different.

“University, particularly for school leavers, should be about experience and not just about the grades and the course that they finish, and the technical skills that they get.

“It’s a learning experience that’s beyond purely the technical learning and growth.“

Your ATAR doesn’t matter for long

While students spend a huge amount of time and energy chasing a good ATAR score, its value to your university journey can be overstated in lots of cases.

“It is important that students do their best and try and get the result they’re looking for, but not to then have a fear that if they don’t get that number, that result, it’s going to be the end of their career journey,” Ranasinghe advises.

“There are lots of ways to get to the same outcome.”

School leavers are also urged to not use their ATAR as currency, and to choose a course that suits their needs, rather than their score.

“After you’ve got entry into whatever program you’re in, you’re almost certainly never going to be asked about your ATAR again,” Griffin says. “It’s not a thing to hang on to.”

Chaminda Ranasinghe, chief experience officer at RMIT University.

Your life is going to change

Beyond the lectures and tutorials, there are also new ways of independent learning and living to come to grips with. There will also be new people to meet.

“The clubs and societies are, by far, the best way to make connections early on in your degree, because it can be a lonely experience if you turn up and you’re in a class with lots of other students who don’t share your background,” Griffin says.

“It doesn’t matter how discreet your interests are, or how defined they are, there is a club for it at university.”

Be positive and be yourself

University life is challenging, but it can be richly rewarding.

“Once you come to university, you’ll make a bunch of new friends, you’ll have a lot more experiences you won’t get to have while at school,” Ranasinghe says.

“So, I try to encourage students to be open-minded and positive about their choice.

“It’s OK not to completely know what you want to do, and university can be a discovery in itself. There are plenty of pathways the student can choose to find the career they’re looking for.”