The University of Sydney Future Focus - Year 10

The University of Sydney Future Focus - Year 10

On Friday the 4th of April 30 Year 10 students visited The University of Sydney to take part in the Future Focus - Year 10 event. This was an opportunity for students to gain an insight into tertiary studies and familiarise themselves with The University of Sydney.

Students began the day with a self-reflection workshop to identify their strengths and interests. During this workshop students completed an activity to see how their strengths and interests impact their career options and choices.

It was not surprising to hear that many of our students found their strengths and interests align with careers that fall under the “Helping” category. Students who scored high in this category are often interested in improving people’s social, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Pillars which we find in our SPIRE Framework. People who work in the careers in the Helping category feel they have a desire to give back to other people and like to feel that they are making a difference.

After this session students went on a tour of the campus to learn a little about the history of the traditional buildings.

In the last session students heard from university student ambassadors about strategies to prepare for university studies. These strategies were:

1. Consider different career options and what job you can see yourself doing.

1. Make a list of university courses that interest you and match your career goals.

1. Take a note of any HSC subject prerequisites; assumed knowledge and recommended study.

1. Choose HSC subjects you like and do well in. This is a good way to determine your future career direction.

1. Get into good study habits to prepare yourself to achieve strong results in your HSC.

1. Maintain a healthy study-life balance with sports, hobbies and community involvement. These activities may also improve applications for some scholarships and university entry schemes.

When asked for a reflection of the day, attending student Jolena Valencia said “The USYD excursion was extremely helpful and exciting. The student ambassadors were lovely and gaining understanding about the importance of my skills on my future career path made everything feel more real and engaging. It helped me feel more motivated and gave me a clearer idea of what I want to aim for”.

I wish to thank the students who attended the day for being wonderful ambassadors of St Andrews College. I also thank Mrs Hollero for attending the day and assisting me with the excursion.

Ms Therese May

College Future Pathways Leader