Five years after completing her HSC, Lucy was looking for a way to get back into the rhythm of study. Having trained as a dancer from a young age, she took the opportunity to dance full-time when high school was over, before moving on to work for an Australian fashion label. Her experience in fashion sparked an interest in PR, and Lucy decided she wanted to study communications.
“It had been five years since I studied at school,” says Lucy, “My ATAR from back then wasn’t high enough for Communications at UTS, which is where I wanted to study. UTS has always been renowned for communications, and I didn’t really consider any other unis. When I found UTS Insearch, it felt like such a good transition into university life for a mature-age student. It was years since I’d written an essay, so it was a great option.”
Lucy values the life experience she can now bring to her studies. “It helps with knowing what you want to do,” she says. “During high-school I thought I would study physiotherapy, and now I couldn’t imagine doing that. You learn that there are so many other avenues in life.”
While enjoying an internship in fashion PR, Lucy is completing her Diploma of Communications at UTS Insearch, where she won a Dean’s Merit Award in her first semester. She says she’d recommend UTS Insearch, especially to anyone who’s been out of schooling for a while or needs more confidence. “It nurtures you in a totally different way,” she says. “Having more intimate classes and workshops makes the transition less scary. I remember submitting my first assignment and getting the results back and feeling ‘I’ve got this.’”
Having found a pathway to her chosen degree at UTS (Bachelor of Communications), Lucy is a firm believer that the ATAR is not the be-all-and-end-all. She says, “There are other ways, and if you put all your eggs in one basket and then stress about it, you’re just going to fizzle out. Everyone blows the HSC out of proportion. If you don’t get the result you’d hoped for, it doesn’t mean you’re not a good student, or that you’re not good at what you want to do. Remember, there’s no stopping your potential just because of one result.”