The HSC is a rite of passage for most high school students. But what happens once the exams are over? It’s not always simple to navigate what comes next. We talked with UTS student, Jacob Agoo, and his mum Jen about how Jacob found his way to UTS after a shaky start.
Jacob is Jen’s youngest son. “My two boys took very different journeys, through quite different school systems,” she says. “My eldest, Elijah, went to a selective school. Even in primary school he was always first in everything. It seemed natural to have him sit for the selective high school exam. We gave Jacob the chance to sit the same exam when the time came, but the competitive, selective school environment wasn’t for him. So, Jacob went to a Catholic all-boys school, and he really enjoyed it.”
Give them room
Jen understood her boys would experience the challenges of Year 12 (and everything that followed) in their own way. She says, “Jacob and his brother have very different personalities. They’re different in how they do their study and how they socialise. For me, it was important to give them each room to be their own person.
Like many students, Jacob was happy to work on his favourite subjects but needed extra motivation in other areas. “During school, I would focus my energy into what I liked. I was top of music because I loved that subject,” he says, “but I could get distracted. Sometimes I’d have homework or my parents knew I had an exam, and they’d see I wasn’t preparing. I needed discipline and Mum knew when to put her foot down.”
A balanced approach
Jen says, “I’m definitely not a ‘tiger mum’, but I wanted to give my boys every opportunity to be able to say they’d done their best. The one thing I said to both of them is that everything you do, every action you take, it’s your decision. If you decide to play basketball when you need to study, that’s on you, but you’ll have to live with the consequences.”
So how can parents meet that magical balance of letting go and staying close? For Jen, it came down to understanding her sons’ individual needs. She says, “With Elijah, we didn’t really need to pressure him because he just naturally did what was needed. But Jacob needed more encouragement. We had to help him keep the momentum. It wasn’t so much about putting pressure on him. In fact, I would often encourage him to take a break. I think that helps to clear the mind and refocus.”
Open communication
Keeping the lines of communication open was even more important for Jen. “Jacob’s good because he’s quite transparent. He doesn’t hesitate to say what’s bothering him. He’s always open with us, which really helps,” she says.
Jen also avoided putting pressure on Jacob when it came to post HSC decisions. “He had his own ideas,” she says. “One thing I did advise was not to limit his options. He could think about other cities or take a gap year. I just didn’t want him to close himself in.”
A challenging start to uni life
Without the ATAR needed for the physiotherapy course he had in mind; Jacob decided on Health Science at a university near his home. But it wasn’t a great experience. His first semester coincided with the COVID lockdowns. He says, “For a hands-on subject like that, where you have labs and you need to learn about equipment and procedures, it was really difficult.” Jen saw him struggling with online learning. “He never met any of his peers at uni,” she says, “and he’s a very social person. Jacob needs that interaction, so it wasn’t a big surprise to us when he decided to leave a few months down the track. He needed time to think.”
Taking time to grow
When things opened up again, Jacob worked in retail before taking a working holiday in Japan with his girlfriend. “They did Year 12 together, and I think they’d wanted to travel while they were young,” Jen says, “It was good for them because being away from home they had to become adults.”
Jacob agrees. Even though he’d been working full-time, he says Japan was his first real taste of independence. “When I worked in retail, Mum would make me lunch for work, and I wouldn’t have to worry about paying for petrol or doing laundry. Everything was done for me. I think the experience of being fully independent gave me the discipline I needed to return to study,” he says.
The working holiday included stints as a tour guide (driving tourists around Tokyo in a replica Mario Kart), English language teacher, basketball coach, and swimming instructor. “Through all these different jobs, not just in Japan – back here too – I kind of realised that really I wanted to work for myself and be my own boss.”
Designing a new future
He came home ready to return to study. “UTS is my dream university, so I decided to start at UTS College. First, I looked at IT because that’s related to games, and I’m always on the computer. Then I looked at Business, but I was really only interested in the entrepreneurial side,” he says. “I finally chose Design. I’ve always been a creative person. At school I loved art. I loved music. And I’m a huge consumer of films. It was right down my alley in terms of what I wanted to learn and study and produce for myself. I plan to major in Product Design.”
Back in focus
Jen says it’s a great relief to see Jacob settled. “His Dad and I worried for a while. We thought he was losing focus – getting distracted. But his enthusiasm is back,” she says. “I wasn’t aware of UTS College. He had it on a short list and I initially thought it was UTS. But when I understood what it was, I think it’s a very good option. It gives students opportunity.”
Having completed his Diploma of Design at UTS College, Jacob’s now preparing to start at UTS. He’s grateful for the support he received while transitioning back to study after his long break. “The teachers have been amazing,” he says. “They had individual advice for each student. They’re incredibly helpful and very relatable. I loved my teachers, and we had great conversations.”
Jacob has advice for students trying to find their path post HSC: “From my experience, I think go for what makes you happiest. Look for something you’ll be satisfied with. It’s going to take work to get where you want to be, so do something you know you’ll enjoy. That way you’ll stay motivated through the hard times and go into it head-first. Don’t hold yourself back.”
Find out more about UTS College Diploma of Design