TJ - Set your own standards

Meet TJ, Current UTS Design student. Future Art Director

At the end of high school, TJ felt confused. “It seemed like everyone else knew what they wanted to do. I just wasn’t ready at that time to confidently pursue anything,” they say. “Mostly I wanted clarity. It was like wishing for something else – wishing for something to come.” 
 
TJ found it difficult to prepare for a big exam like the HSC, and their ATAR wasn’t what they would have liked. “I didn’t have high expectations, but it was still a bit of a let-down,” they say. Realising there was some growing to do, TJ took a four-year gap and ‘tried out a bunch of different things’. “You know, they didn’t take off, but it was necessary for me. I think it’s important to make mistakes. There’s always room for growth no matter where you are. There’s always room for learning.”

“There’s always room for growth, no matter where you are.”

Eventually reconsidering options, TJ was looking for a way into Design at UTS and discovered UTS College. “It was such a long time since I’d been in a study environment, and the Diploma of Design at UTS College looked perfect for students who are new to university. They were supportive, but there was also a push to achieve your best results, not to settle for any grade when you could do better. I really benefited from that,” they say. It helped TJ think more about their potential. “I realised you can keep setting the bar higher for yourself – push yourself for constant change.” 
  
If TJ, now preparing to enter a Bachelor of Visual Communication at UTS, could say anything to their younger self, it would be: “There are better things to come. Your ATAR is not a defining point. It’s tempting to compare yourself to everyone else, but in the long term, you will set your own standards.”

TJ’s pathway:
Graduated from a Diploma of Design & Architecture at UTS College
Currently studying a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication

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