Hi, my name is Joshua and I am a second-year Nursing Student at Flinders University (Bachelor of Nursing Pre-Registration). Year 12s, it is coming to that exciting time in your life when school is no more and you can finally move on to your next stage of life. I know a lot of you will be thinking how on earth is it already time to apply for university, or maybe this year has seemed to have lasted a life time… Either way, SATAC application time is here and I am going to give you some tips that I hope will help your transition into life at university.

 

-Get it in early, and don’t procrastinate

You still have that assignment due next week and exams to study for and the last thing you want to consider even thinking about is your SATAC application. While I know you might have more pressing things to worry about right now, you do not want to forget to submit your SATAC application… I mean you REALLY don’t, because if you do it is going to cost you a late fee of $130!  So take my advice and open satac.edu.au rather than Facebook, and just get started. You can save your application along the way without having to submit it straight away, so get it started!

 

-Pick the degree YOU want to do and YOU are passionate about!

I know how tempting it is to apply for a degree based on how much money you might make when you graduate, however believe me when I say if you do not love what you study, you will not love your career! While money is a strong motivator, just remember this is going to be the foundations that you build your career off from now and in the future. Money alone cannot buy you the motivation to go to work each and every single day.

 

-Ensure you put the course you want to study the most as your first preference

You can change your preferences right up until the start of January, so don’t worry about having to perfect them them right at this moment. I did not have Nursing as my first preference when I started my application, but it jumped into first around December time. Keep in mind though, you will only get ONE offer, for the highest preference that you meet the cut-off for, so think about which course options you want most when confirming your order for the last time.

 

-Back up options, pathways and support

If you don’t get the ATAR required for your first preference there are pathways and backup options to get you there. Speak to Flinders about what courses you can include in your SATAC application to ensure you have appropriate back-up options. You can also check out their course pathways page.

 

I wish you all the best in your future endeavours and just remember that you are not alone in this next step of your life.