Course and Career Chat Kim Whitty

What we’re talking about: 1:37 The difference between a Bachelor of Business and a Bachelor of Commerce
While the words Business and Commerce are often used interchangeably, the two courses can be quite distinct. Find out what the focus of each degree usually is to help you decide whether Business or Commerce is right for you. Most importantly, make sure you look at what you can major in for each of the courses you’re looking at so that you know whether it has your area of interest.
4:40 What prerequisites do you need for Business or Commerce?
In the past, you often needed a Maths subject as a prerequisite for Business and Commerce, but that’s no longer always the case, so if you haven’t studied Maths in VCE there are definitely options out there for you. It’s also worth noting that subjects like Accounting, Economics and Business Management are not prerequisites for these courses, however you may get a subject adjustment if you do well in them which could boost your selection rank.
6:50 What should you look for in a Bachelor of Business or Commerce?
You should definitely look for courses that have a placement or internship as part of your course. These types of experiences give you the opportunity to see what it’s actually like to work in your chosen area, as well as giving you great networking opportunities, referees for your CV and potentially even a graduate position at the end of your course.
8:23 Other courses to consider
Ever wondered why some places offer a Bachelor of Business or Commerce and a Bachelor of Accounting, for example? Find out why you might like to choose the more general Business or Commerce courses, or what circumstances might lead you to choose the more specific degrees. Business and Commerce degrees also complement other areas of study really well, so definitely take a look at the double degrees that are available.
Links mentioned: My website: https://www.roadmapeducation.com
Previous episodes related to Business and Commerce:
Fashion Marketing - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/43
Business (Professional) - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/30
Property and Real Estate - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/8
Commerce and Teaching - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/5
Communications (Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising and Media) - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/3

What we’re talking about: 1:45 What is a VCE subject ranking?
Find out what a VCE subject ranking actually is, and how it is used to help calculate your study score for the subject, which in turn is used to calculate your ATAR.
6:49 Why is your subject ranking not as important as you think?
Now that you know what it is, I want you to forget about it. Because no matter how much you worry about your subject ranking, where you’re ranked for a particular VCE subject is not something you can control.
9:26 What can you control in VCE?
Instead of stressing about your ranking, let’s look at what you can control - how well you use each SAC to prepare for the next one. In VCE you need to know the content, but you also need to know how to present your answers in the way that the VCE examiners expect you to. Focus on this instead and your ranking will take care of itself.
Links mentioned: My website: https://www.roadmapeducation.com
VCE Study Designs: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/curriculum/vce/vce-study-designs/Pages/vce-study-designs.aspx

What we’re talking about: A lot of students are being encouraged to accelerate in VCE - that is, do Units 3&4 of a VCE subject early in Year 11 rather than waiting until Year 12. It can be great for some students and make life difficult for others, so let’s look at how it works and what the benefits and drawbacks are.
1:47 What is accelerating in VCE?
2:39 Is it a disadvantage to not do Units 1&2 of a VCE subject?
Usually, no. Most subjects that are offered for acceleration are ones where the Unit 1&2 topics are very different to those covered in Units 3&4.
4:37 Advantages of accelerating in VCE
1) You get a chance to see what it’s like to do a Unit 3&4 subject, including doing external exams, before you do the rest of your subjects.
2) You get a subject done and out of the way early, and that may mean that you’re allowed to do less subjects as a Year 12 student and have a study period instead.
8:48 Disadvantages of accelerating in VCE
1) You might focus too much on the Unit 3&4 subject to the detriment of your Unit 1&2 subjects, which will make it harder for you the following year.
2) It can extend the anxiety of VCE beyond the one year of Year 12.
3) In accelerating, you may at some point have missed content (either by missing Units 1&2 or before then if the acceleration started earlier), and therefore not do as well as if you had just worked through the subject sequentially without skipping a year.
13:20 For Year 11s already accelerating
Use the Term 1 break to make sure you’re putting equal time and energy across all of your subjects and not putting everything into the Unit 3&4 subject.
Links mentioned: My website: https://www.roadmapeducation.com
VCAA study designs: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/curriculum/vce/vce-study-designs/Pages/vce-study-designs.aspx

What we’re talking about: It’s the last week of Term 1! I know you’re tired, but if you can spend a little bit of time doing these 3 things during the holidays, you’ll thank yourself later.
2:12 Prepare for your SEAS application
SEAS stands for Special Entry Access Scheme and is part of your VTAC application, so you can’t actually apply until later in the year. However, you might need a statement of support from someone who can explain how your circumstances have created an educational disadvantage for you, like a doctor, psychologist, teacher, social worker, etc. If you think you might need a statement from someone later, work out who that might be, and discuss it with them now so that they know what to do when you’re ready to submit your application.
9:34 Start thinking about what you might like to do next year
You don’t need to make a decision yet, but start thinking about how you will get the information you need so that you can make an informed decision later. Can you talk to a teacher or career counsellor? Can you look at uni and TAFE websites or industry organisation websites to get some ideas? Can you speak to someone in the community or the parents/siblings of a friend about the work they do so you can learn more about it? Have you checked out past episodes of this podcast to see if there’s one about a course or career that interests you?
14:36 Make a shortlist of places you’d like to study
By narrowing down the list, you can be aware of the Open Days that you’re most interested in and sign up for newsletters as a prospective student so that you don’t miss any extra opportunities to find out more about the courses they offer.
Links mentioned: My website: https://www.roadmapeducation.com

What we’re talking about: It’s nearly the end of Term 1 and everyone is reaching out asking for tutors. But do you really need one? How do you know? And is career counselling a better alternative for you. Let’s break it down and work out what would actually solve the problem you’re finding yourself in.
3:18 Questions to help you decide what you need
There are 2 questions I want you to think about to help you decide if you’re better off with a tutor, a career counsellor, or even an entirely different type of support.
1) Do you think you need a tutor for one subject, or with 3 or 4 of your subjects?
2) Do you know specifically what you need help with?
Your responses to these questions give a good indication of the problem you’re actually trying to solve by getting a tutor.
7:52 What type of tutor would suit you best?
Should you get help from someone who recently completed VCE and did really well in the subject, or are you better off getting help from a qualified teacher? It depends on what you actually need help with.
12:16 Why a career counsellor could be a better option
Find out how I work with students, and how career counselling could benefit you if you are feeling generally overwhelmed with your subjects or lacking motivation.
Links mentioned: My website: https://www.roadmapeducation.com
Find out more about working with me: https://www.roadmapeducation.com/services
 

What we’re talking about: As a student I always left studying for English to last, and as a result it was always my worst subject…until I was in Year 12. The fact is, it’s really important to prioritise VCE English if you want to do well in VCE, and there are a couple of reasons why:
Your result in English (or Literature, or English Language, or EAL) WILL be used in the calculation of your ATAR. If you’re not sure how ATARs are calculated, I give you a brief recap in this episode, but check out Episode 58 (link below) to understand how it all works.
A study score of at least 20 or 25 in English is a prerequisite for nearly all Bachelor degrees. Yes, there is always another way to get where you want to go, but the quickest route is to get the ATAR and prerequisite study scores necessary to be considered.
If English is not your best subject, what should you do? I’m not an English teacher, but listen up if you want to hear what worked for me and what I’ve seen work for other students.
Links mentioned: My website: https://www.roadmapeducation.com
How are ATARs Calculated? https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/58