Life choices

Former Member

Hey everyone!
After just coming back from travelling, i have to now make some choices in what i need to do next. I have a few options that i am thinking of but really unsure what to do now. Hopefully i can get some help here?

Choice 1 - Go to University in the UK to study Sports Science. I deferred my place last year and so have a place if i want it for this September.
Choice 2 - Go out to Australia on a working visa.
Choice 3 - Look into Uni in Australia but not sure how they work out there.
Choice 4 - Get work in a surf camp abroad

Basically i have no clue what i am doing and its stressing me out because i keep getting asked and i dont know what i want to do. Does anyone have any advice that may be helpful?

Former Member

Hi Essie,

Looks like you have quite a choice here!

# Choice 1: As you already have a Uni place in the UK and will be granted financial help to pay for it, that's worth considering if you are able to get a job in order to pay back the student loan. Bear in mind you will have to buy food and pay for lodgings, so racking up more debt during your degree course.

# Choice 2 + 3: Here is a complete university guide of Australia: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/international/oceania/australia/ Depending on which Uni /. what part of Australia you choose to study. On that page are bullet points relating to:

Entry and visa regulations

# A student visa is required to study in Australia. Visas are issued only to students accepted on to a registered course (one delivered by an education provider that meets the standards set by the Australian government).

# UK passport holders will need what is called a Higher Education Sector: Temporary Visa (subclass 573) – Assessment Level 1. The cost of this visa application is AU$565 (£351) and is valid for the length of the course.

# Additional requirements include financial means of support while studying in Australia, a medical health check, English language skills (UK passport holders are exempt) and character reference.

# NOTE: Australia has very strict controls as to what can be brought into the country. Checks on arrival will search for prohibited items and items that must be examined before they can be imported.

And below that is: Funding your study

# Choice 4: - Get work in a surf camp abroad

I feel you must get qualified if you are to obtain work before anyone else. It only takes a smartypants with a degree to prevent you for getting a job in surf camp, be it Bali or anywhere else - the strength is your experience, but crucially employers would prefer someone with a degree. So it's likely back to # Choices 2 or 3

At Victoria University, here is a whole page containing Sports Science courses: https://www.vu.edu.au/courses/search?iam=resident&query=Sports+Sciences&type=Course&op=Search+for+courses

In closing, depending what part of Australia you go to, their winters could be our summers. And what fabulous summers! :rainbow2:

Former Member

Thanks Belle!

I think what im going to do is apply for the UK Uni but then see what happens this summer and i may end up going to Australia for a bit instead.
I am going to have a look into that link you sent me though when i get the chance just to make sure thats what i want to do.

With The surf camp jobs, they dont tend to look at degrees, they more look into the coaching qualification that the individual holds and to what level they have the qualification.

JustV

Ooh, exciting! Keeping your options open sounds like a good idea Esme. :yes: I guess one thing to think about is: would you prefer to study or work?

Belle certainly has a point that having a degree would likely give you an edge when applying for jobs in future, but it's also worth noting that not having a degree probably won't bar you from working in the field you want to work in. There are so many pathways into jobs these days that you can usually get your foot in the door in a number of ways, and experience can sometimes be worth more to an employer than a qualification. There are also things like apprenticeships, volunteering programmes, etc. to consider.

Keep us posted on what you decide, and I hope you had a good time travelling! :rainbow2:

Former Member

Hey mike!!

Until I went traveling I was pretty certain I would go to uni but since traveling I have met so many people who have done different things other than uni and it’s made me think about going to Australia and meeting them again and then spending some time out there working.
I’m really not sure if I would prefer work or study because I hate them both 🙈

I’ll keep you all updated once I have any idea what I’m going to do. At the moment I have decided to apply for my student loans and and accommodation and that and then if I decided to change my mind after looking into things then I will cancel that in summer and book Australia.

Former Member

Hey @Esme17 :wave:

Experiences like traveling can actually make us reflect about our life and challenge our "milestones", so it's normal of yours to have this kind of doubts.
I really like how @Past User considered each option. Why don't you follow the same structure and try to point out some pros and cons for each one, in order to create your personal ranking?

Let us know!!

- Fran

Former Member

Thanks @Fran

Down the page of that first link, The Complete University Guide are some typical prices in GBP, but they were based in 2015. Three years on and prices may have increased somewhat. So here is a website showing up-to-date 2018 prices. Quite an eye opener.

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Australia