Library senior study periods

The senior study periods have been such a fantastic addition in helping Years 11 and 12 students with their academic needs. Our senior students are realising the potential for assistance and support the study periods can provide to them. During recess and lunch in the library, students in all cohorts have been completing assignments, homework or studying. Teachers have also helped students in the library by providing feedback on student essays, speeches and presentations.

Pastoral workshops

The pastoral workshop covered in Term 1 was learning styles. The purpose of the Senior pastoral workshops is to prepare students with greater skills in managing their time and knowing how to study effectively. This should improve student confidence approaching assessments as well as minimising stress. Other pastoral workshops to be delivered in Terms 2 and 3 will be essay writing, exam preparation, stress management, goal setting and career choices.

Study routine

At this stage of the year all senior students should have developed a home study routine covering at least 15 to 20 hours of home study per week. During that time, students should focus on completing their homework, preparing study notes and practising their responses to past exam papers. Term 2 is a shorter term and before students realise they will be sitting their Trial HSC exams in Term 3, therefore time is of the upmost importance and students should be managing their time effectively in preparation for their assessments.

Careers

Terms 2 and 3 are the terms our Year 12 students will be applying for University courses either for main round offers or for early entry offers. The process of applying should be consulted with Mr Barra for course advice and guidance. Bookings to see Mr Barra can be made during the study periods, recess, lunch or after school. Parents are welcome to attend.

In summary the university application process is as follows:

• Apply through the University Admissions Centre (UAC) for main round applications (offers made after the release of the ATAR).
• Apply for the Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS), which is for early entry offers for the courses chosen through UAC. The offers will occur during November after the completion of the HSC exams.
• Apply for early entry direct to each University offering an early entry program (all universities offer early entry except for Sydney University and UNSW).

Please see below for current careers news and events that you and your child might be interested in attending.

Clinton Barra
Head of Curriculum Administration
Careers Advisor

Careers News Bulletin

University

Western Sydney University Senior High School Year 12 Student Info Hub
Students in their senior years can find a wealth of resources and information, including free HSC study sessions, on the Western Year 12 Student Info Hub. Made for senior high school students, this hub contains all the information you need to get started on your journey to university. Program information, upcoming events, how uni works – it’s all here in one convenient place.

University of Wollongong – UOW Degrees and Alternate Pathways Webinar
5 May
A university degree isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. This session will guide you through the diverse degree options at UOW, as well as alternative pathways into higher education. Whether a student is considering direct entry, bridging programs, or non-traditional routes, we’ll help you understand the options so you can help them find the best path for their academic and career goals.

University of Wollongong – Subject Support Sessions: Year 11 Online
12-14 May
The Year 11 and 12 Subject Support Series is designed to help students improve their knowledge and understanding of key subject content and discover what HSC exam markers are looking for. Students can choose the specific subjects they want to focus on, and we’ve got both online and in-person sessions to fit different schedules. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive tips and strategies and all attendees will receive an example exam paper with exemplar responses.
Subjects covered include:
● Math Advanced
● English Common Module (Advanced & Standard)
● PDHPE – Human Movement (new syllabus)

Experience Macquarie Days 2025
15-16 April
Make the most of the April school holidays by spending ‘a day in the life’ of a uni student! Experience Macquarie Days give you the opportunity to attend information sessions, participate in interactive workshops, check out our awesome facilities and learning spaces, and take a tour around our campus with a Macquarie student guide.
With each taster day showcasing two of our four faculties, you’ll get to explore a range of study areas. You can structure your day around one area of study or mix and match sessions across both – the choice is yours.

Whether you’re certain about your future path or still exploring your options, these taster days will give you a feel for university life, connect you with students just like you, and maybe even get you thinking about fields of study that you’re yet to consider.

Western Sydney Webinar – Your Role and How You Can Help Guide Them to University
19 May
The 2025 Discover Western webinar series will feature webinars aimed at Educators, Parents and Students. Hear all about early offer programs, alternative entry, Scholarships and student life.
This webinar is for Parents and Supporters to learn how they can support their child through their HSC and while they make those big decisions about their future. Discover university entry options, careers and courses, and pathways they can explore should they not achieve their desired ATAR.

ACU Talk With Series – Talk with Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists
7 May
Allied health practitioners help us live life to the fullest. You can diagnose, treat and rehabilitate patients, and help improve their quality of life.

Join us online to hear from ACU students and alumni about their experiences. Take part in a Q&A session and learn about the rewarding and challenging careers of occupational therapists and speech pathologists.

ACU Talk With Series – Talk with Lawyers and Human Rights Advocates
20 May
Now, more than ever, the world needs human rights advocates. With conflict across multiple countries, lawyers and human rights advocates are needed to bring positive change for the future.
Our ACU student and alumni panel discussion will allow you to hear from a range of experts, including a lawyer working in the human rights field as well as current human rights students. Take part in a Q&A session and get an insider’s perspective on working in law and human rights.

ACU Talk With Series – Talk with Nurses, Midwives and Paramedics
27 May
Caring for others gives more than it takes. A career in paramedicine, nursing or midwifery means a career helping others.
Join us online to hear from ACU students and alumni about their experiences working as nurses, midwives and paramedics. Take part in a Q&A session to learn what it is like working on the frontline, using your skills to help people when they need it the most.

ACU – New prerequisites for Bachelor of Biomedical Science
For students aiming to pursue a Degree in Biomedical Science at ACU in 2026, the prerequisite subjects have changed to English plus one of the following: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry or Physics, from any two units of English (Standard, Band 3) or English as an Additional Language (EAL, Band 4), and any two units of mathematics (Band 2).

Notre Dame Medicine Information Session 2025
8 May
Join for an online information session designed to provide you with crucial insights into Notre Dame’s Doctor of Medicine program. This webinar offers a unique opportunity to delve into the program’s structure, entry pathways and exciting new developments.

Notre Dame Young Achievers Early Offer Information Session
13 May
Young Achievers Early Offer Program
If you’re a Year 12 student, this program could be just what you need to secure a place at a university that values your growth as a person, not just your academic achievements.

UNSW Young Women In Engineering (YoWIE) 2025
15-17 April
Young Women in Engineering (YoWIE) 2025 is a free, three-day workshop aimed at inspiring young women to explore the field of engineering. Through engaging hands-on activities, insightful keynote speakers, current engineering students, and women from across various engineering industries, you will get a taste of university level engineering while developing your skills, confidence, and connections with peers with an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

We’re excited to share our passion for engineering and encourage students currently in Years 9 to 12 to apply for our next round of YoWIE. Discover your potential and join young women from around Australia to create the next generation of leaders in engineering.

UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture Information Evening
7 May
Interested in a career in Arts, Design & Architecture? Join a globally top 50 faculty, ranked 4th in Australia, with two Schools in the world’s top 25*.

Explore your passions and creativity at ADA. Whether you have a specific path or want to explore, we have degrees for you—from accredited programs like Social Work or Education to creative degrees in Design or Fine Arts.

UNSW’s degrees prepare you for multiple career stages, making you a resilient and attractive graduate. Join our online event to hear from Dean Professor Claire Annesley, current students, and get your questions answered in a Q&A. Learn about degrees, careers, admissions, scholarships, and more!

Simulated UCAT Day Workshop: 2-part program – Limited Spots Remaining!
26 April
If you are in Years 10, 11 or 12, or you may be younger and considering sitting the UCAT in the future, then this program is for you. The Simulated UCAT Workshop program is ideal and often a necessary step towards effective and efficient preparation for the UCAT. This event will be conducted by the National Institute of Education in partnership in partnership with UCAT Preparation Australia, and MICAS (Medical Interviews and Career Advice Services). The workshop is primarily designed to cover fundamental techniques in navigating all five sections of the UCAT test and also for participants to gain a better understanding of their own level of preparedness for the test.

UCAT Verbal Reasoning Webinar
13 April or 15 June
An intensive and interactive advanced UCAT Verbal Reasoning skills training program, which includes a full Verbal Reasoning section mock test. The UCAT Verbal Reasoning (VR) section, has proven as one of the most challenging sections of the UCAT to prepare for as practicing questions only, is not the most efficient way of preparing. Verbal reasoning requires certain fundamental language and reading skills that normally can take a long time to fully develop.

NIE UCAT Medical Interview Preparation Workshop – Limited Spots!
12-13 April

An intensive Medical Interviews Preparation Workshop for students who received or expecting to receive an interview offer for the Undergraduate Medical Schools in Australia.

The unique NIE workshop program aims for students to gain an in-depth understanding and required knowledge of the medical interview processes for specific universities, including Multi-station Mini Interview (MMI), Structured, and Semi-structured panel interviews. The workshop is structured and based on the models that are taught during our proven one-on-one personalised medical interview sessions. The workshop will allow each and every attendee to learn the required skills and practical understanding for the university from which they received an interview offer from.

TAFE

Fee-Free Apprenticeships are a great way for students to launch their careers. There’s never been a better time to start an apprenticeship in NSW. The NSW Government is paying the course cost for 100,000 new apprenticeships – meaning apprentices undertaking a government funded apprenticeship no longer face a student fee of up to $2000. Apprenticeships are a great career pathway. They combine on-the-job training with classroom study to give you the skills and experience employers are looking for. Apprenticeships generally take around 3-4 years to complete, and apprentices earn a salary while they learn. There are more than 120 different apprenticeship courses available in NSW, in a range of industries including construction, cooking, aviation and automotive.

Essential Energy Apprenticeship and Traineeship Program Opens Soon
Opens 22 April
Applications due by 25 May
Have you always wanted to work outdoors and love hands-on, physical work? Would you like to work in a supportive team environment where you can contribute to your local community? An apprenticeship or traineeship with Essential Energy could be for you!
Through our Apprentice Program you can work towards gaining a nationally recognised qualification, with a combination of on-the-job and classroom-based learning.

Residential vs Commercial Carpentry Apprenticeships
Apprentices gain valuable work experience in both commercial and residential sectors. This article highlights the differences in workplaces, business structure, project types, and earnings. Some may choose to work in both sectors for broader experience, while others might specialise in one. Understanding these differences will help apprentices make informed choices to reach their career goals.

Private Colleges

Australian Institute of Music – Mastering Performance Mastering Performance
14 April
AIM’s new school holiday workshop is designed for high school students interested in music performance. Created for students in Years 9 to 12, the workshops provide incredible opportunities to experience playing and performing music, mentored by AIM’s own accomplished musicians and educators.

Learn, practice and perform contemporary and classic pop, rock and soul tunes, under the expertise of Australia’s leading music mentors.

Australian Institute of Music – Music & Lyrics: The Songwriter’s Toolkit School Holiday Workshop
14 April
Created for students in Years 9 to 12, AIM’s new high school music workshops provide incredible opportunities to explore songwriting, mentored by AIM’s own accomplished musicians and educators.
This songwriting workshop is essential for any high school students curious about writing songs and performing and is a golden opportunity to work with incredibly accomplished songwriters. Join us these school holidays and discover the songwriter and performer you were born to become.

SAE Info Night
16 April
Just make the first move in your dream career – join us at your local SAE campus this April for Info Night! This is your chance to get a feel for the vibe at an SAE campus. Explore our creative and technology courses, meet industry experts and chat to the campus teams about student life. You can even take a tour of our facilities and check out some of the awesome student projects on display.

AIE Industry Experience Day
16 April
AIE’s Industry Experience Day is a great opportunity for students in Years 10, 11 and 12 to learn about the local and international game development, 3D animation and visual effects industries. Students will get the opportunity to learn about the different pathways to get into the industry, what should be in a portfolio and will be able to get creative in practical workshops using industry-standard 3D animation and game development tools.

The sessions are run by industry professionals who have worked on some blockbuster games and films. Everything is provided for you to participate in the hands-on workshops and you will be using the same software that is used in the industry.

If you are thinking about a career in the games or film industry then we highly recommend registering for this free event. We are limiting numbers for this event due to physical distancing requirements, with Year 12 students having priority to register.

AIE Film Production Workshop
17 April
Learn what it takes to plan and produce a film shoot in this intensive Film Production Workshop. You will get hands-on with cameras, lighting, and the latest in virtual production LED screens. Industry-experienced filmmakers will guide you in taking your script through the various production stages.

In this workshop, we will fast-track the film production process by choosing one scene and taking it through the pipeline from idea to finished shots. As part of this process, participants will be leveraging virtual production sets! This is an exclusive opportunity to learn more about this revolutionary technology which is empowering filmmakers.

This workshop is suited to participants 16 years+ that are interested in learning more about film, working in film crews and developing their own short films.

ICMS Building Your Fashion Empire: From Vision to Vogue
17 July
Designed for high school students, this hands-on workshop is your chance to dive into the exciting world of fashion and global brand management. Through expert insights and practical exercises, you’ll learn how to craft a unique brand identity, understand your target audience, and master key marketing strategies.

General

Essential Study Skills For High School Students 1 Day Public Course
17 April – Zoom
27 April – Sydney
If you are looking for ways to help your son or daughter with their studies then our Essential Study Skills Course will equip them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to study more effectively and achieve better results. Designed and delivered in person by Australian Memory Record Breaker Chris Lyons, this fun, fast-paced 1 Day Study Skills Course gives high school students of all ages simple, practical techniques to overcome procrastination and approach their studies in a more organised and efficient way, helping them achieve better marks in assignments, tests and exams. Focused on the three key areas every high school student should know – Memory Skills, Speed Reading and Effective Note-taking – students discover how to learn new information quickly and easily using simple yet powerful study techniques many other students are never ever shown. Plus the course is relaxed, friendly and fun!

Australian Newsroom Journalism
For people considering a career in journalism. The Australian Newsroom Journalism is produced as individual posts on a website free of charge to readers. Future posts will be at the same address to help those considering a career in Australia’s newsrooms by giving them an insight to the things editors are looking for when they select cadets or trainees.

The A-Z of careers you should tell your child about
Struggling to talk to your child about their future? You’re not alone. The best thing to do is to arm yourself with heaps of information and think about all the ways they could combine their interests, hobbies and passions with a career that’ll provide them with happiness and stability. Below, you’ll find our A-Z of Careers you should tell your child about. These are ones that are already in-demand, set to boom or match up really well with other areas a lot of teens are interested in, like gaming, creativity, design, animals and communications.

AFP Forensics Work Experience Program – Applications Now Open
Applications Close 23 April
Our Forensics Work Experience Program gives high-school students in Years 10 to 12 a taste of a career in forensic science. The Forensic Training Team run the one-week AFP Forensics Work Experience Program twice each year at our AFP Forensics facility in Majura, Canberra.

If we accept you for an AFP Forensics Work Experience Program placement, you’ll learn about the roles and personal experiences of specialists in:
● biology
● chemical criminalistics
● crime scene investigation
● digital forensics
● document sciences
● facial identification
● fingerprints
● firearms identification.

You’ll also take part in simulations of:
● scene- and lab-based forensic examinations
● a courtroom trial, where you’ll experience giving expert witness testimony.

Year 12 and Beyond with ADHD – Student Webinar
21 May
On the back of the Parent Webinar ran in Term 1, this practical and interactive webinar in Term 2, is tailored for students in Year 12 with ADHD. This talk is being run by Claire Pech (a Careers Adviser who works with students and adults with ADHD) and Amanda Krulis, an Organisational Psychologist who runs her own ADHD Coaching Practice.

Quiz: Which high school science elective should you choose?
If science is your thing it’d be cool to study every unit on the syllabus, but often timetable clashes mean choosing just one or two specialisations. Here, we help you narrow it down from the senior secondary science subjects offered by the Australian High School Curriculum with our high school science elective quiz.