Fernando Navarrete from the small but well organised University of Notre Dame gave much practical advice to Year 11 and 12 students recently about how to get started on choosing what to do post Year 12.  He emphasized the importance of doing careful research about what is on offer and how to access it. In a well illustrated talk that entertained with many practical examples Fernando showed our students the importance of thinking about what sort of University environment might suit them and how the opportunities need to be sought out and exploited.  One of the important aspects that he discussed was the power of small group discussion and a teamwork approach to work that prepared one for future workplaces where this is crucial.  Also there needs to be careful consideration of the ethical insights that are needed in applying many contemporary workplace decisions and the Logos Cross Faculty Compulsory Philosophy Program at Notre Dame was a good example of how this training can be acquired.

Another challenging area that Fernando covered was the way that uni entry, especially in the early entry environment, is taking much more notice of the maturity and all round attributes of students in a wide variety of  achievement areas including the extra curricular.  The fact that school reports from Year 11 onwards are often consulted by interviewers spurred everyone to plan for their personal best performance as consistently as possible in senior years. 

Overseas Studies often seems like a far away dream for students but Fernando showed how Universities are making this a much more realistic option as part of a degree program, with the great benefits of a more mature and better grounded graduates.

It was impressive to see the growing list of opportunities available to all our students in the tertiary sphere these days and the breadth of possibilities available for students to show their strengths.

Mr Jim Ward
Careers Advisor