Dive instructor gears up for tertiary study
Sunrise Beach scuba diving instructor Robert Watts, 31, is ready to take the plunge into tertiary study next year thanks to a special program at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
Robert, who finished high school after 6th form (Year 11) in the United Kingdom in 1993, successfully completed USC’s Tertiary Preparation Pathway (TPP) program this semester.
The program has given the qualified mechanic, sports coach and diving instructor the confidence to know he will not be out of his depth at university.
Robert never sat the A-level tests required for university admission in the UK. However, he believes he now has what it takes to tackle a degree in Sport and Exercise Science at USC with the aim of becoming a physical education teacher.
USC launched the TPP program last year to offer an alternative entry pathway to university. It is designed to help students develop the skills required to study, and sample what university life is like without having to pay HECS fees.
TPP students are required to do two core courses in Academic Skills and Computer Literacy, as well as two elective subjects.
Robert said the Academic Skills course was of most value to him as it outlined how to write assignments, use references, understand and answer exam questions and find information in the library.
“Now that I know how to approach assessment and how to use the library, it will save me a lot of time,” he said. “I think I’ll appreciate it even more as I get into my degree.
“In terms of a pre-uni course, it was excellent. If I was to do a degree course without TPP, I would have been like a fish out of water.”
TPP organiser and Senior Lecturer in Science and Education Dr Richard White said TPP graduates had a high success rate in applying for tertiary study.
“TPP gives people who don’t have the direct Year 12 way of getting into university, but who still have the skills and abilities to do well, an opportunity to study at university,” he said.
The University of the Sunshine Coast will hold a free information evening, called USC Options, from 4.30-8pm on Wednesday 19 December for all those interested in studying at USC in 2008. To register, email <options@usc.edu.au>.
— Terry Walsh