0:00 Updates for 2024

This episode is an update of Episode 60 that I recorded last year all about the GAT. Nothing has changed except that I mentioned VCAL last year but you can ignore that now (I also mention VCE and VCE Vocational Major, so everyone’s covered).

2:05 What does the GAT look like

Understanding the format of the GAT can help you feel more comfortable as you walk into the test on the day. I explain what the 2 sections are so you know what to expect in terms of the content and the way it’s all set out. I also mention who needs to to what section depending on your individual circumstances and whether you’re doing VCE or VCE Vocational Major.

5:20 What is the GAT used for?

The GAT will only ever be used to give you a positive benefit. It can be used to check that the SACs at your school for a particular subject as a whole have been moved high enough to more accurately reflect how difficult they were compared to the SACs at other schools. From a personal point of you, it can be used to check if your exam for a particular subject should be marked again if your GAT result suggests that your exam result should have been higher. It can also be used to help calculate a derived score in the rare case when you may not have been able to sit a SAC or external exam. Your results will only ever be increased because of your GAT results.

11:45 Should you study for the GAT?

Hopefully by understanding the format of the GAT, you can see that there’s not a specific curriculum that you need to learn to prepare for the GAT. You might feel better and more prepared if you have seen what the questions might look like and what the cover page will look like. See the links below if you’re interested in doing that.

Work with me: https://www.roadmapeducation.com/services

Blog post: What is the GAT?: https://www.roadmapeducation.com/roadmapblog/gat

GAT cover pages: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/assessment/vce-assessment/general-achievement-test/Pages/index.aspx

GAT overview: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/assessment/vce-assessment/general-achievement-test/Pages/GATOverview.aspx

1:11 What is Engineering?

Most students who are into Maths and Science have heard the suggestion that they should look at Engineering, but what even is it? Check out the episodes I’ve linked below to hear students and recent graduates talk about their course and what their day looks like if they’re already working as an Engineer. Engineers create and build solutions to problems in a whole range of areas, and they use different calculations, methods and materials to solve the problems in the most efficient way.

3:17 What type of Engineering should you do?

Different universities will offer different specialisations, including Aerospace, Mechanical, Civil, Chemical, Software and Robotics and Mechatronics. Think about what type of science you like at school and see what specialisation would use that science the most, and if you’re not sure, Google the different types to find out more. If you’re still not sure, you don’t need to stress - most courses have a common first year so that you can get a foundation in Engineering to start with and get a taste of the different types before you decide which pathway you want to follow.

6:16 What should you look at in a Bachelor of Engineering?

Are you more academic? Or would you prefer to take things apart and see how it works? Engineering courses will all have a bit of both, but make sure you choose a course that allows you to lean into whichever type of learning you prefer. As always, you should also look at the placements or internships that are available within the course so that you can see what it’s actually like to work as an Engineer while you’re still studying, as well as building a network, learning heaps and potentially landing a graduate position with them when you finish your course.

9:27 If you’re considering Engineering, what else could you look at?

There are lots of courses that are similar to Engineering in some way. If you like the idea of building and designing things, you could consider Architecture or Design. If you’re interested in the Health field you could look at Biomedical Science or Biotechnology. If you like the idea of Software Engineering, then Information Technology or Computer Science might interest you. Aviation or Space Science are worth looking at if you’re interested in Aerospace Engineering. Make sure you check out these other courses too so that you can choose the one that suits you best. Another option that is particularly in demand at the moment is Cybersecurity. If you want to find out more, I have two episodes about Cybersecurity that you could listen to (see the links below).

My website: https://www.roadmapeducation.com

Other episodes about Engineering:

Electronic Engineering and Cybersecurity - http://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/71

Cybersecurity - http://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/51

Biomedical Engineering and Medicine - http://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/4

Robotics and Mechatronics - http://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/11

Software Engineering - http://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/15

Architecture - http://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/35

Civil Engineering - http://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/53

Heavy Vehicle Diesel Mechanic - http://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/63

1:16 What do you need to do to become a psychologist?

If you’re interested in becoming a psychologist, you need to do quite a bit of study including an undergraduate degree that is accredited by APAC (the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council). So as you’re looking at courses, if there’s any chance you’d like to become a psychologist later, check that the ones you’re looking at are accredited so that you’re on the right path.

3:05 What is it that you like about psychology?

Are you interested in the anatomy of the brain and the biology related to psychology, or do you look forward more to the topics related to human behaviour and mental illness? While all accredited courses will cover both, make sure the course you end up choosing gives you an opportunity to really focus on the areas of psychology you really like.

4:55 Other options to consider

If you like psychology but you know you don’t want to become a psychologist, there are other options you can consider. Behavioural science, counselling or marketing are good examples of these. I also mention two courses at Deakin that focus on marketing and human resources respectively from a psychology perspective, and they’re also accredited so you can pursue further study in psychology later if you choose (see links below).

My website: https://www.roadmapeducation.com

Bachelor of Marketing (Psychology) at Deakin University - https://www.deakin.edu.au/course/bachelor-marketing-psychology

Bachelor of Human Resource Management (Psychology) at Deakin University - https://www.deakin.edu.au/course/bachelor-human-resource-management-psychology

Previous episodes related to Psychology:

Arts and Psychology - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/34

Psychology and Behaviour Therapy - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/19

Criminology - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/10

Psychological Studies - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/7

2:50 Don’t assume you know what you can study in Bachelor Science

I did all maths and science subjects in VCE, and never even considered a Bachelor of Science. Why? Because I felt like I wasn’t that good at Chemistry or Physics, and I didn’t realise that I could do a Bachelor of Science and major in Maths or something similar (which was clearly my strength and something I loved to explore). Don’t make assumptions - check the majors so you know what a course is actually about so you can make an informed decision.

5:23 What types of majors can you study in a Bachelor of Science

If you’re considering a Bachelor of Science, you really want to check what majors are offered at the university you’re looking at to see if they focus on the types of areas you’re interested in. Start by asking yourself questions about what you already know you like. What science subject at school do you like best? What topics do you like within that subject? If you’re not sure, hop onto the websites for the different unis and read through the majors offered to see which one has a couple of majors that you could see yourself studying, and then explore them in your first year before you choose which one to focus on.

My website: https://www.roadmapeducation.com

Previous episodes related to Science:

Laboratory Medicine - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/61

Laboratory Assistant - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/55

Food Science - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/50

Science and Baking - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/48

Science Advanced - Global Challenges and Palaeontology - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/47

Science and Global Studies - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/31

Forensic Science - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/28

Pharmaceutical Science - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/23

Science, Arts, Sustainability and Meteorology - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/22

Pharmacy and Audiology - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/20

Geology and Scientific Research - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/18

Science and Veterinary Medicine - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/13

1:33 What is a Bachelor of Arts?

Don’t confuse “Art” with “Arts”! While the subject Art at school involves things like painting and drawing, a Bachelor of Arts is more about humanities and exploring ideas through a particular perspective. Some people are reluctant to pursue a Bachelor of Arts because they think it won’t lead anywhere, however if you look at the majors within the course, there are heaps of things you can study within a Bachelor of Arts that very clearly leads to a particular job or career.

6:42 What if you don’t know what you want to do in your career?

If you don’t know yet what you want to do in your career, that’s totally normal and completely fine. I firmly believe that if you’re passionate about something and keep learning and networking in that area, opportunities will become available to you. I give a couple of examples of people who studied Arts and didn’t know where it was going to take them, including Ash Barty’s mindset coach, Ben Crowe.

8:56 A Bachelor of Arts works really well as part of a double degree

A fantastic way to explore a greater range of areas, round out your education and have more to talk about in job interviews is to combine Arts with another degree.

10:51 The majors that are offered are important

A Bachelor of Arts at 2 different universities can look completely different, so make sure you take a look at what’s offered so you can choose the right one for you. I go through some of the majors offered at The University of Melbourne, Monash University, RMIT, Swinburne and Deakin to give you an idea of what your Bachelor of Arts could look like depending on where you choose to study.

My website: https://www.roadmapeducation.com

Previous episodes related to Arts:

Anthropology and Human Rights: https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/45

Speech Pathology - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/39

Arts and Psychology - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/34

Politics, Philosophy, Economics, Arts and Law - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/26

Science, Arts, Sustainability and Meteorology - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/22

Teacher, Tutor, Entrepreneur - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/21

Arts and Law - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/16

Communications (Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising and Media) - https://www.roadmapeducation.com/podcast/3

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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