Sydney Life

"I just got my UAI yesterday. Should I follow my heart or follow my parents' advice? Far out I'm so confused. [...] I was once so certain about where I'm going in life... now I'm clueless... Should our lives be dictated by UAI?" - Confused, via email

When I received this comment, I knew I had to answer it with a blog because it's probably a feeling on a lot of people's minds.

Parents are very important people in our lives. It is natural to want to impress them and make them feel proud of us. Parents often have very good advice to give and we should consider what they have to say. My advice is: get all the information you can, talk to your parents about it, and at the end of the day, make the choice that feels most right for you.

Until you decide to choose a degree, most of your life has been chosen for you. Where you live, what you study, where you study, who your friends are and what activities you get involved in tend to be pre-determined by a small number of factors, most of which are out of your control. Then comes uni and you’re in the driver’s seat. It can seem scary. It can seem confusing. Think of it as a gift for you. After so many years of being told how to live your life, here is the chance for you to make an important decision on your own terms.

Some things you should remember:

1. Get accurate information from the right places. Lots of people will have an opinion on what you should (or shouldn’t) study. There are times when these can be based on false assumptions or out-of-date information. Sometimes, people do not have experience in the area you are interested in, so they can be dismissive or uniformed about the career and study options for a particular degree. Therefore, your first step should be to get accurate information from a wide range of sources. These include the actual university (call the Helpline on 1300 362 006), the UAC guide, your careers advisor, school teachers, current university students (including older siblings), your parents and your own individual research. Learn to distinguish opinion/prejudice/propaganda from fact. If the information you’re getting is sounding different from different people, try and think about the reasons why this may be and follow your gut.

2. Your life should not be dictated by your UAI. First of all, think about what you like and what you’re good at. These are your starting points. Once you have that down, then you can start investigating the options available with your UAI. If you’re not sure what you like or are good at, then look at more general degrees that allow you to mix and match lots of different subjects to find the right one for you (for example, the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree). You can always do graduate study later in a more specific area, get work experience to supplement your uni skills or tailor your general degree as you become better informed about your talents and interests.

3. Recognise the difference between parental advice and parental pressure. Your parents want the best for you, but if you’re feeling pressured and stressed about their advice – chances are, you need other advice to help you out. Talk to some other people to get a range of different opinions and see if your parents haven’t considered factors that you think are important. You should take the initiative to seek out more information so you can make your own decision for your personal situation.

A Case Study: Me!

I have always been torn between two passions: politics and performance. Whilst, I’m very interested in current affairs and politics – hence my decision to study Arts/Law – I’m also driven by the performing arts (theatre, music etc.). When it came to choosing politics over performance, I would say that my family and my parents had a big role to play. My family always undervalued the arts. My parents felt that law would be a more stable career option. They are probably right and their opinion probably tipped me one way and not the other. Now that I’ve come to the end of my fourth year of Arts/Law I’m beginning to re-think that choice and seek opportunities for purposing my other passions in addition to law. Sometimes you can do this outside uni – in extracurricular circles or even in Clubs and Societies at uni. Sometimes the passion is burning! This may be when you start thinking about doing it as a degree or career option. If this sounds like you, my advice is to:

1. Consider a combined degree – these may allow you to do both areas at once.
2. Research opportunities to pursue your other passions in addition to a degree. Not only will this make you happy, but make you a more employable and well-rounded person.
3. Get as much information as you can and then follow your gut.
4. Pick a university and degree that has some flexibility. Some degrees allow you to choose lots of different subjects. Some universities allow you to go part time at any time in your degree or structure your own timetable. If you want some flexibility to pursue your other interests, make sure you keep these important things in mind.
5. Don’t forget that you are likely to change your career direction many times in your life. If you can’t do it now, you might be able to do it later.

If you're feeling confused, it's understandable. But do something about it! Call the Helpline on 1300 362 006.