and time management to classes in how to turn a “groovy” vocabulary into a “fully sik” attitude, mangz. Or maybe not...

The Open Universities Australia (OUA) scheme is the most fl exible of options available to those returning to studies, be they grey haired ex-hippies or reformed rockers. With a collection of universities participating, including Griffi th and Monash, the scheme takes a completely modular approach to tertiary education. In fact, a student can enrol online and jump between subjects and courses as they see fi t over the four study periods a year. As long as a specifi c degree requirement is met, a student can leapfrog through the wealth of available Majors and Minors, and indeed even change degree as desired.

The downside of the scheme is that the student can feel lost in the impersonal nature of the online environment, and some of the subject content can feel like the real world class notes simply dumped online. Indeed, one OUA participant has come under particular scrutiny in the past for the almost ironic situation of a respected Information Technology campus simply dumping PowerPoint slides from classes as learning resources and taking a hands-off approach to student progress. In stark contrast, other participants have gone to the extent of fi lming lectures, providing audio podcasts, scheduling weekly and regular online chatrooms and doing everything short of sending a tutor to kick down the door and offer a comforting hug to maximise the support structure for online study.

Prospective students are encouraged to direct enquires to either the OUA hotline or to discuss the experiences of current and previous students on their own forums. Likewise each university participant maintains forums of their own, as well as each subject generally encouraging students to communicate through the online subject

interface. Such options are useful in sharing experiences with time management and motivation, which are among the challenges for the online study experience. For many returning and mature age students however, the option of attending lectures in real life, or “IRL” as the kids say these days, is still a preference for a return to study.

The most important point to remember if you’re considering a potential return to higher education as a mature student is to have a clearly defi ned goal established. With this in mind, the perceptions of the social stigma of being surrounded by teenagers and the actual challenges of time management and motivation can be broken down into so many steps. With plentiful resources to assist in taking these steps, and the all important fi rst step in simply making the effort in the fi rst place, there is no better time for taking such action than right now.

Even with changes to the previous Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) and the challenges on the university experience with Voluntary Student Unions (VSU), many mature age students can qualify for FEE-HELP to defer the expense of subject enrolment, and the chance to make money on the side selling alcohol to the under age students. Which would, of course, be illegal. So don’t do that. They’re only going to steal their parents’ goon anyway, so one might simply take their wallets when they pass out. Which is of course also illegal. And is generally not recommended.

What is recommended however, is to take advantage of the available resources and increasing trends of mature age studies today. Call a campus, attend an Open Day or simply fi nd out more online. If you have been thinking about it, now is the time to do it.

A MATURE TAKE ON STUDYFor some, the idea of university is a chance to justify late nights, later mornings and the goal of supplying the world with another expert in such pressing subjects as Ancient Egyptian Religion and Applied Philosophy. University life is, after all, a time to experiment, a time to party, a chance to pick up a Scandinavian and the only place outside of South America that you won’t be laughed at for wearing a Che Guevara shirt while living on Youth Allowance. A time to be young.

Or is it? A recent barrage of advertisements by Open Universities Australia has highlighted on a greater scale the availability of higher education to working professionals and mature students. While the advertisements attempt some light situational humour with a middle management-type advancing his career prospects by a return to university, it does serve as a timely reminder for the wealth of further educational opportunities available. Whatever your age, and whether your choice of tragic t-shirt is/was Che, hypercolour or even tie-dye, there is no better time to consider a return to study.

With a fresh university semester dragging itself out of bed for another infl ux of new and returning students, a sharp increase in interest and enquiries amongst older generations has occurred in recent months. Certainly as the country slides into recession and redundancies are the new black, there is a growing intent to re-skill and recharge those career prospects. Turning this wave of interest and enquiry into action is the next step, as the idea of hitting the books at an older age is all well and good in theory, but faces plenty of challenge in reality. The idea of sitting in a lecture hall surrounded by a horde of spotty faced

emos with the latest My Chemical Romance ringtones is a common, if slightly stylised, concern. Likewise, even the idea of online education brings with it the challenge of time management, self-motivation and the ease of being lost in the list of names and email addresses. Despite these and other common concerns and worries, there is an evident trend towards taking up these options and a wealth of resources available to assist in the process.

The stigma of being a mature age student on campus is a diffi cult one for many to embrace. If you were more “NWA” than “MIA”, the hardest realisation is that your cool days are over. When a university lecturer is hipper then you, it can take some getting used to. There is, however, no need for a mature age student on campus to resign themselves to sitting in the fi rst row and wearing corduroy jackets with patches on the elbows. In fact, the mature aged student can take solace in a dramatic increase in their numbers. This trend was widely remarked upon in the UK, where 20% more mature students were accepted into university courses in 2008 compared to 2007. In Australia, the interest from mature age students to attend courses on campus has been reported excitedly for years, including a gushing recent ABC report indicating that the majority of interest at the Open Day at the University of Tasmania came from mature age visitors. That however, might be because there is in fact no one under the age of 40 left in Tasmania, but they can be forgiven for their enthusiasm.

There is little question that these dark economic times have prompted years of consideration into action, and often with a gentle nudge from former employers and sudden redundancies. Life on campus as a mature student is far from a unique experience, with incredible support from universities and student guilds to facilitate the process, ranging from advice and resources regarding child care

Inpress Magazine 59

MID-YEAR INTAKE SPECIAL

WITH UNIVERSITIES AND TAFES CURRENTLY OPENING THEIR DOORS TO NEW STUDENTS VIA THE MID-YEAR INTAKE, DAVE DRI BRINGS A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE TO THE OPTIONS OPEN FOR MATURE AGE STUDENTS CONSIDERING RETURNING TO STUDY.

G IS FOR GRADE POINT AVERAGE. Towards the end of your degree be sure to comment casually to your younger peers that you’re really disappointed that the distinction you got back in fi rst year has kept your GPA down to 6.95 and watch their draws drop in astonishment.

H IS FOR HOLIDAYS. While you may be tempted to use the mid-semester break to study some more, you really should go take a long walk on the beach or spend some quality time with your friends or try to remember your kids’ names.

I IS FOR INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY.But everyone calls it the internet now, and if you trust everything you read on it there is every chance you’ll fail. Epic fail even.

J IS FOR JUGGLING. Work and school. You’ve grown accustomed to a lifestyle of Saturday morning breakfasts and expensive shoes, which you are unwilling to trade for Weet Bix and Payless so not working is not an option. Say goodbye to your social life now. It’s been good to you. ‘J’ is also for jugs. See ‘B’ above.

K IS FOR KNOWLEDGE. You can bet you’ve already got more than your young classmates who already think they know everything. Regale them with what you’ve learnt at the School Of Hard Knocks and watch their eyes roll back in their heads.

L IS FOR LECTURES. Watch in amazement as attendance drops off from the middle of semester, then suddenly builds again as the semester reaches a crescendo and a good percentage of enrollees realise they’ve had no idea what their tutorial discussions have been about since week three.

M IS FOR MATURE AGE STUDENTS. You are one of these, and may well be treated with suspicion by the kids. But by the end of semester they’ll be sucking up to you big time once they realise you’re the only person in their class who has actually been taking notes.

N IS FOR NO DOZ. While the youngsters are busy necking pingers, you’ll be double-dropping a couple of these and pulling all-nighters.

O IS FOR O WEEK.You might be overwhelmed by the bustling campus as you acclimatise yourself to your new surroundings for the fi rst time, but rest easy – once the kids have got over the excitement of a cheap sausage sizzle and free condoms you’ll see less of them around once the reality sets in.

P IS FOR PART-TIME WORK. You will need this. Our hot tip is to work in hospitality, preferably as a short order cook. Accidentally cook a little more food than you need every second or third meal for personal consumption.

Q IS FOR QUESTIONS. Make sure you ask plenty of these in tutorials – the youngsters might scoff at your overwhelmingly inquisitive nature, but while you’re basking in the warm afterglow of an HD/A/H1 when you get your results back they’ll be bitching and moaning about having to do summer term.

R IS FOR THE THREE RS. The reading and ‘riting bits explain themselves, but even if you’re an arts student you’ll need the ‘rithmetic part to work out exactly how you’re going to feed yourself, pay the bills and still have money left over for that $183 compulsory 48-page text book you’ve been holding off on all semester.

S IS FOR SWOT VAC. If you can memorise Study Without Teaching Vacation you’ll be the only person who actually knows what it means.

T IS FOR THONGS AND TRACKSUIT PANTS. Rain, hail or shine. You’ll most likely fi nd yourself the only pant and closed shoe wearer traipsing across campus as it becomes increasingly apparent two lectures in that secondary school leavers are only able to wear trackies

A IS FOR ALCOHOL. You’ll notice a lot of fi rst year students smelling suspiciously of it from Wednesday morning onwards, possibly all week if you’re in exam period.

B IS FOR BEER. The ever affordable choice of A. Most bars even discount for students – like they need encouraging.

C IS FOR CAFETERIA. You’ll bunker down here with your fellow students for many well-intentioned study groups, but inevitably just end up downing sub-standard coffee while the young alpha male shares increasingly unbelievable tales of his conquests at the toga party back in fi rst year.

D IS FOR DEADLINE. Here’s a heads-up – request an extension on getting your assignment in and there’s every chance you’ll get one.

E IS FOR EPIC FAIL. The more extreme end of Fail (see below). They tell you no one fails in fi rst year but all those kids sitting in front of you who spend entire tutorials on Facebook will prove that indeed there is a fi rst time for everything.

F IS FOR FAIL. If someone in your tutorial says something stupid just say this in response and watch the laughs roll in. All the kids are saying it these days. Also keep “Epic Fail” up your sleeve.

and Havaianas before noon. However, for reasons lost on anyone over 22 and the entire male population, they still manage a full face of make-up.

U IS FOR UNDERGRADUATES. Keep your hands off!

V IS FOR VOLUNTARY STUDENT UNIONISM. If you want to cause a riot just raise this with your local student union rep and watch tempers rapidly fray.

W IS FOR WHISKEY. See ‘A’.

X IS FOR XENOPHOBIA. Not exactly kosher on Australia’s multicultural campuses, so feel free to issue a “Please Explain” to anyone piping up with a bad attitude when it comes to ESL students.

Y IS FOR YUNIVERSITY. If you spell it like this, chances are you’ll be there for longer than three years.

Z IS FOR ZONKED. After a semester dealing with all of the above, this is how you’re going to feel. So relax and do all of those things you’ve been putting off for the past six months!

60 Inpress Magazine

A TO Z OF RETURNING TO UNISO YOU’VE TAKEN THE PLUNGE AND DECIDED TO LEAVE THE REAL WORLD AND DEDICATE YOURSELF TO FURTHER EDUCATION. NEED A QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE FOR WHAT TO EXPECT? OUR HANDY A TO Z SHOULD SET YOU STRAIGHT.

MID-YEAR INTAKE

Inpress Magazine 61

62 Inpress Magazine

CHISHOLM INSTITUTESouth-east Melbourne’s Chisholm Institute is aiming to help Victorians take advantage of new government funding to secure their job prospects with higher level skills qualifi cations.

Previously there have been limited government subsidised places in diploma and advanced diploma courses. Once these were taken, people had to pay full fees or wait and apply again. Now, as of 1st July, the Victorian Government is removing the limit, so from this mid-year Chisholm is running as many diploma, advanced diploma and graduate certifi cate courses as they can physically manage, and offering anybody eligible a place. And the Government are paying an average of 75% of costs!

To be eligible for a subsidised place, applicants fi rst need to be Australian citizens or permanent residents (or hold a Special Category Visa for New Zealand citizens). Secondly, the qualifi cation must be higher than the highest qualifi cation already held. People who were under 20 on 1st January are automatically eligible this year.

To help Melbourne people make the most of this opportunity, Chisholm has boosted higher qualifi cation courses on offer mid-year to 37 of around 180 courses from secondary school qualifi cations to graduate certifi cates. Options include full-time, part-time and fl exi-time. Courses are developed with industry assistance. Many involve workplace experience or simulated workplace training, and chances to network at industry events and competitions.

Chisholm teachers are award-winning, trained, practising industry professionals who educate people and bring them in line with industry standards. The Institute enjoys roomy, modern training facilities in Frankston, Dandenong, Berwick, Cranbourne, Rosebud and Bass Coast but also advises on and designs programs in the workplace with training tailored to employer requirements.

CONTACT DETAILS: Fletcher RoadFrankston, Victoria 3199 1300 244 746Enquiries at chisholm.edu.au

DEAKIN UNIVERSITYEstablished in the ‘70s as one of the new generation of Australian universities, Deakin combines a university’s traditional focus on excellent teaching and research with a desire to seek new ways of developing and delivering courses.

Having won the prestigious Australian University Of The Year Award twice, Deakin maintains close links with government, leading corporations and professional associations, ensuring that their courses are relevant, practical and deliver ‘in demand’ skills, allowing graduates to ‘hit the ground running’.

Deakin has campuses in Melbourne, Geelong and Warrnambool, providing convenience and accessibility whether you want to study in regional or rural Victoria or in the city.

Entering the July intake enables students to complete their advanced diploma by the end of 2010, and with VET Fee-Help now approved students can elect to pay no upfront fees while they learn the skills needed for a career in the games or animation industries.

CONTACT DETAILS: Level 8, Atari Building14 Queens RoadMelbourne, Victoria, 3004 (03) 9820 8201melbourne@aie.edu.auaie.edu.au

NORTHLAND SECONDARY COLLEGENorthland Secondary College Music Industry Training is a nationally accredited program aimed at giving people the real world skills needed to survive in the music industry.They offer full courses in VET Certifi cate II In Music Industry (Foundation), VET Certifi cate III In Music and VET Certifi cate III In Music – Technical Production.

CONTACT DETAILS: 62 Murray Road East Preston, Victoria, 3072 (03) 9478 1333 northland.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au northland.vic.edu.au

SAE INSTITUTE MELBOURNE HISTORY: SAE Institute was established in 1976 as the world’s fi rst practical audio engineering school to address the growing demand for skilled audio engineers. SAE Institute has now expanded to more than 50 campuses in over 20 countries and fi ve continents, making it one of the largest providers of practical creative media education in the world. Graduates have gone on to work for some of the biggest sound and fi lm studios in the world, and have also produced, recorded and fi lmed some of the biggest-selling songs and movies over the past 25 years.

COURSES: SAE Institute Melbourne has a wide variety of courses available to students and qualifi cations can range from diploma to degree level. Degree and diploma level courses are also Fee-Help approved and can be done on a part and full-time study basis. The courses available at SAE Institute Melbourne are Bachelor of Audio Production, Bachelor of Film Production, Diploma of Audio Production, Diploma of Film Production, Diploma of Music Industry (Technical Production), Certifi cate III in Music Industry (Technical Production) – Electronic Music Production, Ableton Live Short Course, and Logic Pro Short Course

CONTACT DETAILS: 235 Normanby Rd South Melbourne, Victoria, 3205 (03) 9681 8422 infomelbourne@sae.edu sae.edu

Deakin’s courses are fl exible so you can tailor your degree to match your career goals. Off-campus, online or part-time study options give you plenty of ways to choose how to structure your course.

Mid-year intake is now open, with enrolments closing Sunday 28th June (off-campus) and Sunday 5th July (on-campus).

CONTACT DETAILS: 221 Burwood HighwayBurwood, Victoria, 3125(03) 9244 6100enquire@deakin.edu.au/applicantportal

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY With learning, teaching and research designed to enrich the world and a history of academic innovation, La Trobe University is leading the way in higher education.

La Trobe will continue to enhance its profi le nationally and internationally and will achieve wide recognition for delivering socially responsible, inclusive, relevant and radical learning, teaching and research.

Since opening in 1967, La Trobe University has grown to accommodate more than 26,000 students including approximately 3,500 international students from over 90 countries. It now has a network of campuses with 15,000 students at their Melbourne (Bundoora) campus and over 7,000 at campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Beechworth, Bendigo, Mildura, Melbourne City and Shepparton.

La Trobe has many undergraduate and postgraduate courses available for mid-year entry, with most courses starting in late July. Enrolment close Friday 10th July or Wednesday 22nd July (Humanities, Social Sciences, Science, Technology and Engineering).

CONTACT DETAILS: La Trobe UniversityVictoria, 30861300 135 045study@latrobe.edu.au latrobe.edu.au/study

MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF FASHIONBased in the inner-city suburb of Fitzroy, the Melbourne School Of Fashion offers students an intimate teaching environment, taught by Australian fashion industry leaders who provide students with practical, hands-on experience.

Established in 1991, the Melbourne School Of Fashion specialises in vocational training for the fashion industry. Being fully accredited as a registered training organisation, students can be assured they are in the hands of the best fashion trainers in Australia.

Choose from courses such as fashion design, pattern making and garment construction, fashion drawing, textile printing and design, millinery, product development and business studies. Each course is developed by fashion industry leaders who have worked in fashion, so have the know-how to set you up in the fashion world. Full and part-time courses are available for both Australian and international students.

If you are a fashion design recruit of the future or simply a fashion lover, the Melbourne School Of Fashion has classes to suit all fashion creative talents.

Mid-year enrolments now open.

CONTACT DETAILS:Melbourne School of Fashion156 George StreetFitzroy, Victoria, 3065 (03) 9417 4502info@melbourneschooloffashion.com

QANTM COLLEGE MELBOURNEHISTORY: Qantm was established in 1996 by fi ve top universities and the Australian Government to provide leading practical education in the fi eld of digital media. Qantm College is now one of Australia’s most successful and innovative creative digital media educators, providing specialist courses in animation, games design, games programming, interactive digital media, graphic design and digital video production.

COURSES: Qantm College Melbourne has a wide variety of courses available to students and qualifi cations can range from diploma to degree level. Some courses are also Fee-Help approved and can be done on a part and full -time study basis. The courses available at Qantm Institute Melbourne can be viewed on our website.

CONTACT DETAILS: 11–17 Jeffcott Street West Melbourne, Victoria, 3003 (03) 9329 5790 qantm.com.au

ACADEMY OF INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENTSince its establishment in 1996, the Academy Of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) has earned much recognition as Australia’s leading educator for the Computer Game Development and 3D Digital industries. AIE continues to contribute to the development of the games and interactive industries in Australia, as an active founding member of the Australian Game Developers Association, and is involved in consulting both government and other education institutions on policy and content.

From certifi cate II through to advanced diploma qualifi cations, AIE provides cutting edge, hands-on training which is nationally accredited and recognised through the Australian Qualifi cations Framework. Graduates continue to be instrumental in building the games, interactive entertainment and related industries in Australia and can be found working in some of the world’s fastest growing CGI industries.

VET FEE-HELP will allow AIE’s students of the Advanced Diploma Of Professional Game Development to study without paying upfront fees. The scheme enables students to defer fees in whole or part.

Applications are now open across all campuses for the mid-year intake into the fi rst year of the following courses: Advanced Diploma of Professional Game Development (Art), Advanced Diploma of Professional Game Development (Software Development), and Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media.

MID-YEAR INTAKE

INSTITUTION PROFILES

Inpress Magazine 63

64 Inpress Magazine

DEAKINLocations: Melbourne (two campuses), Geelong (two campuses), Warrnambool.

Courses Available: Commerce (off-campus only).

Enrolment Closing Date: Sunday 28th June (off-campus), Sunday 5th July (on-campus).

To Apply: Call 1300 334 733, email enquire@deakin.edu.au or apply directly via www.deakin.edu.au/applicantportal.

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY Locations: Melbourne CBD, Bundoora, Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo, Mildura, Shepparton, Beechworth.

Courses Available: La Trobe has many undergraduate and postgraduate courses available for mid-year entry, with most courses starting in late July.

Enrolment Closing Date: Friday 10th July or Wednesday 22nd July (Humanities, Social Sciences, Science, Technology and Engineering).

To Apply: Call 1300 135 045, email study@latrobe.edu.au or apply directly by following the links from latrobe.edu.au/study/apply/midyear?path=feature_tile.

MONASHLocations: Six campuses in and around Melbourne with several overseas.

Courses Available: Arts, Performing Arts, Communication, Behavioural Science, Engineering, Science, Computer Science and many more – go to monash.edu.au/study/events/mid-year for further information.

Enrolment Closing Date: Between Monday 6th July and Friday 10th July

To Apply: Call 03 9919 6100, or apply directly by following the links from vu.edu.au/courses/applying/how-to-apply/mid-year-entry.

AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY Location: Fitzroy

Courses Available: A number of undergraduate and postgraduate programs are open for midyear intake across most disciplines.

Enrolment Closing Date: Friday 19th June

To Apply: Call 1300 275 228, email futurestudents@acu.edu.au or apply directly by following the links from acu.edu.au/courses/mid_year_intake.

NMITLocations: Preston, Collingwood, Ararat, Epping, Fairfi eld, Greensborough, Heidelberg

Courses Available: A number of degrees, associate degrees and diploma options are open for midyear intake across most disciplines.

Enrolment Closing Date: Information and enrolment sessions take place at Preston campus from 4 to 8pm on Thursday 11th June. Note: direct enrolment for part-time courses only.

To Apply: Call 136 648 or email info@nmit.vic.edu.au. Further information on courses can be obtained at nmit.vic.edu.au/courses.

CHISHOLM INSTITUTE OF TAFELocations: Frankston, Dandenong, Berwick, Cranbourne, Bass Coast, Rosebud

Courses Available: A number of diplomas, associate diplomas and certifi cate options are open for midyear intake across disciplines like Automotive, Accounting, Business, Environment and more.

Enrolment Closing Date: Contact the Chisholm Institute directly for more details.

To Apply: Call 1300 244 746 or email enquiries@chisholm.edu.au. Further information on courses can be obtained at chisholm.edu.au/Admission/midyear09/Pages/.

To Apply: Call (03) 9903 4785 or 1800 MONASH, email future@monash.edu.au or apply directly via adm.monash.edu.au/admissions/ugdirectappform.html.

RMIT UNIVERSITYLocations: Three campuses in Melbourne with research and teaching centres in Hamilton and East Gippsland.

Courses Available: A wide variety of postgraduate, Bachelor degree, diploma and certifi cate programs – go to rmit.edu.au for more info. Select courses also have information seminars scheduled.

Enrolment Closing Date: Timely applications close Monday 1st June. Late applications will be accepted where places are still available.

To Apply: Call (03) 9925 5156, email study@rmit.edu.au or log on to rmit.edu.au and follow the links.

SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGYLocations: Five campuses around Melbourne with the primary one located in Hawthorn.

Courses Available: A range of TAFE, undergraduate and postgraduate courses – go to swinburne.edu.au/midyear for more information.

Enrolment Closing Date: Friday 19th June (TAFE), Friday 17th July (undergraduate and most postgraduate), Wednesday 29th July (postgraduate writing degrees).

To Apply: Call 1300 275 794, email study@swinburne.edu.au or postgrad@swinburne.edu.au or apply directly via swinburne.edu.au/midyear.

UNIVERSITY OF BALLARAT Locations: Ballarat, Mount Helen, Horsham, Stawell, Ararat.

Courses Available: A range of TAFE, undergraduate and postgraduate courses across a wide range of disciplines

Enrolment Closing Date: Wednesday 1st July.

To Apply: Call 1800 811 711, email info@ballarat.edu.au or apply directly by following the links from ballarat.edu.au.

UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE Locations: Burnley, Parkville, Southbank (Victorian College Of Arts), Creswick, Shepparton, Dookie.

Courses Available: Arts, Arts (Media and Communications), Commerce, Engineering, Environments, Science.

Enrolment Closing Date: Friday 10th July.

To Apply: Call 1800 801 662, or apply directly by following the links from unimelb.edu.au.

VICTORIA UNIVERSITY Locations: Melbourne CBD (four campuses), Footscray (two campuses), Melton, Newport, Sunbury, St Albans, Sunshine, Werribee.

Courses Available: A wide range of TAFE, undergraduate, postgraduate and vocational education options.

Enrolment Closing Date: Wednesday 17th June (TAFE), Friday 26th June (undergraduate and postgraduate)

DIRECTORY OF VICTORIAN UNIVERSITIES AND TAFE COLLEGES

MID-YEAR INTAKE

Inpress Magazine 65