Tips for selecting

options for next year

Some things to think about...

• It is ok to not know exactly what you will be!

Most people do not know what to be when they are still at High School

Up until their late 20’s many people are still in the exploration phase of their careers. This involves exploring interests and abilities and investigating opportunities.

TIPS FOR YOUR CHOICE

Develop your self awareness

• Combine your

»Interests »Values»Ability»Career Ideas

To make your subject choice

Complete the future education

plan in your option booklet

“You do best when you can trust your inner compass and recognise the directions that are right for you”

- Dr Heather Carpenter Your 21st Century Career

Investigate

• Gather information to make an informed decision

• Research your options and make sure that you are keeping them broad if you don’t know what you want to do!

Talk with

• Family members• Friends• School – Teachers, Deans, Careers

Advisor• Career Services

A useful resource

• Career Services website – Interactive tools– Career Quest– Subject matcher– Skill matcher– Section for students to help them with

choosing subjects

Making the decision

• Some things to work through:1. What is it you want to achieve?2. What can you do to achieve this?3. What are your options? 4. What are the consequences if you

were to choose one of the options? 5. Make the choice!

UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE INFORMATION FOR SENIOR STUDENTS

• All universities are different so you will need to check out different entry requirements.

• All universities require ‘University Entrance’ as is shown with the circles on pg vi in your option booklets

• Otago University is a very common destination so we’ll look at what they require for University Entrance:

2 pathways Option 1 = Preferential Entry

(straight from school)

• Be over the age of 16 and gain University Entrance PLUS one of the following:

• Level 2 with M or E• Acheive an entry score of at least 140 points for

NCEA Level 3• have accepted a place in a residential college

owned by or affiliated to the University of Otago• have accepted a University of Otago

undergraduate scholarship• be a Māori applicant, or a Pacific applicant of

Polynesian or Melanesian descent, who holds or is studying towards a New Zealand university entrance qualification

140 points?

• These are able to come from up to 5 APPROVED subjects

• Each ‘A’ gets 2 points, a ‘M’ credit is worth 3 points and an ‘E’ 4 points

Option 2 – Competitive Entry

• If you are over 16 and gain University Entrance but not one of the above criteria you will be offered places in order of priority, subject to the availability of places in their nominated programmes.

Some other Uni Examples

• Canterbury University – standard University entrance

• Victoria – most courses 120 points, some 140 points

• Massey – 120 points• Auckland – a range of ‘points’

required depending on the course – 140-180

COURSES WITH OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Health Sciences

• This follows on to careers like becoming a doctor, dentist, physiotherapist, pharmacist, medical laboratory scientist

• This is a first year course which is competitive entry in to the second year.

• Highly recommended subjects at Year 13 are Chemistry, Biology and Physics

• Also recommended are English and Statistics

Teaching

• You need University Entrance plus completing a separate application form plus an interview

• There are no specific subjects you must take however, good communication skills are essential

• It is also important that you involve yourself in the community (this looks good on your application)

Veterinary Science

• This is a course that you can only do at Massey University

• Competitive entry in to the second half of the year

• Recommended subjects for Year 13 are English, Physics, Biology, Chemistry

Nursing

• This is a degree offered through Polytechnics

• You will need to take English, Biology and Chemistry

• Very competitive entry. You need to do well in Biology and Chemistry.

• If you are serious about Nursing you may need to look at places to study other than here in Dunedin (e.g. Nelson, Christchurch, Invercargill)

Architecture• Can be studied as a Bachelors

qualification at Victoria University or Auckland University or Unitec (also in Auckland) (Landscape architecture is also offered at Lincoln University)

• Highly recommended subjects are Graphics, Physics, Calculus

• Art, Computing, Statistics, English and Technology are also useful subjects

• Auckland University requires a portfolio of work on application

Design/Fine Arts

• Portfolios of work are usually required for entry to these courses along with University Entrance

• Useful subjects include Painting, Photography, Graphics, Design (textiles), Hard Materials Technology, Computing, Media Studies (if you are looking at communication design)