If you still haven’t actually made it to a lecture and the only place you’ve been to on campus is the coffee shop, or if you’ve finished a degree but realised that something’s not quite right - congratulations are in order!

If you’re reading this, then you’ve taken your first step in the right direction.

You now know what you want (and what you don’t want)

A band 6 in maths does not an accountant make. Sure you need mathematical ability, but you also need to want to be an accountant.

Lots of students start uni straight out of high school with an idea of what they want to do, or an idea of what they should do. They apply for courses and before they know it they’re surrounded by three hundred people, deadlines and a sense of dread. But you’ve taken the initiative to say “no more!”

That’s exactly what James did. He was studying a Bachelor of Secondary Education at University. After six weeks he knew it wasn’t the right fit, he knew what he didn’t want. After taking some time to revaluate, he made the switch to TAFE NSW.

He started by studying a Certificate IV in Accounting, following it up with a Diploma of Accounting and now he’s in his second year of a Bachelor of Applied Commerce with TAFE NSW.

For him, the personalised approach at TAFE NSW made all the difference. He’s happy he made the switch and he’s discovered that he really does want to be an accountant!

You’ve discovered your passion and you’re willing to go for it

Now you know that studying The Simpsons and Philosophy (ok this is only a two-unit course within a degree) isn’t your thing, you may have discovered, or re-discovered, what your passion is. When you concentrate on doing what you love – or what you have an interest in - you’re more inspired, more motivated and more likely to succeed.

Photography, games design, writing, fashion, caring for others, fixing things – what is it that is going to make the years you’ll spend at work in your lifetime more than a chore?

For Erika it was IT. After spending two years at uni, where she found her course theoretical and disappointing, Erika made the switch to TAFE NSW and hasn’t looked back. Erika has now completed one year of a Bachelor of Network Security and Bachelor of Data Engineering degree.

“I knew TAFE was very practical, so I enrolled in my current double degree and I love it.”

It’s not the start or the finish, it’s the story in between

Jean moved from Malaysia to Adelaide to study a Commerce degree in 2012. She made it through and graduated, working as an administrator for a number of years before deciding that she needed to make a change.

So she did.

Even though she had a degree under her belt, Jean knew that she needed to keep learning to reach her career goals. She switched her entire life by moving to Sydney and enrolling in the Bachelor of 3D Art and Design Animation at the TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore. It wasn’t until she began studying with TAFE NSW that she realised how much she was lacking through her first uni experience. Jean says she has been genuinely surprised how hands-on her TAFE NSW degree is, how personal the approach is and how encouraging her teachers are.

From Commerce to Animation, from Malaysia to Sydney, from working on the Vivid Sydney projection on Government House to graduating in 2020, Jean proves you can switch things up and rewrite your story.

You’re in discovery mode

You have tried the study thing and the experience left you cold. You have a couple of passions but you don’t know if you want to make them your career. You want to test and explore before you commit.

You’re in discovery mode and that’s a great place to be!

It’s choice not chance that determines your destination, so whether you decide to work, take a gap year or return to study, why not consider a short course? You’ll challenge yourself, get the latest industry skills, develop your resume and who knows you might just discover where you are meant to be.

Find your future