Disclamer
My advice here is of a general nature, it does not take in your individual circumstances.
The HSCeebs
The Higher School Certificate (HSC) is often seen as a crucial milestone in the academic journey of Australian students. There is a lot of pressure to perform well, to get into the university or degree that you want (or are told to study...). A lot of teachers and adults say things like, "it's not the be all and end all!" or "there are other pathways!". But let's be real: from an Asian perspective, it's not that simple.
I cover this in several episodes, a notable one being - Episode 6. I chatted with some high school friends about our HSC days, one of whom is a teacher now at the same school we graduated at now. It's a candid conversation on the pressures we face and how we navigated them. (Bear with me, the production quality gets better in the later episodes...)
The Cultural Significance of Education
For many Asian Australian families, education is deeply valued and often seen as a pathway to success and stability. Looking back now I can understand. My parents left everything behind in their home country of Vietnam with nothing but the clothes on their back, in search for a better life. They worked manual labour jobs and invested a lot into education like tutoring and textbooks for me and my brothers. (This ended up being a complete waste on me... Sorry mum!)
This cultural emphasis on academic achievement can add significant stress on Asian kids to get the highest mark possible. The golden 99.95 ATAR goose. The expectation to excel is not just about personal success, but also about honoring family values and sacrifices. They left everything behind so you could do well... Do you not owe that to them? A controversial question. I partly felt it was to also flex on their friends/other family that my kid achieved this and that, or is studying to be a DOCTOR! But is that pressure worth it?
The HSC: A Gateway or a Gatekeeper?
The HSC is meant to assess students’ readiness for university and careers, but the intense focus on results can overshadow other important aspects of personal development. I’m approaching the 10-year anniversary of my own HSC (feeling old...), and while I knew of people who aced their exams and cruised through uni, many of them struggled later with job applications.
Reflecting on my own journey, I still remember the pressure of those exams vividly. I struggled to stay focused and did a pretty piss poor attempt at the subjects I didn't like. I remember doing pretty well at IPT (Information, Processes and Technology) and okay at advanced maths and standard english. But I got obliterated in legal studies and biology. In your HSC exams, you're only allowed to leave after the first hour. Legal studies was my final HSC exam and I left in the first hour. I had a flight to catch the same day to PAX in Melbourne, LMAO.
Being academically smart is great, but if you can’t communicate that in the real world, it can hold you back. I'm not saying to ditch studying altogether, but it’s a reminder that balance is important — communication skills, emotional intelligence, and networking are just as valuable as the marks you get on your exams.
This is just one piece of advice, it won't apply to everyone. (My not financial advice disclaimer...)
Other Pathways to Success
I'm going to say something I heard a million times while I was stressing over everything in year 11 and 12: "The HSC isn’t the only pathway to success." And while it didn’t feel helpful then, I now realise how true it is. It's difficult though, to convince your parents of that. In my case, they saw the HSC as the only path to success. But there are alternatives.
As far as my parents were aware, the HSC was the only option available. In my mind I was thinking of going to TAFE then using that as a bridging course into university. TAFE didn't exactly have a nice ring to it compared to uni to them.
I've covered numerous stories from people who found that uni wasn't for them, and found success outside of the traditional uni route:
- In episode 5, my friends Junior and Norman pursued a career in hospitality, something I only saw as a stepping stone, a job to buy things as a young adult while I studied. However these guys showed how much they love their job. Junior actually attended UWS:College with me before dropping out. I have huge respect for their work. This is coming from me, a corporate worker, I can see that they work hard. We revisited what they were up to 2 years later in episode 38.
- In episode 31, Justin and Sandy run a website called PUSHAS, selling shoes but focusing more on the sneakerhead scene. They are killing it. Albeit, yes they did go to uni, but majority of the success came from their work acumen. Imagine telling your parents that you were going to go sell shoes?!
- In episode 12, Gary becomes a PT after dropping out of uni, loves his job. Wakes up every day enjoying the feeling of helping people achieve their best selves. Has a huge passion for the craft. It's a reminder that success comes in many forms.
This is just a small preview of what kind of topics that are covered on the podcast.
The Smell of Blood in the Water
School doesn't teach you this, but there will be a multitude of companies that offer bridging courses into uni if you go study with them. They prey on desperate students who didn't get the ATAR they wanted and want to get into uni. What they don't tell you is that you're going to be paying a ridiculous amount in HECS fees just to get the certification. Which is no different to doing a diploma at TAFE for a fraction of the price.
Take for example UTS:Insearch, now branded as UTS College. I actually highly considered this at some point in year 12. I didn't expect that I'd reach the minimum requirement to study IT there. It was my dream uni at the time. Studying Information Technology at the University of Technology?! You'd be crazy not to. Have a look at the fees though.
You can do the accelerated course which gives 2 semesters in 8 months, just like uni and after completing that you can get into a regular Bachelor of IT as a 2nd year student. As if you made it into uni initially. Except the damn course alone costs $35,000 for the 8 months (if you don't fail anything). In comparison, a 3 year bachelor's in IT will cost you roughly $26,400 ($1100 x 4 units a semester, 2 semesters a year, 3 years in total). You're paying more than a bachelor's for this one year course... Other unis have similar programs set up like UWS:College. I know they rebranded to WSU, but that's what it was at the time.
I get it. Sometimes you don't want to tell your parents you flunked your exams by playing League of Legends all day instead of studying (guilty). You get to effectively go to uni and tell your parents you're attending a big uni like UTS. A little white lie and the fee doesn't even matter until 3-5 years later down the line when you're working full time. That's for future you to worry about. I'm at that stage now, I hate looking at my HECS debt LOL. It's around $50,000 at the time of writing this. I made the mistake of doing UWS:College. It was a waste of time, and I would've learned a lot more doing something like TAFE for a lot cheaper.
Looking back, the path I would've taken would be to do a Cert III in IT, then a Cert IV in IT, then a diploma in IT, and use that as a bridging course into uni. In fact, uni to me wasn't really helpful in getting me experience to where I am at now. It mostly just shows that you're competent enough to critically think on your resume. Looking back actually it kinda does by saying you're qualified, but all the stuff I learned from uni was outdated.
I understand it's not so simple as saying "hey mum, I don't think I'll do well in the HSC. I'm gonna try TAFE to get in." What will proceed is probably a few lectures, the broomstick or slipper being brought out and a threat to kick you out of the house. I didn't say anything, and waited for my results to arrive. I didn't tell them what I got. To put it simply, I was given the Marvel Cinematic Universe of lectures. I said I'd try to find alternate pathways, but it was hard for them to understand what that would entail. That's how I ended up with UWS:College. They checked on me a few times a month to ask how long it would take for me to get to uni. The bottom line is, it'll pass. As long as I was working towards moving to uni, then they were happy.
This thing called life
In my situation I wanted to go to uni. You might not want to, or you might not even know what you want to do. I don't blame you if you don't. You graduate high school where you have to ask to use the toilet, to deciding what kind of industry you want to study for and work in for the rest of your life. My good friend Tony did a gap year and worked as a bartender (Covered in Episode 15), then did uni later when he had a better grasp on what he wanted to do.
Would you rather go into uni for a degree and get into debt for something you're not sure you even want to do or work for a year or two, save some money, potentially travel, open your perspective and maybe find your meaning/calling in life? I found a lot of people defaulted to doing business/accounting if they weren't sure on what degree to do, LOL (a joke from Episode 49 with Justin or erbzmagic). I know the whole traveling to find yourself sounds cliche, but it does help!
I've known people who keep switching degrees, hoping to find something they like, only to rack up huge HECS debts with nothing to show for it. Maybe they're also delaying the inevitable part of adulthood and moving into the workforce. Please don't do this.
What should you do?
Ultimately, the decision is yours. My point is to share what I’ve learned from my own journey, hoping it helps someone else. The judgement from your parents and peers will pass, and in a few years, it won’t matter as much as it seems to now. You’ll find your path eventually — everyone does, and at different times in their lives. Hopefully it isn't full time Centrelink!
I look back and laugh at my time in school, the mistakes I made after school in finding my footing to get into uni. I did pretty well in College, as the units were more related to what I was interested in (IT), got a good GPA then transferred the hell out of there once I got an offer from Macquarie Uni. It led me to doing a first year unit (when people my age with proper ATARs are usually doing their second year by then) where I met Nathan, who's a regular on my show, and I'm attending his wedding next year. Funny how things work out.
Conclusion - It's Your Journey
In the end, your education and career path is yours to navigate. The HSC might feel like the end of the world now, but there are so many ways to find success. Whether that's through traditional university degrees, TAFE, entrepreneurship, or something else entirely, trust yourself to make the right decision.
If you want to hear more stories from various people with their journey to success, you can check out my podcast, Rice n Mics. Going through the HSC now or have some funny stories? Let us know!
