Video Transcription

Life After High School

Hi, I’m David with Minus TV, and we’re here interviewing some university students about life after high school.

What year of university are you in?

• “I’m in second year uni.”
• “The first year of my PhD.”
• “I’m in my third year.”
• “I’m in my final year.”
• “I’m in my fourth year, actually.”

And how are you finding your uni life?

• “I really like it, actually. Good people, good courses, and just that bit of freedom you get after high school.”

When you initially changed from high school to university, how did you find the initial changeover?

• “I found it pretty easy. I had a gap year, so I learned to be quite independent over that year.”
• “Pretty simple. I was kind of still in the swing of things—doing the homework and getting essays done.”
• “It was pretty good. I really like the sort of self-managed learning. You have to take responsibility for everything, but I really like that sort of thing.”

Do you still live at home, or have you found student accommodation or anywhere else closer to your university?

• “I still live at home, so it’s a bit easier. I don’t have to pay bills or rent or anything. But if I was anywhere further away, I would probably have moved out.”
• “Yes, I had to move closer to Melbourne to be able to attend university. I’m in Melbourne for uni. I don’t know what I’ll do when I finish uni—whether I’ll move back or not—but, yeah, I’m mainly in Melbourne.”

And so, with that, you would have had to do an undergraduate degree first as well. How did you find that as a progressive kind of thing—going through different degrees to end up where you are now at the PhD stage?

• “Well, it’s kind of a gradual process. When you’re in high school, you’re told what to do and don’t have much choice. You just have to be there, so you’re not really proactive—you just live your life. In undergrad, it’s your choice to actually be there. It’s more stimulating and a bit more of an elite thing, even though these days it’s not really that way.”

Did you take a gap year straight after high school?

• “Two gap years, big time—just straight traveling for 20 months.”

How did you find that in terms of being able to then get back on track and do some studies?

• “I think, personally, it’s the only way to do it. Otherwise, how do you have enough energy to sustain the workload that follows?”

And did you take a gap year just after leaving high school?

• “Two, actually. One to work and one to travel. I found that really worthwhile. I think I would have struggled to go straight from grade 12 into uni. I don’t think I would have made it this far if I hadn’t taken it. So, yeah, I think I definitely needed that.”

Do you think taking a gap year limits your opportunities for getting into courses?

• “No, it doesn’t limit your opportunities. It just made me feel much more ready for study. I was able to make a lot of contacts overseas, and it gave me a great appreciation of my place in the world.”

  Video by Minus 18