Everyone is looking to get something different out of their tertiary studies, be it hands-on experience, industry contacts and know-how, a solid theoretical foundation, access to state of the art facilities, more an idea of what you wanna do when you head out to the ‘real world’, or maybe just make some good mates and have a good time.
There’s probably something to suit everyone out there, but we know it can be pretty hard to navigate; there are so many institutions, and then within those institutions there are so many courses! And with the current work environment, what advantages will tertiary study give you? Hopefully our humble little Education Guide can help you sort of some of your thoughts.
Not sure if university will be for you? Why not look into TAFE, like Kangan Institute, which offers music and fashion design courses, among others? If you've always wanted to work in film, check out Footscray City Films, Metro Screen or International Screen Academy and their hands-on curriculum, or maybe AFTRS (Australian Film Television And Radio School), which offers courses all over the screen arts and broadcast industry.
If performing music is your thing, read why the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music could be the place for you — or maybe the Jazz Music Institute, which offers subjects like events management and more, might fit better? And if you're a little younger (senior secondary age), the Music Industry College will give you a head start. If you want the option to study music in all its fields by distance education, look into The Australian Guild of Music Education. More keen on music production and sound engineering? Abbey Road Institute has quiiite the reputation. What about the events side of things? Matt Wakely of William Angliss Institute gives you the lowdown on his course.
Like working with kids or wanna get some leadership experience before going on with your higher education? Well, Camp America sounds like a fun time and a valuable way to spend a gap year. And if you've ever been curious about the area of criminal justice, you should know about the Navitas College of Public Safety.
If you'd prefer to hear about real-life experiences, check out our chats with Nick Yates, Head of Artist Management at Unified, who studied at JMC and RMIT; Jack Bourke of City Calm Down, who also works full-time as a lawyer; Aaron Draplin, rock star of the graphic design world, who's visiting Australia for JMC workshops; and Australian Institute of Music students Lucy Lowe and Aisling Charlesworth, who are working at this year's Splendour In The Grass festival.
And with that, we wish y'all the best of luck in finding what's right for you. Yaaaaaay learning!
