charades

Oh, joy! Finally! After being in Australia for nearly 9 months, this is what I've been waiting for! I start my classes officially on Monday. I go to an Australia wide institution called TAFE: Tertiary and Further Education. Much happier these days! I finally think I've got this whole Australia thing sussed. I honestly feel settled, Australia doesn't seem foreign to me anymore. I even say a few of my words with an Aussie twang...not on purpose of course!

If I could give anyone advice on coming here....do it, but stick with it! You'll see the light after the dark times.

Laura

Donna&Neil

Hi good for you Laura. Glad you feel more settled and college will probably add to that. Enjoy your course.

Donna & Neil

Lottie0991

hello
i am about to move to australia well in a year...and i dont know anything about school/college.
are you at college?and how old are you? becasue i have hurd lots of rumours like you leave school for uni when your 17 and you dont leave school till you 18 so i am confused can you let me know what really happens thnkyoou x

asher

glad you're having a good time hope it gets even better

NickyC

Almost everyone that goes to Uni, goes when they finish Year 12 at school. Some might have a gap year, or a few years working, or be a mature student but most go straight from school. The age you are when you finish Year 12, depends on which state you live in and when your birthday is - but in most cases you'd either be 18 or nearly 18 when you start Uni.

You can go to TAFE (tech college) from Year 10. In some colleges you can even do a Year 10 equivalent at TAFE but those courses are mostly designed for older people who left school very young and want to catch up with their education. The people who tend to leave school after Year 10 are those that are doing appenticeships or some sort of trade training. The great majority of kids stay on till Year 12.

TAFE colleges have students of all ages ranging from 16 year olds thru to middle aged people who want a career change. They also have a lot of part-time, one-day-a-week, and night courses to fit in with apprentices and people who are working as well.

Some areas might have a collegiate system (the ACT for example) where you finish 'school' at Year 10 and then go to 'college' for Year 11/12. This is not really any different to being at school - the Year 11/12 courses are the same as the courses taught at schools, they're just in a different building with a different name. Collegiate systems are not that common.

Which state are you heading for?

Ronnie and Deb

thankyou so much for your advice it was helpful i just need to look for some corses now
we are hoping to go to queensland and we are going to check brisbane out first i am really excited now.

thankyou again for your help. x

Ronnie and Deb

oops that was lottie0991 but i replyed on my mam and dads acount