Being able to fast-track your university degree while still in high school might sound too good to be true, but for a group of Armidale Secondary School students, they’ve done exactly that through completing the HSC University Pathways Program (HSC UPP).
The HSC UPP is a unique study opportunity designed for high-achieving high school students in NSW who are keen to begin their university journey early and gain advanced standing into a university course of their choice.
Year 12 students Eleanor Peterson, Aayan Ahmed, Hugo Moulynox and Arman Sahebjam each completed UNE’s Introduction to Quantitative Skills (MTHS110) unit while in their final year of school, helping to cement some valuable knowledge for their final exams while gaining a head start on their university studies.
Eleanor received a high distinction, and hopes to study a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Astrophysics. She says the experience has bolstered her confidence for the big life change that is to come.
“I'm worried about going into university and just being bombarded with the unknown, so by having completed this unit, I will be able to ease into it,” she says.
“The other thing I enjoyed was that there are so many extracurricular options for people interested in humanities subjects, but there’s not a lot for those of us who want to do maths and science, so it was a nice opportunity to be able to do it.”
Arman, who also received an HD, has dreams of pursuing medicine, and found the unit gave him the grounding he’ll need for his tertiary studies.
“As a doctor or health professional, a knowledge of maths is necessary for your daily work, and MTHS110 gave me that fundamental knowledge that I will be able to build on.”
For Aayan, getting a taste of university life was what he enjoyed most.
“It acclimatised me to the uni study schedule, and as I’m thinking of going into physics research, it will definitely help with that,” he says. “I feel much more confident now.”
While the demands of the HSC can be more than enough for some, all four students agreed the extra unit complemented their studies, rather than detracted from it.
“It was probably a little bit easier than I was anticipating,” says Hugo.
“I found there was a lot of overlap with my high school content, which made it quite manageable. If you're doing any extension maths units, it isn't too much of a struggle because you've seen a lot of the content before.”
For those on the fence about taking the plunge, Arman has one thing to say:
“If you can do it and if you have the time, definitely go for it. It's a great experience.”
