Are you stressed and confused by the VTAC preference process? Soooo scared of making the wrong course choice that you can’t finish your preference list? Or just too overwhelmed by all the different study options to start your list at all?

FOCTWC (Fear of Choosing the Wrong Course) is real. Hundreds of Year 12s all over the country suffer from a bad case of it every year – but you don’t have to join them. Keep reading for three easy ways to troubleshoot a wrong course choice at every step of your journey from school to uni.

young man looking anxious in front of laptop

FOCTWC is real.

1. Before you’ve received a course offer

Submitted a preference list full of paramedicine courses, then realise your true passion lies in teaching?

No problem.

This phase is the easiest to avoid the wrong course. Once you’ve submitted your VTAC application, you can easily change your course preferences.

In fact, change of preference opportunities are available at all times apart from during selection periods (just before offer rounds are released). You can even change your preferences after you receive your Year 12 results.

boy walking down street looking at smartphone

If you're indecisive, change of preference periods are your best friend.

2. When you’ve received an offer for the wrong course

Everyone is congratulating you for receiving an offer for (what they think is) your dream course during round one. The only problem is, you no longer want to be a lawyer at all – it’s biomedicine that has your heart.

The good news?

You can receive and even accept a course offer during round one and still be considered for subsequent offer rounds. Courses that have not met their quotas in the first round continue to offer places, so you can change your preferences between subsequent offer rounds to maximise your chances of getting into the right course.

Once you’ve been accepted into any course at a uni, it can be easier to move between courses at the same institution after completing some of your original course.

So – go on and accept that first round offer and read on for post-enrolment options!

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3. After you’ve enrolled & started the wrong course

Uh-oh. You’ve accepted, enrolled and started on what you thought was your ultimate course, but turns out it’s not.

You had no idea osteopathy meant carving up cadavers and, really, after a few weeks of pracs, you couldn’t imagine enjoying life in a clinic at all. Meanwhile, the thought of supporting international aid projects through a career in community development has you jumping for your passport.

Easily solved.

Once enrolled, you can apply internally for a course transfer at the same institution or make an external application to another university. Depending on the courses you are transferring between, you may even be able to carry across credit from units already completed to your new degree!

VU graduate Samantha discovered her true passion lies in community development.

Find the right course for you at VU

Need some help narrowing down your study options?

Find out more about why VU is a great choice for you and explore courses now.

If you want more information, contact us for personalised advice:

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Find out why VU is a great place to study and make friends.

What VU students say about course choices

Why I’m happy I didn’t study my first preference

After an eleventh-hour decision to switch to law from science, VU graduate Michael Tourkakes discovered where his real talents lay.

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How VU helped Stefanie find her career calling

“After completing high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I completed an Advanced Diploma in public relations, but knew I wanted a career where I could help people and make an impact. This led me to VU’s Bachelor of Biomedical Science and my passion for nutritional biochemistry. I am currently employed at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in a research role.”

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Jessica Pond outside her office at Deloitte

Capitalising on her studies

“When I finished high school I went straight into a teaching degree, which wasn’t right for me. I then went into a Bachelor of Psychological Studies/Bachelor of Business at VU which helped me to determine that I would like to work in consulting. I’m now working my dream job as a manager in human capital consulting for Deloitte.”

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