Seven Reasons Why You Should Start Your Uni Journey at College

It’ll give you the flexibility you need.

This post is presented in partnership with Griffith College.

So, you’ve finally finished high school and you’re trying to figure out exactly what kind of career is right for you. It’s safe to say deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life can be pretty overwhelming!

That’s why it’s important to be in a supportive and flexible environment, surrounded by people who can help you build your skills and confidence.

Well, why don’t you consider starting your uni journey at college? There are loads of benefits, including small class sizes, increased flexibility, personal and academic support, meeting prerequisites and way more. Plus, many Griffith College diplomas offer direct access into the second year of uni complete with full credit.

If you’re still not sure which uni entrance option is right for you, we’ve got your back. Here are seven reasons why starting your uni journey at college could be perfect for you.

More than just a number.

When you’re trying to determine what you want to study and which career pathway you want to take, it’s essential to receive as much personalised support as possible. Griffith College offers small class sizes, which means you’ll get more one-on-one time with teachers.

As Griffith University engineering student Micaela Piacenza tells Student Edge, she’s grateful for the help she received from teachers during her time studying the Diploma of Engineering at Griffith College.

“I was terrified to study engineering because I have never been good at maths,” she says.

“[My teacher] was so patient with me. In college, I felt like I had that extra attention, which I really needed.”

Progression into university is all sorted.

Want a head start on your uni journey? Griffith College is a higher education institution partnered with Griffith University, offering diplomas that lead to over 60 bachelor’s degrees.

Many of their one-year diplomas are designed to provide the same amount of Credit Points as the first year’s degree study at university. That means most students can go straight into the second year of their degree at Griffith University.

With options to complete your diploma in just eight months, you’ll even be able to overtake students who went straight to uni! Basically, you will have the chance to fast track your education. 

Micaela points out how simple the transition between Griffith College and Griffith University was for her. 

“It ended up working very smoothly,” she says.

“I had to do one year for the diploma, and it was counted. So, it was not like I had to do an extra year or put in any extra effort.”

Meet amazing new people.

Studying at college gives you the opportunity to collaborate alongside new people from a variety of backgrounds.

You’ll also get the chance to make new mates through clubs and societies (who doesn’t love making new friends, right?).

With campuses located in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, you and your Griffith College pals can explore everything that the cities have to offer, including Surfers Paradise and Brisbane's man-made beach. Sounds like the perfect way to relax between study sessions! 

Receive personal and academic support.

Whether it’s for an assignment or a personal issue, we all need some extra assistance from time to time. Fortunately, Griffith College offers students practical, emotional and welfare support to help them out with all aspects of life.

Micaela highlights how thankful she is for the support services at Griffith College. 

“I remember in my first trimester I wasn’t very sure about some of the academic writing stuff, and I went to a student advisor," she says. 

"I had a dedicated person sitting down with me for half an hour reading my whole essay and marking any mistakes. They also made really interesting suggestions on how I could make things better.

“It actually worked because in that subject I ended up getting a HD.”

Find the right career for you.

You never want to rush making decisions about your career. Studying at Griffith College will give you the time to try different courses and figure out what you’re passionate about.

As Micaela explains, she was intending to study industrial design before falling in love with engineering.

“During the diploma, we had to do programming. That was completely new for me and I absolutely loved it.

“It made me readjust my path and think things through. Having that year at Griffith College to go through that change of perspective and discover new things was really helpful.”

Build your skills in subjects like maths and science.

Let’s be real: the coronavirus pandemic significantly disrupted the school year.

If you’re not feeling super confident about your skills in maths and science and want to pursue a career in STEM, doing your first year of uni at college could be ideal for you.

Receiving more personalised support means you’ll be able to tackle all the tricky concepts you need to catch up on.

Additionally, Griffith College even offers free mathematics support modules, so you can ensure you have the core skills before moving onto further maths and science study.

Flexible start dates.

Who doesn’t love a bit of flexibility? If you’re not quite sure when you want to head to college, rest assured that Griffith College has intakes in March, June and October.

As Micaela tells us, this flexibility is just one of the reasons why she would recommend starting your uni journey at Griffith College.

“[Flexibility] is one of the main things, because when you finish high school, you’re just so young to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life,” she says.

“I never wanted to do engineering before but here I am studying engineering and I love it, but that's because I went through the college and I learned some things that I thought I could never learn.”

To find out more about courses at Griffith College, head to their study options web page.

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