Information for parents and guardians

Year 10 is a great time to soak in all the information that starts to roll in and keep it in your back pocket. It’s an exciting time when your child will start being exposed to their future options, their interests and strength areas may become more apparent, and work experience will allow them to see what the working world is really like.

Subject selection for VCE will happen later in the year, so begin Year 10 by starting conversations with your child and gathering up resources to start your preparation.

University Open Days and expos are great places to seek advice on subject selection, so head to one of these with your child to kickstart the conversations.

Year 11 is the beginning of VCE for most students, which means their chosen subjects may be the start of obtaining the prerequisites required for their future university course.

Year 11 provides the opportunity to establish positive study habits, embrace the resources available to them at school surrounding careers, and begin exploring university options. It’s a great time to support them in their exploration at expos, Open Days and online forums.

It’s all happening in Year 12 and a range of experiences and feelings are normal for your child during this time. They may be stressed about their schoolwork and their future, but they may also be excited! With all the changes and pressures, it is very normal for you to have mixed emotions too!

Year 12 is a great time for you to equip yourself with practical knowledge on things like pathways, scholarships and SNAP, which will be very useful as your child starts to make the big study decisions.

Understanding the Australian education journey from high school to university can be tricky. Head to Understanding the application process to learn about the system in more detail.

This depends on your child, their motivations and the level of support they may need to make these big life decisions. Schools usually start talking to students in Year 9 or Year 10 about their future careers and they may host expos or have initial careers counselling sessions with your child to start inspiring them. If you haven’t started talking with your child before this point, aligning your conversations with the school’s activities may be a good time to start.

Make sure you keep up-to-date with career information sessions held at your child's school and tap into resources made available by tertiary education providers. If you haven't already, the 2023 Parents and Guardians guide is a great place to start.

In Year 11 your child's chosen subjects give them the base knowledge for studying a subject more in-depth in Year 12. Sometimes students need to have studied the Year 11 equivalent subject to study it in Year 12, which contributes to their ATAR. Their ATAR determines whether they will be able to study their preferred university course at an undergraduate level. Additionally, your child may need a certain ATAR and have studied the Year 12 subject to get in (also known as a prerequisite), so it is best to start thinking about how your child’s subjects align to university courses early.

If you are at the point of guiding your child in their school subject selection but they don’t know what they want to study at university, don’t worry! It’s difficult for anyone, let alone school-aged kids, to be certain about what they want to do in a few years’ time. If your child decides they want to study something they didn’t do the right subjects for during school, RMIT’s pathway options help bridge the gap. They’ll be studying for the career they are after in no time.

Prerequisites indicate what your teen will do in their course and their career. Some courses require prerequisites to ensure a base level of understanding of the topics covered and indicate that your child has a preexisting interest. If they aren't interested in the VCE subjects that are prerequisites, then this might be a good indication that this course is not for them.

Often there are prerequisites that may not align with what your child thinks of their desired course and career path but are crucial to be competent in the workforce. For example, if your child has shown interest in nursing as they want to help people, they should be aware that a workplace competency will be in measuring medications, so a prerequisite of maths is required for this course.

Undergraduate study is generally broader in subject matter and more theory-based with courses running approximately 3-4 years, and results in a bachelor-level qualification. Vocational education focuses on equipping your child with practical skills to get them ready for a specific job quickly. Vocational certificates and diplomas usually take 6-12 months to complete and can be used as an entry qualification into the undergraduate equivalent course. The study journey from a vocational to undergraduate course is one type of pathway offered at RMIT.

For more information on the different study options, head to Researching all the options.

Generally speaking, your child will still need a score for VCE English or equivalent, but may not need an ATAR score if their entry is based on a selection task. We recommend contacting Study@RMIT for any program-specific questions on entry requirements. 

Undergraduate study is generally broader in subject matter and more theory-based with courses running approximately 3-4 years, and results in a bachelor-level qualification. Vocational education focuses on equipping your child with practical skills to get them ready for a specific job quickly. Vocational certificates and diplomas usually take 6-12 months to complete and can be used as an entry qualification into the undergraduate equivalent course. The study journey from a vocational to undergraduate course is one type of pathway offered at RMIT.

For more information on the different study options, head to Researching all the options.

At RMIT, it is! TAFE (Technical and Further Education) refers to nationally accredited courses in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. TAFE courses are offered by government and registered training organisations, including RMIT University.

As the largest dual-sector university in Australia, RMIT is well-equipped to aid your child’s transition between vocational education to undergraduate study. Dual-sector means we offer the complete journey from certificates and diplomas, to undergraduate study, and then onto postgraduate study, which will help to further specialise your child’s knowledge of their industry. This journey through the stages of tertiary study is known as pathways.

We often talk about pathways when your child may not have received the required ATAR or studied the prerequisites needed to go straight into the undergraduate course of their choice.  Your child can often study the certificate or diploma in their field and use that qualification as their entry requirement for the undergraduate study. So, if your child doesn’t reach their required prerequisites or ATAR, RMIT pathways is here to help bridge the gap and reach their dream degree.

Your child’s school is a great place to start! School career counsellors already know your child, their interest areas and academic strengths so can be a great place to start with career advice. They should be equipped with resources and can help explain any questions or concerns your child has for their next steps, and they will be there to support you too. If you are looking for further support, we recommend the following resources:

Classes at university look different to school classes, and change depending on the course. Tutorials are similar to the classroom environment your child is used to at school and are an opportunity for students to interact with each other and do practical exercises to consolidate their learnings from the lecture.

Students have varying contact hours depending on their course, but full-time students generally do four subjects per semester, each with approximately three hours of classes (lectures and tutorials combined). They are expected to do additional study and assignments outside of these class times. Assignments are usually a combination of individual projects, group work and assessments.

When the time comes for your child to fly from the nest, you’ll both be feeling nervous and excited. There is lots to love about Melbourne, with RMIT’s city campus being located right in the center. Ensuring you have all the right information to help your child transition to a more independent life in the city can be daunting, but RMIT offers plenty of support, options and resources to help make the transition smooth so your child can embrace this next exciting chapter! For more information about moving to Melbourne, check out all of our useful resources

We’re connected to a wide range of accommodation providers so you can be assured that your child is safe and comfortable when moving to Melbourne. To explore the options available, check out our accommodation resources.

RMIT has an Equitable Learning Services team (ELS team) that supports and creates equal opportunities for students with a disability, long-term illness and/or mental health condition. To find out more about available support services, see here.

This depends on the course you child undertakes and can vary widely. To understand the fees associated with the different levels of study, see our Fees.

That depends on the course your child is studying. Most courses in Fashion and Design are at the Brunswick campus, whereas Health, Biomedical Sciences, Education and Psychology are at the Bundoora campus. Any other course will be held at the City Campus, but we recommend looking at the specific program pages to make sure.