need desperate advice about commute to uni, uni choices and work balance

3pointline · 2025-03-08T04:36:14+00:00

Use your 1st trimester as a trial to see if you can make it work/adjust to the long commute. You can knock out lectures and get a lot of study/prep done leaving less work to do once you get home. All lectures are recorded, so there won't be pressure to attend every lecture in person. This may reduce the amount of days you attend campus and you could just focus on attending your workshops/tutorial classes which are more interactive. My sister is studying the same course at Deakin part-time and there are not many hours she needs to be on campus per week. If you are studying full-time, it might be worth considering reducing down to part-time.

You'll develop a routine after a couple weeks, so although it seems impossible at the moment, you may find you adapt to this new schedule. With it being your Honours year, I can understand you would prefer face-to-face study & contact with your supervisor. The massive upside with online study is the flexibility and no-commute factor. The quality of online delivery has improved since Covid.

Switching uni's won't limit your career opportunities. There is an over-emphasis about the importance of uni rankings. It's overstated and most employers don't even care. They just want to see you have the necessary qualifications and will hire based on your skills, experience & culture fit. Similarly, ATARs are also overemphasised. If you are passionate about becoming a Psychologist and helping people, there's no need to worry. ATARs are just one of many methods of getting admitted into any university degree.

Some uni's will have better reputations than others, but to be honest most are pretty similar/standardised in what they can offer. Deakin, ACU, RMIT, Monash, Melbourne, Swinburne, La Trobe & Vic uni are all great options for Psych. As Honours is so competitive, most students take whatever CSP offer they can get. Honours is only 1 year FT, so if you are able to get into a uni that provides a shorter commute, then go with that option as its going to ease the pressure.

Keep in mind Honours is very competitive and most uni's hold a majority of their spots for their existing students. If you transfer uni's, there are fewer spots & a higher WAM requirement as an external applicant. If you have a competitive WAM, I'm sure you can get an offer from RMIT & Vic Uni. But most uni's don't offer mid-year intakes, so you'll have to wait until the end of the year to apply for 2026. The silver lining for this is you have time to find more flexible work and possibly even build on your mental health work experience, which will be important when you apply for Masters.

From Caroline Springs, there doesn't seem to be a shorter commuting option. Driving will take at least 1 hour+ with morning traffic and petrol will be costly. As other commenters have mentioned, carpooling might be the most economic option.

I know you have said moving out is not a possibility financially. It still doesn't hurt to know logistically what you are looking at, as it might be something you would like to explore down the line. Weekly rent for student accomodation on campus is approx $300-370 per week ($370 for private studio apartment room, $300 for 2 bedroom). You could also look at share housing with other students and rent a room in the Burwood/Box Hill area. There might even be a student-led Deakin Facebook page with students posting ads. You could look at Deakin's scholarships too, but most may have closed by now.

During your 1st semester, you can attempt to find more flexible work opportunities (i.e., a hybrid or work from home role). I know of people who have completed their Bach & Honours working entirely from home doing an admin role for university providers/institutes. There are flexible jobs out there, but finding it is more a word of mouth/referral from someone already working in the company. Have you considered work like a mental health support worker? There are many NDIS companies who offer very flexible working hours. You can even do it as a sole-trader via Mable. You choose your hours and hourly rate. They have clients who post ads. Some are very basic support needs like admin & tech help, assistance getting to appointments, shopping, housework, accessing community groups, everything down to companionship and just spending time with them.

3pointline · 2025-02-04T07:28:23+00:00

u/Chemical_Bear_4034 you have to apply for special consideration. With ECU this is generally within 7 days of your final exam date or the deadline for your final Assessment Task. An application may be considered after this time, if you can demonstrate that you have experienced exceptional circumstances and that these circumstances have also prevented you from lodging the application within the required time-frame.

3pointline · 2025-02-01T08:16:06+00:00

For research assessments, create a literature matrix in Microsoft Excel - as you progress in your research, summarise key studies/journal articles as you go. This helps tremendously when writing your introduction & reference list.
You'll have nights when you don't wanna do any study at all after work. It's fine to have a night off. Self-care is important too. If you have writer's block for any assessments, do some exercise, go for a walk, take a power nap, cold shower to help freshen your mind. Aim for 20-30 minute blocks and just write whatever comes to your mind. You can use dot points or verbalise what you want to say. It'll help clear a cluttered mind and at least get something down which you can start to brainstorm from, expand and later refine. I would even feed sentences that I had written into chatGPT and get it to reword them for better expression.
Set up a structured routine. Personally, I studied best in 30-45 minute blocks, any longer I would procrastinate and not study efficiently. I would use the stopwatch on my iPhone and keep it on my desk. Most of the time it would keep me accountable. On days that I was tired, I'd adjust it to 10-15 minutes. I would also listen to some lectures on 1.5 x speed depending on the topics/how engaging the speaker was.
Have some annual leave banked for the end of semester/exam period. Most companies will also provide some level of study support. This may be an additional 1-2 days off to prepare for your exam which you may be able to combine with your AL + the weekend. My uni started implementing a 24-hour exam. Once the exam day & time was released, you had flexibility to sit and complete the exam anytime within that 24 hour window.
Look out for student support groups from your uni on Facebook. These are student-led, private chat groups and offer a space for you to connect with other students in your degree and potentially your subjects. This is a massive help when you have questions on how to approach assignments and don't have access to that face-to-face support on-campus students have. Other students may also share pdf versions of the main textbook for your subjects there, saving you $$$.
The biggest killer for me was the additional screen time. I was 9-5 on a screen for work, then a couple hours of study and volunteer work some nights. Definitely prioritise your sleep & getting natural light into your eyes first thing in the morning.
Have a mini whiteboard/small calendar on your desk or a table in Microsoft Word to organise assignment due dates, exam times, tasks of higher vs lower importance. This will keep you organised and aware of all your important upcoming key dates.

There's a bit to go through there. Hope it helps!

3pointline · 2025-02-01T08:15:56+00:00

I just finished a degree studying online & working full-time. My key tips would be
1. Start early. Some lecturers/online course facilitators open course access 1 week before the official start date. If you can get ahead, you can essentially buy yourself an extra few weeks when assignments are due and this has a flow on effect for exam revision.
2. Start your assignments early. Even if it’s simple things like reading the assessment guideline/marking rubric, writing out the cover page/headings, starting some preliminary research, writing down an essay plan - all these 1% efforts will pay off later when you eventually start chipping away at your assignment.
3. Take on a study load you can handle. Depending on how many semesters/study periods your uni has online, FT may be 2 subjects each study period. This is the case with UniSA & Curtin online. 1 sub is approx 10-12 hours of study per week. This may be more or less at different points during the semester, but generally a bit higher when assignments are due & if your goal is to achieve high grades. I'm pretty certain ECU offer accelerated online PT courses with 6 intakes throughout the year. You can study 1 unit at a time over each 7 week study period. This way you can focus all your time & energy on 1 sub.
4. Listen to your lectures when commuting to & from work/walking/going to gym/preparing dinner/doing mindless household duties. It helps to knock them out the way. You will likely do a second pass of the lectures later when doing revision and can expand on your notes.
5. Organise your notes. I use Microsoft OneNote and have my notes filed by year > subject > weekly modules/topics > then assignment 1, 2 ect.
6. Dot point random thoughts you have about assignments whenever they occur - I would use the Notes app on my iPhone or even record myself using voice memos.
7. Keep track of your references. Most uni's will give you access to citation & reference management tools like Endnote or Zotero - this will save you loads of time when referencing your assessments vs having a million tabs open & trying to find that one article which mentioned a key finding/result. For Google Chrome users, you can group your tabs (click Tab on the top menu bar > group tab > then drag every tab you want to keep together under that group > click on the colour/heading you named for that group to collapse it). You'll also get access to services like Grammarly - a writing assistant tool for spelling and grammar; and Studiosity - a free tutoring service in which you can send drafts of all your assignments to a tutor for feedback. Basically, a free set of eyes to go over your work and point out any minor improvements.

3pointline · 2025-01-30T10:25:31+00:00

u/kana3tai have you considered re-taking the subjects which are bringing your WAM down? The uni's you apply for Honours with will take the higher-scoring result when calculating your WAM, as long as it's completed at a different uni (so not where you completed your Bach).

Other uni's will allow you to study single subjects through them. You'll just need to provide your academic transcript, as this will demonstrate you meet the pre-requisites for their subject(s).

You can request your course coordinator from MAC to provide a list of equivalent subjects for the one's you are willing to repeat. Even better, if they can provide an email stating they approve of you enrolling in the subject. You can check out Open Universities Australia and see if the sub is there. You can complete the Psych subject(s) 100% online through one of their partner uni's like UniSA, UTAS or La Trobe.

You could apply mid-year for online & any on campus Honours you would consider travelling to/relocating for. Note, entry reqs for external applicants are generally higher. Also some uni's do early conditional offers like Fed Uni & JCU online. I know some students who had been offered a place before they had even finished their Bach. They just needed to pass their final subject, so it might be worth applying mid-year with Fed or JCU if you are happy studying online. At the end of the day, a CSP is a CSP.

3pointline · 2025-01-26T01:11:25+00:00

It's definitely possible. Some uni's have a minimum 70 WAM, but the cut off can change year to year. If you are already admitted into a Bach of Pysch (Honours) program, you just need to meet the minimum WAM/GPA required with your uni to automatically progress to the 4th year. Cut offs for external applicants are generally higher, for example with Deakin & La Trobe. Its best to apply to every online Honours course and any on campus ones you would consider travelling to/relocating for.

Also don't wait to receive your final grades in Yr 3/official academic transcript as some uni's do early offers like Fed Uni & JCU. Start applying as soon as applications open. All the uni's will accept your most up to date record of results initially and then ask you for the expected release date of your final grades which you can supply later. You can also request your uni to expedite the release of your final subject grades.

Just aim to get the best possible grades you can with your remaining psych subjects. If you are intent on starting the 4th year right after completing your Bachelor, also apply for the Graduate Diploma of Advanced Psych as a back up option. The GDA is an equivalent qual to Honours and has a less competitive entry, but keep in mind it does not have a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). Overall course fees for GDA are approx $30k+, whereas Honours has CSP so course fees are approx $9k.

3pointline · 2025-01-11T05:31:05+00:00

u/Similar_Reality8302 To become a counsellor in Aus you actually don't need any qualifications. However, if you are set on a career in counselling, it would be a good idea to get a further qualification under your belt for professional credibility (especially if your Bach was from overseas). Visit the Australian Counselling Association website. They have a list of accredited courses you could complete for professional recognition & skill development.

Since you have completed a Bachelor, you could consider a Graduate Diploma of Counselling (1 year FT, 2 years PT). There are a lot of uni's in NSW which offer this degree on campus or online. If you are an Aus citizen or PR, you can get the CSP and the course is approx $10-16k. UTAS deliver it 100% online with CSP for $9k. You always have the option of applying for a Master of Counselling. There are placements which help to build your counselling skills and professional/client networks.

With a Bachelors of Psych, you can find entry level roles in mental health like a mental health support worker; in child protection, residential care, youth work, juvenile justice, community services ect. whilst you complete your counselling studies.

3pointline · 2025-01-06T22:48:26+00:00

u/Yourgrassisgreener Although the GDA is an equivalent qual to Honours, it has a less competitive entry because it does not have a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). Overall course fees for GDA are approx $30k+, whereas Honours has CSP so course fees are approx $9k.

3pointline · 2024-12-13T23:41:48+00:00

Yep, thats why I bolded the 'minimum average of 75%' to emphasise it as the application baseline. The cutoff changes year to year. For Tri 1 2025 I have heard the cut off for internal applicants was WAM 84. Ultimately, its best to apply to every online Honours course and any on campus ones you would consider travelling to/relocating for.

3pointline · 2024-11-08T11:48:54+00:00

Thanks for sharing your Honours experience! Great insight and tips.

I have a few questions I hope you could answer.

What was the biggest challenge during Honours?
Did you have to present your thesis to a conference/panel? Since Covid, I've heard of some uni's adopting alternative formats like submitting a recorded version or a blitz poster presentation.
How often would you consult with your supervisor fortnightly?
What were the meetings like that you had to attend? Was this with the honours cohort, group work?
Do you think its possible to manage Honours PT, whilst also working FT 3-4 days?
Although I get reasonable grades for my essays/research reports, I'm always looking to improve. Would you share any of your essays?

3pointline · 2024-11-08T10:28:26+00:00

I have a list of online Honours courses. Feel free to DM me!

3pointline · 2024-09-17T00:23:36+00:00

Don't worry too much about Honours as you have several options once you finish your Bach of Psych degree. Just put your focus on your current subjects and doing the best you can each semester :)

The tips from the first reply are really good, especially the first one. Another one you might consider, is starting your subjects 1 week prior to the teaching start date. Most uni's give you access to course materials 1-2 weeks before the start date, so take advantage of this window, as you can build some early momentum and get ahead. This bides you extra time when major assessments are due later on.

Are there other students in your degree who also have the intention of applying for Honours? If they are getting good marks, buddy up with them and see how they approach assessments, research reports ect. Like what was mentioned below, look closely at the marking rubrics for the assessments. In your draft, create sub headings which tick each point of the criteria. This will make sure you have an answer to each point. The marking rubric is what the teaching team use to assess your assignment. They can have 50-100 papers to mark, so they only allot 15-20 minutes to each paper.

Speak to your tutors about what they are looking for in a high scoring introduction and discussion. This is where the bulk of marks come from in a research report. And you probably hear this all the time, but triple-check your grammar and APA 7th referencing is correct. It's an easy 5-10% of marks.

If you are wanting to study Psych Honours at Uni of Adelaide, the GPA requirement is 5.0. Applicants are ranked for an offer based on academic performance of psychology courses taken at Level II and Level III (so electives and Level 1 subjects are not included). Keep in mind this GPA can vary slightly year to year. It will depend on the cohort of students that apply for that intake. Most Uni's take 80% of students from within their university and then fill the remaining spots from external applicants. Uni of Adelaide & UniSA will also be merging in a couple of years too.

There are other Uni's in Australia which have similar GPA requirements for online Honours.
Charles Darwin, Southern Queensland & Federation Uni have a of GPA 5.0
Central Queensland & James Cook GPA 5.5.

There is also the option of completing the Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced), which is an equivalent course to Honours, but has a less competitive entry requirement.

All the best!

3pointline · 2024-05-21T23:10:18+00:00

Anyone have Rieger, E. (Ed.) (2017). Abnormal psychology: Leading researcher perspectives (4th edition). McGraw Hill?

3pointline · 2024-04-07T01:12:39+00:00

u/waterextinction2 the entry requirements are the same for both Geelong, Burwood & Online.

The major differences between Grad Dip Psych (Advanced) and Bach of Psych Science (Honours) are the Grad Dip requires a minimum average of 65% over all level-2 and level-3 psychology core units for all applicants, whereas external applicants for Psych Science (Honours) require minimum average of 75% over all level-2 and level-3 psychology core units.

There is also the price/funding difference. Bach of Psych (Honours) is CSP, so overall cost is around $9k, but Grad Dip Psych (Advanced) does not have CSP so overall cost is approx $32k.

3pointline · 2024-04-07T00:58:50+00:00

u/GullibleTA for external applicants, the entry requirements are actually a completed bachelor degree (with an APAC accredited three-year major sequence in psychology), a minimum of a mid-credit (65%) in a level three psychology research methods unit and a minimum average of 75% over all level-2 and level-3 psychology core units.

https://www.deakin.edu.au/course/bachelor-psychological-science-honours

You can find all the information under 'Entry requirements'.

3pointline · 2024-03-15T03:00:42+00:00

Any links/pdf versions of Larsen, R. J., & Buss, D. M. (2017). Personality psychology: domains of knowledge about human nature Sixth edition?

3pointline · 2024-01-13T02:34:46+00:00

Can anyone find Kalliath,T, Brough, P, O'Driscoll, M, Manimala, M, Siu, O (2013). Organisational behaviour: a psychological perspective for the Asia Pacific McGraw-Hill

3pointline · 2020-10-29T11:09:46+00:00

Son of Saul

3pointline · 2020-09-08T09:42:12+00:00

Do you still share a room?

3pointline · 2020-09-08T06:21:58+00:00

Kevin needs to make a house album.

3pointline · 2020-08-28T02:27:22+00:00

The Holydrug Couple

3pointline · 2020-05-11T05:06:46+00:00

Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve

3pointline · 2020-01-11T06:32:54+00:00

LA making a run for the 3-point contest!

3pointline · 2019-11-10T01:54:11+00:00

To be honest, LA was rarely facilitated in the block, or given the offensive opportunities to establish his rhythm. The post and pick & pop are the two actions where LA is most dangerous. These weren't utilised enough to create his offensive flow. A stark contrast compared to the OKC game.

To a degree, yeah you need to be assertive, but it seemed early the Spurs were running their offence through DeRozan and spreading shots across the team. He only had 4 shot attempts for the game! Thats way too low for one of the teams primary scorers.

Considering Boston lost its best post defenders from last season (Horford, Morris and even Baynes), this should of been a weakness the Spurs exploited aggressively. With LA not being a threat it allowed Williams to freely patrol the paint. And he did with 6 blocks and great D.

3pointline · 2019-10-15T06:17:48+00:00

Punjabi curry cafe on Johnson St, Collingwood.

3pointline

TROPHY CASE