Guide to Decide

Red, Orange or Green? How Big Is This Decision, Really?

Recently I came across Naomi Gleit’s work on decision-making, where she breaks decisions into colours.

It’s brilliant. And freeing.

Not all decisions are equal.

Some are:

🟢 Green - everyday, low-impact decisions
🟠 Orange - meaningful but reversible
🔴 Red - big life decisions with real long-term impact

The problem?

We often spend far too much mental energy in the green.

What should I wear? What should I eat? What time should I study?

This is why meal plans are so popular (hello, batch decision making).
Why Steve Jobs wore the same black turtleneck every day.
Why highly successful people focus on reducing small decisions.

Mental energy saved.

We’re actually doing you a favour by giving you a school uniform. Decision made. You’re welcome.

But when it comes to career and degree choices?

Many of you told me in your survey that your biggest fear is:

“Making the wrong decision.”

So let’s zoom out and calm that down.

First: Some Peace of Mind

Choosing a degree at 17 is not the same as choosing your career for life.

In fact, huge numbers of students change direction after first year at university. So many so that universities have:

• Internal program transfer systems

• A team of dedicated career advisers

• Academic transition teams

Movement is normal. Exploration is expected. Adjustment is built into the system.

Please remember, you are not signing a 40-year contract. You are choosing your next step. And next steps can be redirected. Are there financial implications? Yes. But you have entered into an exploration age and we don’t always get it right the first time. Sometimes that’s the whole point. The decade ahead is about options.

So How Do You Make An Informed Decision?

Before you convince yourself there is only one perfect degree and that you must find it right now, let’s talk about why this decision feels so scary in the first place.

When Year 12 students talk about the fear of making the wrong decision, it usually comes down to three things.

Money: University is expensive, and many of you are worried about committing to something that costs thousands of dollars.

Time: No one wants to feel like they’ve “wasted a year” studying something that isn’t the right fit.

Permanence: It can feel like the degree you choose is the career you are locked into for life.

But here’s the reassurance that often gets lost. Degrees are starting points, not lifelong contracts. Students change direction all the time. Universities expect it. In fact, so many students shift after first year that universities have internal transfer systems and dedicated advisers to help students move between courses. Careers themselves are rarely linear anymore. I know that YOU know, most people will work across multiple roles, industries and even entirely different fields throughout their lives.

So the goal right now is not to perfectly predict your entire future.

The goal is to make an informed first step. And that’s where your focus should be.

Ask yourself:

• Have I participated in work experience to see what a workplace actually feels like?

• Have I put myself out there in a team, project, club or leadership role?

• Have I explored my strengths and personality and considered where they might fit?

• Have I spoken to people working in careers I’m curious about?

• Have I explored the 18 industry areas on the careers website?

These experiences matter.

Because the real question universities and employers are increasingly asking is not just:

“What did you study?”

It’s:

“What skills have you built along the way?”

Communication.
Leadership.
Problem solving.
Initiative.
Adaptability.

These are the things that travel with you across degrees, industries and opportunities.

So instead of asking:

“What is the one perfect degree?”

Try asking:

“What direction feels interesting enough to explore next?”

If there isn’t one perfect degree, and you don’t need to have everything figured out right now, the obvious next question becomes:

So what should you actually do next?

Start by looking for clues.

Not instructions. Not guarantees. Just clues that help point you in a direction worth exploring.

Ask yourself:

• What does my personality suggest?

• What subjects energise me (even when they’re hard)?

• What strengths keep showing up?

• What did I enjoy during work experience?

• What conversations make me stop, pause and think?

• What skills come naturally to me?

• Which of the 18 UAC-identified industries appeal to me… or don’t?

These small signals start to build a picture.

You do not need your entire life mapped out by September 2026.

But you do need your head out of the sand.

One of my favourite quotes is:

“You can’t steer a parked car.”

You have to move, in any direction, in order to course-correct and find your way.

So move.

• Attend the Industry Insight Nights

• Join online university webinars

• Talk to family friends about their jobs

• Organise work experience in the holidays

• Explore the 18 industries on the careers website and start eliminating the ones that don’t feel right

Sometimes clarity comes faster from ruling things out.

This doesn’t mean the decision will magically arrive tomorrow.

But something shifts when you start moving.

My hope is that the process begins to feel lighter, less dramatic and more manageable.

So let’s bring it back to the colours.

Most career and degree decisions you are making right now are orange decisions.

They matter.
They deserve research, conversations and thought.

But they are also adjustable.

You can transfer courses.
You can change direction.
You can discover new interests.
You can pivot as you learn more about yourself and the world of work.

The real mistake is not choosing the “wrong” degree.

The real mistake is treating an orange decision like a red one and becoming so overwhelmed that you stop exploring altogether.

Right now your job is not to solve your entire life.

Your job is simply to move forward thoughtfully, gathering information, building experiences and paying attention to the clues along the way.

Because the more you explore, the more orange decisions begin to feel manageable, and the more confident you become in the next step.

This stage is allowed to be messy, exploratory and unfinished.

(And if you want to talk it through, you know where to find me.)

• ANU Direct Application Early Entry - Open 11th March 2026 - Closing 8th May 2026- Apply HERE

• ANU Tuckwell Scholarship - Open 11th March - Closing 13th April - Apply HERE (Direct Entry Application also required)

• Charles Sturt Advantage (Early Entry) - Open 2nd February 2026 -Closing 31st July 2026 (Round 1) - Apply HERE

• UNE Direct Early Entry - Open 2nd February 2026 - Closing 17th July (Round 1) & September 14th (Round 2) Apply HERE

• SRS, EAS , Equity Scholarships & UAC Applications Open for 2026 - 8th April 2026 (Ensure you register and apply for a USI)

COMING soon

• ANU Tuckwell Scholarship - Closing 13th April 2026 - Apply HERE

Caringbah Careers Events

• Industry Insight Night - Business, Finance & Cadetships - 12th March 2026 (5pm - 6:30pm)

• UCAT Online Workshop - Term 2 (TBC)

• Industry Insight Night - Engineering - Term 2 2026

• Industry Insight Night - Arts, Law & Communications - Term 2 2026

University Events & Webinars:

• USYD - Study Law Webinar -11th March @ 4pm - Register HERE

• UNSW - Year 12 Medicine Information Evening - 11th March @ 6pm - Register HERE

• USYD - Study Biomedicine & Health - 18th March @ 4pm - Register HERE

• UNSW - Aviation Information Evening - 18th March @ 6pm - Register HERE

• USYD - Passport to an International Career: Bachelor of International Studies Webinar - 25th March @ 4pm - Register HERE

• USYD - On Campus Information Night 2026 - 29th April @ 5:45pm - Register HERE

University Events & Webinars - On Demand from 2025

• USYD - Studying Medicine at Sydney (On Demand) - Watch HERE

• USYD - Admission to Medicine & Dentistry at Sydney (On Demand) - Watch HERE

• USYD - Studying Dentistry at Sydney (On Demand) - Watch HERE

• WSU - Discover Western Webinar: Scholarships (On Demand) - Watch HERE

• WSU - Discover Western Webinar: Early Offers, Pathways and Alternate Entry (On Demand) - Watch HERE

• WSU - Discover Western Webinar: For Parents & Supports (On Demand) - Watch HERE

Before jumping straight into specific university degrees, it can be helpful to start with the industries.

According to UAC (Universities Admissions Centre), most university courses fall within 18 broad industry areas. Looking at careers through this lens can help you begin narrowing down what interests you and what doesn’t.

18 Industry Areas:

• Agriculture, Rural Studies & Animal Science

• Architecture, Building, Design & Planning

• Arts & Humanities

• Business, Commerce, Economics, Marketing & Management

• Communications & Media Studies

• Creative & Performing Arts

• Earth & Environmental Sciences

• Education & Teaching

• Engineering

• Health Sciences

• Human Movement & Sports Science

• Information Technology & Information Systems

• Law

• Medical Science & Medicine

• Nursing & Midwifery

• Science, Applied Science & Technology

• Social Sciences

• Tourism, Hospitality, Sport, Leisure & Services

Start by asking yourself a simple question:

Which of these industries immediately interest me, and which ones clearly don’t?

Sometimes the easiest way to move forward is to start eliminating options that don’t feel like a good fit.

You don’t need to choose your final answer right now.
This step is simply about starting to narrow the field.

• Registration Fee $82

• Register & pay fee for UAC before the 30th of September 2025 to avoid late fees.

1. Click on the 'Apply or log in' button at the top right of the page and select the relevant application type.

2. Follow the prompts to start your application then enter your personal details.

3. Enter a pre-existing USI or create a new one to continue your application.

4. Select your course preferences.

5. Accept the applicant declaration and pay for your application. Your application is now complete.

6. Log in to your application to keep track of its progress and to change your preferences if you want to.

7. Log in to check your offers.

What you need to know

• There are five UAC preferences available to you. You do not need to use them all.

• You will only be made ONE offer per round (your highest eligible!). Always list your preferences in order of the degree you want the MOST, not necessarily the one with the highest ATAR.

• The majority of offers will be made during December Round 2 - 23rd December 2025.

• You can check and change your preferences right up until the closing deadline of each offer round e.g. 18th December is the closing date for the 23rd December Offer Round.

• EAS applications are made through your UAC portal. Additional EAS information is coming soon!
  

Additional notes from UAC (https://www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/how-to-apply-for-uni/selecting-your-course-preferences)

• If you’re not selected for your first preference, you’ll be considered equally with all other eligible applicants for your second preference and so on.

• Your chance of being selected for a course is not decreased because you placed it as a lower order preference. Similarly, you won’t be selected for a course just because you entered that course as a higher order preference.

• You can only receive one offer per round, so re-ordering your preferences after each round may give you multiple offers to choose from. It is in your best interest to accept all offers when they are made and remove them from your preference list. Once you have made your final decision, you can go ahead an enrol in that course, and decline all other accepted offers.

If you a looking to apply to an interstate university, you will need to submit an application through the relevant Tertiary Admissions Centre e.g. QTAC in Queensland. You are eligible to submit applications in every state if you so wish. Tasmania is the only state where your only option is to submit a direct application. The University of Tasmania is not associated with a Tertiary Admissions Centre.

• Queensland - QTAC

• Victoria - VTAC

• South Australia and Northern Territory - SATAC

• Western Australia - TISC

• Tasmania - Direct Entry to UTAS (no Tertiary Admissions Centre)

Most universities require an application through UAC to apply for your desired degree. WSU, UOW, CSU and ANU are now offering direct applications (free of charge), as well as accepting applications through UAC.

• ANU - Apply HERE

• WSU - Apply HERE

• UOW - Apply HERE

• CSU - Apply HERE

• Bond University - Apply HERE

• Notre Dame University - Apply HERE

• The University of Tasmania - Apply HERE (they have a Sydney campus too!)

• SRS, EAS , Equity Scholarships & UAC Applications Open for 2024 - 2nd April 2025 (Ensure you register and apply for a USI)

• NSW/ACT Undergraduate (domestic and international students): Early bird fee applications for 2026 admissions close (to avoid higher processing charges, complete, pay and submit your application by midnight) - 30th September 2025

• SRS Applications Close for 2025 - 5th September 2025

  SRS: Course preference deadline for first SRS offers - 6th November 2025

• SRS: First offers released - 13th November 2025

• EAS: Closing date for EAS applications for December Round 2 - 18th November 2025

• Undergraduate (Year 12) - November Round 2 offers released  (unconditional SRS offers) - 27th November 2025

• Equity Scholarships: December Round 2 Application Deadline - 9th December

• HSC Results Release by NESA - 18th December 2025 (from 6am)

• NSW & ACT ATARs Released - 18th December 2025 (9am)

• Change of Preferences for December Round 2 offers (main round) - 18th December 2025

• December Round 2 offers released (main round of offers)- 23rd December 2025

• SRS: Conditional offers converted to unconditional offers  - 23rd December 2025

• Change of preferences for January Round 1 offers -30th December 2025

• January Round 1 offers released - 8th January 2026*

Instead of a TED Talk, here’s something better:
We know you want direction, confidence, and exposure. We know that you don’t want pressure.

From they survey, you told us:

• Top fears: ATAR, decision overwhelm, making the wrong choice, not knowing what to do.

• Top dreams: meaningful careers, financial stability, global opportunities, passion-driven paths.

• Top advice you valued: “Try everything”, “Work experience helped the most”, “There’s more than one pathway”, “Do what you enjoy.”

So here’s your December reframe:

You do not need the whole map. You just need the next step.
The rest reveals itself through exploration.
Start with the LEAVERS Passport… move forward from there.

Before we officially begin the marathon that is Year 12, I want to share something important with you , something that has shaped the way I’ve designed the program for your children this year.

This term, I asked the cohort a simple question:

“What worries you most about Year 12?”

The responses were honest, raw, and incredibly consistent. Across more than 120 students, the same themes came up again and again:

• ATAR / HSC exams

• Making the ‘wrong’ career or course decision

• Not knowing what they want to do next

• Understanding uni, offers, scaling and how the whole system works

• Overwhelm, burnout and trying to juggle everything

• UCAT + medicine pathways

• Transitioning to university and adult life

• Missing opportunities because they don’t know what’s out there

• Creative pathways feeling “invisible” in the conversation

Here’s the good news.

• These fears are normal.

• And there is a very clear roadmap to addressing every single one of them.

This is literally what our Year 12 program is designed to do.

Our careers mission this year: Replace panic with a plan.

Everything your child is afraid of can be reframed, restructured, or calmed with three simple pillars:

1. Exposure leads to Clarity

• The more they try, see, experience and explore, the clearer their decisions become.

• Not knowing what you want is normal at 17. Exposure is what creates clarity, not pressure.

2. Structure leads to Space

• Structure isn’t restriction. It’s freedom. A well-organised Year 12 is a calmer and healthier Year 12.

• This is where the LEAVERS Passport becomes their strategy tool, not another piece of homework.

3. Strategy leads to Smart Decisions

• This is the year they learn real-world career skills: planning ahead, understanding timelines, balancing commitments, building experiences, and understanding pathways.

• We aren’t teaching them to “survive” Year 12. We’re teaching them how to make smart decisions far beyond it.

Support From Families

We are absolutely in this together.
Your child’s clarity, calm, and wellbeing will be shaped by school and home.

Here’s how you can support them:

• Celebrate exposure, not perfection.
  Every industry talk, open day, club, subject conversation, or experience helps build clarity.

• Encourage structure, but protect their bandwidth.
  Breaks, sleep, hobbies and balance are not luxuries. They are protective factors.

• Keep decisions low-pressure.
  We make hundreds of micro-decisions this year. None of which lock them into a lifetime.

• Talk to them about the journey, not the number.
  Their ATAR is a doorway, not a definition.

• Keep communication open with us.
  If your child is confused, overwhelmed or unsure, send them our way. That’s exactly what we’re here for.

The Promise We’re Making to You

Across this year, we will:

• Break information into calm, digestible parts

• Cover every pathway (not just the typical ones)

• Teach them how ATAR, scaling, offers and applications actually work

• Build their Leavers Passport in a way that gives them direction

• Support them through Tuckwell, cadetships, early entry, medicine and everything in between

• Help them identify what they love, and what they don’t, which is just as valuable

• Give them a structured, step-by-step, month-by-month roadmap

Student Interests

Now, let’s pause and look at what the Class of 2026 told us about their interests.

Here’s what students said they’re genuinely curious about:

• 43 - Business / Commerce

• 38 - Engineering

• 33 - Accounting / Finance

• 33 - Medicine / Dentistry

• 30 - Health Sciences

• 22 - Arts & Humanities

• 21 - Law

• 21 - Education / Social Work

• 20 - Art & Design

• 18 - Media & Communications

This is not a cohort suffering from “no direction.”
This is a cohort with breadth, ambition, and diverse interests.

1. WHAT DO I WANT TO DO?

(Clarity and direction through expsosure)

How we help:

• Leavers Passport (Skill Stocktake)

• Industry Insight Nights

• Student-alumni video stories

• Careers workshops

• Student opportunities and events calendar

• Work experience program

• Industry speakers

• University webinars

• Supercurricular events e.g. Hackathon

• Informational interview guides

• Pathway information sessions

What students do:

• Attend at least 2–3 experiences per term

• Update their Leavers Passport

• Try things → reflect → adjust

• Talk to us when something sparks interest

• Throw spaghetti at the wall (intentionally!)

• Book their 1:1 meeting with Mrs Poppett

• Build their “Course Curiosity List”

Outcome: Clarity - not certainty, just clarity.
(“The more I try, the more I know.”)

2. WHERE CAN I STUDY, LEARN OR BUILD SKILLS?

(Awareness creates direction)

How we help:

• Full Pathways Overview (uni, TAFE, private colleges, apprenticeships, traineeships, cadetships, ADF, gap years)

• University / college visits

• Open Day Calendar

• Parent Information Nights

• Alumni pathway case studies

• Our website’s pathway library

• Course comparison tools

• Subject prerequisite updates

• Early Entry database

• Quick “How Uni Works” explainer (majors, minors, combined degrees, honours)

What students do:

• Explore 2–3 pathway options

• Attend open days / watch virtual tours

• Build a shortlist of institutions or pathways

• Understand prerequisites + assumed knowledge + requirements

• Discuss options in their 1:1 meeting

Outcome: Direction — “I know the sorts of places I could go.”

3. HOW DO I GET THERE?

(Strategy → Smart Decisions)

How we help:

• Early Entry briefings

• Adjustment Factors overview

• EAS + SRS support

• Medicine/UCAT timeline

• Scholarships masterclass

• Portfolio guides

• Application support sessions

• 1:1 meetings for plans A, B, C

• Monthly “What’s Coming Up” checklist

• Weekly “What You Need to Know Now” recap

What students do:

• Decide on 1–3 preferences

• Build evidence (reflections, experiences, achievements)

• Prepare for UCAT (if relevant)

• Use The Checklist to ensure you tick all boxes

• Apply for scholarships they align with

• Log into UAC before Term 3

• Submit everything on time

• Meet with Mrs Poppettto check their plan

Outcome: Confidence - “I know what to do, when to do it, and how to get there.”

Parents, thank you for everything you shared in the survey.

You told us you want:

• Clear guidance

• Early timelines

• Pathway explanations

• Understanding of scaling, HSC structure, uni options

• Support for non-uni pathways

• Exposure to industries beyond the “typical” careers

Here’s how we’ll support you this year:

• Monthly newsletters

• Industry Insight Nights

• Alumni panels

• Clear timelines & application calendars

• Early Entry breakdowns

• LEAVERS Passport support

• A growing library of online videos + pathway explainers

• Opportunities for students to explore before deciding

The best thing you can do?
Keep the conversations open. Encourage exposure. Help them try things. Ask questions with curiosity.
We look forward to working alongside you over the next 12 months.