ECU Psychology & Addiction Studies Honours graduate Dana Pringle is following her dream to become a psychologist.
Chose life in high school? Didn’t study ATAR?
Or worried you won’t get the ATAR score you hoped for?
You’re not alone there.
Thankfully, you don’t need an ATAR to gain entry to university.
Just ask ECU Psychology & Addiction Studies Honours graduate Dana Pringle.
Dana is following her dream to become a psychologist. Her secret? She hit the ground running with a university preparation course.
Do it your way
Dana said ECU’s UniPrep entry pathway was the perfect stepping stone between high school and university study.
“After learning more about UniPrep, I thought it seemed like a great way to easily transition into university life, without the added pressure of jumping into a degree straight away,” Dana said.
“Rather than completing two stressful years of ATAR subjects I achieved the same goal with UniPrep – gaining entry into a university degree of my choice – with my sanity still intact!”
Excellent student support
Dana praised the supportive learning environment offered at ECU.
“ECU is exceptional in terms of its facilities, the quality and dedication of lecturers and tutors, and general friendliness of people around campus,” she said.
“The atmosphere is very supportive, and there are a range of services to help students have the best experience possible.
“I forged strong relationships with both my peers and academic staff, which were essential to my academic success and overall learning journey.”
For seventeen years straight, ECU has been rated Australia’s top public university for undergraduate teaching quality in the only comprehensive Australia-wide university Student Experience Survey (QILT rankings).
Get the UniPrep advantage
Dana said the huge benefits of the UniPrep pathway were unexpected.
“I didn't realise how much of a head start UniPrep would give me,” she said.
“In my first year of my undergraduate degree, many students were getting bogged down with academic referencing, while I already had the skills needed to power ahead with my assignments.”
Prepare to succeed
“UniPrep takes the stress away from starting university and gives you all the basic skills you need to be successful in any undergraduate degree. Plus, it gives you a taste of university life, for free,” Dana said.
“I found that the academic writing and learning skills units were particularly useful in helping me to develop skills that were specific to studying at university, such as academic referencing, time management and planning, efficient notetaking, making sense of academic research papers, researching databases, and accessing resources.
“There is no better way to prepare yourself for university study.”
Entry pathways at ECU
Studying at ECU means having flexibility, with options to study full-time or part-time, on campus or online.
ECU has a range of entry pathways to study at university and achieve your career dreams, including:
- Early Offers using your predicted ATAR
- Standard ATAR entry via Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC)
- Experience-based entry using a portfolio of evidence, including creative arts portfolio entry
- Vocational Education and Training (VET) or prior higher education
- UniPrep Accelerate – an intensive four-week program for high school students with a near-miss ATAR (between 55 – 69) at ECU Joondalup in January 2023
- UniPrep Summer – for those who have completed Year 12 and received an ATAR below 55 or no ATAR. This two-month program runs from late November 2022 to end of January 2023 at ECU Joondalup and ECU South West
- UniPrep – this free course runs for one semester starting in February, Semester 1, 2023.
Once you successfully complete a university preparation course, you'll be eligible for many ECU degree courses.
Find your pathway and apply today: www.ecuworldready.com.au/year-12
