Thinking About Going to University? Here’s How to Get Past the Doubt

Created In Partnership With Open Universities Australia 

Sit in any pub beer garden in the country and you’re likely to overhear the same conversation: ‘I don’t know what I want to do anymore’, ‘I’m thinking about changing careers’, ‘I just need a shift’.

Call it the mid-year slump or the economic state of the world, but many Australians are reconsidering their career paths. The next step is often to get a relevant qualification, but should you go back to university as an adult, balancing work, life and responsibilities? Is it even possible? We spoke with Open Universities Australia advisor, G Hassan, about how to navigate the decision.

Is Heading Back To University The Right Move?

You know you want a change. But that steady paycheck and years already invested in your career carry a lot of weight. It’s often not as simple as quitting your job and heading to uni, either for the first time or returning 10 to 20 years post-graduation.

Many Australians have responsibilities that can make studying as an adult feel out of reach. Thankfully, there are pathways to pivoting careers or earning new qualifications without having to start from scratch.

Open Universities Australia are partnered with Australia’s leading universities and offers access to thousands of degrees, single subjects, and short courses, all in one place. If you’re not sure where to start, they have a team of expert student advisors who offer free and unbiased advice. They’ll chat to you about your study goals and career outcomes to make an informed decision on the right course that works for you.

“The moments where support and reassurance really matter are usually right at the beginning, when someone’s deciding whether they’re capable of studying at all, and then later on when life gets busy, and they start doubting themselves,” says G.

“It’s okay to not have complete confidence before you start. Most people don’t. Sometimes confidence actually comes after taking the first step, not before.”

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Having support in making the next move in your career can help ease the doubt that returning to study can create.

Know Your Why

Being a student again may feel like a step backwards, but in reality, you’re not at the start line. From work experience to the transferable skills you picked up on the job site, you can carry these into your next chapter. And with the average Australian pivoting careers three to seven times before they retire, you’re not an outlier for deciding you want a new path. Even if it’s one you’ve spent years honing.

This is particularly true for the music industry, where identity and work are intertwined. Putting your energy into a different (or adjacent) qualification could be a stepping stone to a new chapter of your career. According to G, many students say they wish they’d realised earlier that there’s no ‘perfect’ time to start studying and that they didn’t need to have everything figured out before beginning.

“People are often surprised by how flexible study can actually be, and how many others are in the exact same position – balancing work, family, or coming back to study after years away.”

Knowing you’re unsatisfied in a job or industry means you’re already one step closer to making a move into another career. Ultimately, going back to university has to be weighed up against your lifestyle, but being able to study online with the flexibility to study part-time (or even starting off with a single subject) means you can pivot your career path in a way that works for you.

Your journey into uni starts with Open Universities Australia at open.edu.au