High school results not the be-all and end-all as students take alternative paths to university
ABCMarnie Townsend is on her way to the career of her dreams, but the path has not always been straightforward. Key points: At 27, Marnie Townsend is studying to become a midwife after taking a longer path to university She says students disappointed with the outcome of their high school results have other options Researcher Dr Kristina Sincock says there are career options that do not require university The now 27-year-old from South Australia's Riverland is in her third year of a Bachelor of Midwifery, but it was not the career she had planned when she was in high school. "I very much had no idea what I was going to do, and I had no motivation to study or really excel at school," Ms Townsend said. "If you are able to get the score that you need, then that's incredible, but if you don't, or if you don't know what you want to do straight out of high school, there's certainly ways to find what you want to do," Ms Townsend said. "Students feel pressure from their teachers, career advisors and from broader society that university is the best path that they could possibly follow and that anything else isn't as good," she said.
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ATAR Year 12 exams debate grows as more high school students follow alternative pathways to university
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