Common questions and useful links
It’s perfectly normal for you to have questions at this point. In fact, we’d be worried if you didn’t! Below are some of the more common questions we get, but we’re not mind readers – so if you have a question, and it’s not listed here, please call us on 1800 061 963 or email student.admin@cdu.edu.au.
- What do I need to get into uni?
- What if I don't attain a ATAR of 60 at the end of year 12?
- What are my options if I don’t get into uni?
- What is a lecture, tutorial or practicum?
- Will uni be like high school?
- Where can I get more information on the course I want to study?
- I want to talk to someone about my options. Who can I call?
- Useful links
What do I need to get into uni?
You will need to have completed the year 12 Certificate of Education and Training (e.g. NTCET, SACE, VCE) and have attained the equivalent of an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) of at least 60. For students outside the Northern Territory or South Australia, you can find out what your equivalent score is by referring to the conversion chart.
Bonus points
Charles Darwin University allocates bonus points to all NT school leavers and selected interstate schools in South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales.
These bonus points are added to the university aggregate and the Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) is then adjusted accordingly and used for selection to courses at CDU.
Students do not need to apply to be considered for bonus points as the points are automatically added to the scores of eligible applicants through the SATAC process.
If outside the NT, find out if your school is eligible.
What if I don't attain an ATAR of 60 at the end of year 12?
Regardless of whether or not you think you will attain an ATAR score of 60 at the end of year 12, you are strongly encouraged to apply for your chosen CDU course through the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC). There are two reasons for this:
- If you are eligible for bonus points, this may bring your score up to 60.
- If you do not get an offer, contact CDU on 1800 061 963 to discuss your options.
If you are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, an Indigenous academic support officer will be able to contact you for an alternative admission assessment and/or to determine the most appropriate pathway for you.
If you do not apply to SATAC but want to know alternative pathways, you can contact CDU to discuss your options on 1800 061 963.
What are my options if I don’t get into uni?
You can:
- Complete a VET level course such as a certificate IV (or its certificate III pre-requisite if applicable); OR
- Complete the Tertiary Enabling Program; or if you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student, be assessed through the Indigenous Alternative Entry Program; OR
- Apply to sit a Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) if you are at least 19 years of age.
For more information on these options, call 1800 061 963.
What is a lecture, tutorial or practicum?
- A lecture is where students receive information relevant to their topic/s with little time for in-depth discussion
- A tutorial is a small class where students are given the opportunity for questions and discussions
- A practicum is where students get the opportunity to put what they have learnt into practice.
Will uni be like high school?
Uni is different to high school in the following ways:
- There are no homeroom groups or assemblies.
- It is an independent learning environment – this means every student is responsible for turning up to class and doing their assignments. No one will ‘chase’ you if you don’t come to class or hand your assignments in on time. It is up to you to get the most from your studies and pass your units.
- You will learn about things that are more specific to what you want to do with your career or in the future, instead of following a set high school curriculum.
- Classes do not run from 8.00 am to 3.00 pm every day for a week – classes could be scheduled anytime between 8.30 am and 9.00 pm and your timetable will depend on when your lectures, tutorials or practicums are scheduled. This is a good thing because it means you may have more flexibility to combine study with work and social or family commitments. It is up to you to manage yourself and your time.
- At uni, lectures and practicums will usually go for two hours and tutorials will be one hour. You may get combined a lecture/tutorial that goes for three hours. For VET classes, lectures and tutorials are normally combined for a three-hour period and practicums will usually be three hours long. For each unit, you will be required to attend one lecture and one tutorial at a minimum per week. Practicums depend on the type of course you do, e.g. most VET courses and some higher education courses, such as teaching, nursing, law, science, engineering and architecture will require practicums.
- There are no allocated recess or lunch breaks, although short breaks will usually be given for classes of two hours or more in duration.
- There are more opportunities for getting involved in extracurricular activities with student clubs or groups.
- The university environment is like a small community with coffee shops, a cafeteria, gymnasium, bar, bookshop, Post Office, printery, library and gardens.
- After-hours access to campus facilities such as the library and computer labs will be available to you as a student.
- Teaching facilities such as lecture theatres will be much larger with high technology equipment; the CDU library is wireless and stocked with modern computers and a much wider range of books, journals, newspapers and reference texts compared to high school; and teaching labs will be equipped with equipment for practical teaching.
Where can I get more information on the course I want to study?
Visit the CDU courses website. Choose the relevant area of study on the left hand side of the screen and then the relevant course.
I want to talk to someone about my options. Who can I call?
Start by calling our Information Centre on 1800 061 963. It’s a freecall, and our friendly staff will point you in the right direction. You can also email us at student.admin@cdu.edu.au.
Useful links
CDU links
Other links
- Job Guide - For job information, education required and employment outlook
- myfuture - Information on careers, labour market and education/training
- workplace.gov.au - Information for students and job seekers available
- Job Outlook - Find out about job prospects, weekly earnings, type of work and other useful information
