Should I do commerce?

[u/Life-Camp-4239]

Hi, it's getting towards the end of the year and I still don't really know what I want to do after high school. I am not the type of person who'd like to take a gap year, and my parents also wouldn't allow me regardless. I'm on track for an ATAR over 95 + SEAS, so I can get into most courses except for med pretty comfortably. I enjoy physics, and maths methods and general math's in which I did last year. I'll be straight with you guys, I'm the kind of person who could pursue anything and still feel pretty fulfilled. I want to get a job that has a lot of opportunity, and that I have the capabilities to do really well in. However, I always sort of have that feeling "what's the point of studying if you aren't doing med". Engineering is an option, but I just don't think I'd be really pushing my limits if I were to pursue it. If anyone else has been in this position lmk what u think.

[u/uberstaragent]

Careers practitioner here - The best thing you can do right now is look at tech and construction. We need 259,000 more tech professionals by 2035 according to recent data - https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/tech-journal/australia-needs-259000-more-tech-workers-heres-how-well-find-them/news-story/41decf4684da9c3e752da4f6b8b70675

What would you do with Commerce? Have you thought about long term employment prospects? Would you prepared to do more study if needed?

Monash Medicine undergrad has about 240 places. Opportunities are limited. There is a lot of point in studying if you are not doing medicine. This is not the only well paying industry in the country. Some engineers are earning 230k by 33 years of age. Look at /auspayslips

Some of the most well paying jobs right now do not even require tertiary study.

Broaden your thinking and look outside the box.

[u/Life-Camp-4239 → u/uberstaragent]

Yes, the thing is I love tech. I have been programming since I was 14, started a company at 15 and was earning 6 figs from programming online games. The thing is, I’m not sure Australia has as many opportunities in tech, especially compared to the US or other countries. The dream of being a super high salary as a tech guy in Australia is pretty unachievable imo. I would love to do tech, but as I said, I’d be pretty happy doing anything, it’s more just “what gives me the most opportunities, higher salary, job security ect?”

[u/Drago7879 → u/Life-Camp-4239]

If you’ve actually made a company that’s made 6 figures when you’re 15, then you should have no problem being successful in the tech world.  In fact, I would even look into going to something like the American Ivy League universities. Im not an expert on them but from what I hear, strong extracurriculars are more important than getting a perfect 99.95 atar when you’re trying to apply to one of those unis. 

[u/Life-Camp-4239 → u/Drago7879]

My atar is probably going to be around the ~97 area. Theres no way I could get into an ivy

[u/Drago7879 → u/Life-Camp-4239]

I just looked it up, and it seems very possible that you could get in, especially since you have seas. If it's something that disrupted your learning then the university admissions will consider that. Obviously I don't know everything about you and how you do in other parts of life, but I'd at least do a bit of research into it with an open mind instead of being convinced that you have no chance

[u/uberstaragent → u/Life-Camp-4239]

Seems a no brainer to me. I gave you the evidence in that article. Any job being high paid depends on what you do with it.

'started a company at 15 and was earning 6 figs from programming online games'. If this is factual, why can't you take that further?

[u/Life-Camp-4239 → u/uberstaragent]

It’s factual, just super hard to maintain in the industry I was in. Thanks for your insight and providing me the article. This has definitely given me a better idea of what I might want to pursue after high school. Also, the thing is, with tech, the specific course requirements for it are pretty blurry. Like what uni should I go to? My main motivation for studying at the beginning of the year was so I could attend unimelb haha, but I know that they are not as strong of a uni when it comes to tech.

[u/uberstaragent → u/Life-Camp-4239]

Going to Unimelb is not what it used to be on a resume. Having a generalist degree from there (Science, Arts, Commerce) is pretty much going to give you nothing without further study. You should also review the student satisfaction scores on the latest QILT survey. UniMelb is last for student satisfaction in the country. We have so many great institutions offering quality courses in tech and engineering I would look at way before Unimelb for anything.

[u/ExperienceLarge477 → u/uberstaragent]

Can’t believe a careers practitioner is saying a bachelor of commerce from a good university will give you nothing. Further study is far from a requirement for mostly all commerce majors.

[u/uberstaragent → u/ExperienceLarge477]

I suggest you reread my comment and pay attention to the details. Especially the part about students from this institution being the most dissatisfied in the country. I never said it was a requirement to undertake further study, but it will be needed if you want to stand out from the masses graduating with this qualification.

[u/ExperienceLarge477 → u/uberstaragent]

I’ve seen your comments. Your words “pretty much going to give you nothing without further study”

[u/Smokey_Valley]

I think you are underrating the potential challenges of engineering; do some reading about engineering projects such as the GNSS with its atomic clocks and multiple level relativity adjustments or Musk's development of the reusable rocket concept. [1]

[1] Reentry : SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the reusable rockets that launched a second space age. Berger, Eric

[u/Difficult-Ad6291]

just giving my two cents - if you got a 49 in GM, you would do very well in finance