The University of the Sunshine Coast is encouraging those who are not quite sure what they’d like to study next year to make a beeline for USC’s Open Day on Sunday 23 July.

The event from 9.30am to 2pm at USC’s main campus at Sippy Downs will offer prospective students all the information and tools they’ll need to make the most of their first year at uni.

In recognition of the fact that many people are still deciding what study programs might suit them, USC will provide a special panel discussion called ‘Please help me choose’.

Panellists, including a careers counsellor, will focus on how people can determine which study programs and career paths might best match their interests, strengths and goals.

They will also consider how to successfully include study into an otherwise busy life, and discuss the pros and cons of changing degrees.

This panel discussion will be just one of many activities on offer at Open Day, which will have the theme ‘First year starts here’. It is expected to attract thousands of prospective students and their families from across the region.

Visitors will be able to inspect the campus, get questions answered, and learn more about the study programs they’re interested in by chatting one-on-one with USC academics.

They can sit in on real lectures across a wide range of disciplines to see what uni life is like, and attend information sessions that outline study programs and career opportunities.

There will also be other panel discussions that will focus on: careers that are likely to be in demand in the future; how to support a child, partner or friend when they start university; how to plan for a successful gap year; and how USC’s High Performance Student Athlete Program works.

— Terry Walsh