How's life in TAFE? (2 Viewers)

[Neil.]

Hey, I'm going to be definitely going to TAFE after I drop out this year (after year 10) and I'm wondering how the life is at TAFE. I think I'll be going to the TAFE in Lidcombe since that's the closest to me.

What's the life in TAFE like? How are the classes like? Will it just be like any normal class in school with around 20+ other people? How about the atmosphere?

Are the people there nice? (Just kidding)

(Oh and I'm looking at a course related to IT/Web Design)

 

[kami]

Hey, I'm going to be definitely going to TAFE after I drop out this year (after year 10) and I'm wondering how the life is at TAFE. I think I'll be going to the TAFE in Lidcombe since that's the closest to me.

What's the life in TAFE like? How are the classes like? Will it just be like any normal class in school with around 20+ other people? How about the atmosphere?

Are the people there nice? (Just kidding)

(Oh and I'm looking at a course related to IT/Web Design)

Some things on TAFE:

• Classes will probably range from say around 15 to nearly 30 people.
• Classes are generally fairly relaxed from what I've seen - refer to the teacher on a first name basis and do the work as you need to etc.
• Most of the people at TAFE are probably goig to be a bit older than you, and therefore they'll probably have some different social activites than you'd be allowed to do if you know what I mean.
• IT courses are nearly completely filled with guys whether its uni or TAFE.
• At school, there is an almost 'forced' socialising that goes on which you don't really notice the effect of - classes that everyone does, formals, camps, school wide lunch breaks etc. TAFE doesn't really have this, classes and hours will be mismatched between students, there are pretty much no group events, most people will have lunch breaks at different times. This means you have to be a bit more proactive in finding friends at TAFE then at highschool.
• This might not apply to your course specifically, but when I was at TAFE I noticed the drop out rate was rather high.

 

[mmm_sofay]

my tafe class is great.
except for the two 17yr old girls who every one in the class wants to kill. or extremely hurt them

yeah, all teachers you call on a frist name basis. one of my teachers doesnt answer to miss. but only the two 17yr olds call her miss. so she doesnt answer when they have a question and call out miss.

um, in my calss, everyone is around the 17-21 group. except for one lady who is older and is a mother. shes a tad weird, but she cool/nice. easy to talk to.

my class is a max. of 15 people.

one of my teachers is off with the fairies, so every wednesday when we are suppossed to finish at 4pm, the majority of us finish at lunch break. and then go into town and do whatever.

but yeah. i find tafe to be really good and stuff.

 

[baka]

Hey, I'm going to be definitely going to TAFE after I drop out this year (after year 10) and I'm wondering how the life is at TAFE. I think I'll be going to the TAFE in Lidcombe since that's the closest to me.

What's the life in TAFE like? How are the classes like? Will it just be like any normal class in school with around 20+ other people? How about the atmosphere?

Are the people there nice? (Just kidding)

(Oh and I'm looking at a course related to IT/Web Design)

well i go to granville tafe part time & i cannot say the same thing ^ said.
i dont mean to bash and i have good leb friends, but the lebanese/assyrian majority there seem to think they own the place. Alot of people have a problem with picking up their own rubbish and the cafeteria is always left in an absolute trashy state at the end of the night. Even the ladies that work there are sick of it, naturally. Some of the men there are just sickos. and some just come to tafe just to sit around for the entire time no joke. I am so sick of granville. I went to liverpool tafe college before they cut the course due to lack of students and The quality and atmosphere there was tons better.

I enjoy my classes though, All the moronics dropped out or just never come to class. Most are mature aged. Casual and laid back in atmosphere. & Like every other course, the teachers will do what they have to do, but at the end of the day its up to you. so if you want to do well, theres no short cut. Sorry for the rant.

 

[bumbo_hippo]

tafe is good.
so much more fun than high skool
and i love those 6 month courses... when u get sick of doing something or da pplz around u.. u finish and move on! its great!!

my class had 15 pplz...
we had momz in da class.. but it was koolz~~
pplz r nice.. at least at first anywayzz...

most of my teachers were nice.. except for one..
jus like high skool, how there is alwayz a teacher u jus hate and wanna kill...

overall.. tafe is alot betta than uni..
for pplz who hate studying..
i would assume dat for u.. since ur dropping out of high skool

 

[froggy_chik87]

i was wondering at tafe are you able to walk out of classes early or not...and if so, how much will it affect you, cauz i really can't live on working one day a week, and so i was hoping that i might be able to just walk out early one afternoon a week...any help...thanks

 

[Bacilli]

i was wondering at tafe are you able to walk out of classes early or not...and if so, how much will it affect you, cauz i really can't live on working one day a week, and so i was hoping that i might be able to just walk out early one afternoon a week...any help...thanks

You can walk out when ever you like. Remember though, TAFE is an adult institution, therefore your learning progress is your own responsibility.

 

[Neil.]

I guess it really depends on your teacher. When I was in granville tafe, my teacher wouldn't let me go out early or anything like that, unless my phone rang.

 

[breaking]

tafe is rubbish.

 

[Sparcod]

Just curious here- what's the difference between TAFE and uni? (in terms of the way classes are run, hours, buildings, social life, etc)

 

[bumbo_hippo]

Just curious here- what's the difference between TAFE and uni? (in terms of the way classes are run, hours, buildings, social life, etc)

considering ur in australia... they look for work experience more than degree to an extent.. tafe gives u hands on experience, but i guess it all comes down to how u explain to them wat kinda of hands on experience u received at tafe..

eg. instead of learning how myob program works from a textbook, at tafe u get to use da program and do exercises that will help u understand

 

[Bacilli]

I've been to TAFE, and now that I'm at uni, to be honest, I'd much rather TAFE.

Uni's just too hectic.
too much work, and hardly no individual support.

But TAFE has limits as to what subjects it can offer. For example, TAFE doesn't have the resources to provide a class in advanced anatomy, or w/e... you're limited as to what you can learn.

 

[blerkles]

eg. instead of learning how myob program works from a textbook, at tafe u get to use da program and do exercises that will help u understand

I've had uni grads in accounting not even know the first thing about MYOB. A lot of uni's don't teach it as by the time they graduate, their skills are outdated. Some accounting grads think that they are beyond doing bookkeeping, but often you still have to work your way up the ladder from the bottom.

 

[blerkles]

Just curious here- what's the difference between TAFE and uni? (in terms of the way classes are run, hours, buildings, social life, etc)

My two cents...
TAFE is about skills that are usable right now, can walk into a job and hit the ground running. Uni is about "Higher Learning" so that you have the ability to survive in that industry in the long term - managerial level skills, why things are done, criticising of the past, research into where things are headed. Hence why many uni students struggle once they get out into the real world, but once they find their feet can go lots of places.

Some professions require you to have a degree, such as Medicine, Occupational Therapy, basically most Health professions, most Education professions, most Science/Engineering ones. But if you want to get into Business based areas like HR, having a diploma and a great personality are usually enough. If you want sales, hospitality, tourism, some welfare, children's studies, IT, graphic design, etc - head to TAFE. Not to mention a shortage of trades (TAFE) - plumbing, hair dressing, electricians, mechanics etc.

Some accountants don't have an accounting degree, but most do. It's a lot easier to do your degree if you have the stepping stone of TAFE first, so that you have usable skills (hence be able to work and earn money) whilst you are doing uni.

 

[Horst Burkhardt]

Some things on TAFE:

• Classes will probably range from say around 15 to nearly 30 people.
• Classes are generally fairly relaxed from what I've seen - refer to the teacher on a first name basis and do the work as you need to etc.
• Most of the people at TAFE are probably going to be a bit older than you
• This might not apply to your course specifically, but when I was at TAFE I noticed the drop out rate was rather high.

Yup, that all sounds right. I do chemistry, dropout rate is VERY high, the coursework is intense, student teacher ratio is 16:1 so fairly low.

My college has a LearnSpace where you can go and learn stuff (how surprising) after class if you feel so inclined - that's useful for support, theoretically.

 

[blerkles]

High drop out rates from HSC at TAFE/TPC is often due to the same problems causing them to leave High School (lack of respect for teachers, problems with peers, pregnancy, drugs, victimisation, subjects not being available/fun/relevant enough) are apparent in TAFE, just in different forms. Either that or the lack of being forced to be there and not being forced to work, many aren't mature enough to be self-directed learners which TAFE requires. But it's good to see people trying again rather than ditching education altogether once high school doesn't work out for them.

 

[lizziegirl]

tafe life is good!!

sometimes it feels like we're back in primary school though...my teacher gives out lollies and little prizes to ppl who get top marks in our weekly tests.

 

[Crestwood's_G]

tafe is better than uni...at tafe the teachers know everyone individually and understand that you have other committments...

plus anyone who gets a degree at uni starts at the bottom and works their way up...like tafe students...

only thing you should go to uni for is science, law, nursing, police and medicine...

dealing with peoples lives...

why do people do business at uni? its so broad...

 

[bilock102]

Doing mt TPC in 2010..... Hope I'll do welll

 

[slehane]

Depending on your tafe course it really determines social life, classroom experience and level of work
-I did Accounting while a friend did events management, my class was 80% international and so I had no social life because they really didnt want to talk to the Aussie but my friend she had a ball with the majority being local students.
-Teachers are usually a little strange regardless of what you choose most have worked the field so you will hear alot of stories and if you get to know some it will really benefit in the long run.
-People forget that you do need to work hard at tafe so you will see alot of HSC students go to tafe and like in uni you get the drop outs who can't cope or just dont see the commitment needed, My accounting course was fairly challenging but I got through it, my friend doing events management had it hard too with so many assignments

And never EVER eat any food that is on campus that results in being over charged and food poisoning