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Meet Mark, a Bachelor of Commerce student majoring in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Mark’s journey to university was anything but traditional—after working under an uninspiring boss, he decided to take control of his career. When rethinking his path, he decided to enrol in Curtin’s UniReady program and head to university.
Adjusting to university life after a decade away from formal education was no small feat. Without an ATAR, Mark had to navigate alternative pathways to entry. “It was a little bit complicated because I hadn’t been at school for ten years at that point,” he explains. But Curtin Connect provided invaluable guidance, helping him map out a clear route to his degree.
Coming from a 10-year background in management, Mark found himself in an environment where many of his peers were fresh out of high school. While the age gap presented Mark with some challenges, particularly in group projects where communication styles and technological preferences differed, Mark embraced the experience and adapted to new ways of working and collaborating with younger students.
As the first in his family to attend university, Mark understands the weight of his achievement. “My family background is all musicians or military. So, I’m the first one to even follow tertiary education, let alone university,” he shares. Without immediate role models to guide him through the academic landscape, he has relied on support services like UniPASS to bridge the gap. “My mum studies a lot for work, so I get some study tips from her, but formal education is a little different. UniPASS really helped me understand academic expectations.”
For Mark, the best part of university is the clarity it has given him about his future. “Just knowing exactly what my pathway is going to be—what I want to do, why I’m here, and where it’s going to lead—makes all the difference,” he says.
