5-week Foundation Studies Intensive program

Not finishing high school doesn’t mean you can’t chase your career goals and succeed.

Flinders student Breanna dropped out of high school, before attempting a pathway course at another institution. When that course didn’t work out, Breanna decided to explore Flinders' 5-week Foundation Studies Intensive program.

“I think for me the problem was too much pressure mixed with poor mental health and trying to do really well over a long period of time burnt me out. I didn’t really do anything for the rest of that year, but this year I reconnected with a friend from high school who goes to Flinders. That is how I found the 5-week intensive course at Flinders and applied pretty much as soon as I saw it.”

Flinders' 5-week intensive program will help you develop the skills and confidence to step into one of over 30 Flinders degrees on completion. The program allows you to fit your study around your life, with 2 hours in class online or on campus, plus 4 hours of study each day. All classes are held during business hours to help you juggle your existing commitments.

“The modules went through a lot of different things like how to write an essay properly, how to reference, and what to expect at university. We were given class time to work on assignments as well as extra time to ask questions about anything we were unsure of. You were constantly encouraged to participate in class discussions and work with different people as well.”

Foundation Studies also offer 10-week and 14-week programs for students with external commitments who want to take things a little slower. Whichever program you choose, you’ll be full supported.

“There was a lot of support during the intensive with a lot of feedback on all our work and how to make it better as there is always something to improve on, which I always appreciate. We also got introduced to all the different learning services available to us.”

Despite dropping out of high school, Breanna successfully completed the 5-week Foundation Studies Intensive and was able to step straight into a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours). She is well on her way to her dream career in software engineering.

“I was really happy. It was also a little bit surreal because I didn’t think I would be starting university this year. I always thought I was going to have a lot of trouble actually finding a career that I wanted to do because I didn’t achieve an ATAR or SACE certificate. The fact that I could also start my degree two weeks after I finished the foundation course was also amazing!”

Breanna discovered that pathway options like Flinders 5-week Foundation Studies Intensive can help you step into the degree that’s right for you, no matter what your circumstances. Even if you haven’t completed year 12.

“I would just like to say that I highly recommend for anyone who hasn’t had the best luck with grades in high school to try doing the Foundation Studies course. There’s nothing else out there in South Australia with such a short time period to get you into university.”

Discover how Foundation Studies could help you start study.

You’ll find a huge selection of helpful articles online, but our student support team is always happy to meet with parents and students face-to-face, to help you both see eye-to-eye.

Book a chat