Bronte Wall testimonial - Southern Cross University

Published: 8 June 2023

For Coffs Harbour local Bronte Wall, studying a health degree was a dream she was able to pursue thanks to completing Southern Cross University’s award-winning Preparing for Success Program (PSP).

The free 12-week PSP course is offered across Southern Cross University’s campuses at Lismore, Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour and online, enabling those who have been away from study for a while, or who didn’t complete high school or receive the grades needed for study, to develop the skills necessary for success at University.

For Bronte, studying the Preparing for Success Program gave her a pathway into studying Sport and Exercise Science, and later transferring into the Bachelor of Speech Pathology when the degree was introduced at Coffs Harbour in 2021.

“After I’d finished school and didn’t quite get the marks I needed to study Speech Pathology, a family member who had studied PSP told me it had opened up so much opportunity to her to transfer into pretty much any degree at Southern Cross,” Bronte said.

“When I was accepted and began studying I found it really helpful. It really helped me to build some necessary skills to cope with doing a university degree – things like how to reference properly, which was such a big advantage and actually put me ahead of other students going into first year.

“When I was accepted and began studying I found it really helpful. It really helped me to build some necessary skills to cope with doing a university degree – things like how to reference properly, which was such a big advantage and actually put me ahead of other students going into first year.”

“It also taught me how to build a study plan, which is really more like a life plan with how to fit in all my priorities such as work, and study and planning for when assignments are due. I still use that template now when planning my workload.

“In PSP there is so much support for the lecturers who guide you through every unit and assignment, and help with how to navigate university life, such as where to find information and exploring the learning website. They were really nice and always there to help whenever I reached out. And the course is only 4 subjects, so it goes really fast and then you can begin the degree you want to pursue.”

Now as a speech pathology student Bronte is embarking on student placements in clinic settings, and works part-time as a Speech Pathology assistant, running sessions with clients to implement their personalised plans and help reach their individual goals.

“I love seeing first-hand the work Speech Therapists do, and how immersive the course is at Southern Cross. It’s really confirming for me that this is the career path I’m meant to take.”

Learn more about pathways to study.