New school leaver Jessica Bond is among about 150 prospective students who have received offers to study at USC’s Gympie campus this year.

USC has made a record number of offers to people to begin study programs in Semester 1, following a major expansion of the University.

The mid-January round of offers was released online today by the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC), with 4,775 university hopefuls so far receiving offers to study at USC campuses at Gympie, Fraser Coast, Sunshine Coast, SouthBank, Caboolture and its new Moreton Bay campus.

Jess hopes the USC Nursing Science degree she has enrolled in will one day take her around the world, but right now she is happy to stay in her hometown of Gympie.

The Noosa Christian College 2019 graduate, who was awarded the school’s top academic prize for information technology systems in Year 11 and 12, said her decision to study at the Gympie campus was based on a desire to stay close to family.
“Gympie is where my parents met and got married and where both sets of my grandparents live,” she said. “I have an amazing support network here, and there is also the fact that living away from home is quite expensive.”

Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill congratulated those who have received offers to study at USC Gympie and urged new students to join in Orientation activities in mid-February.

“A university education is a wonderful experience and opens up many career doors,” he said. “I’d encourage our new students to make the most of the opportunities that will be presented to them during Orientation and throughout their degrees.”

Professor Hill said this was an exciting time for students to be starting at USC, as the University entered a new phase of growth and development.

“There are new infrastructure initiatives in progress or being planned for all our campuses, so students can be confident they’re joining an institution that’s really going places and is focused on local needs.”

Jess, who will celebrate her 18th birthday at Orientation Day at USC Gympie on 19 February, said she was looking forward to making new friends at the University while learning how to care for people.

Her career goal is to one day work overseas as a nurse.

“I had always been uncertain about what career I wanted but then I started to realise that underneath all my indecision, I knew that I wanted to help people in need,” she said.

“One of my best friends is a survivor of leukemia and after hearing her story, something subconsciously clicked, and I believe that she is my inspiration to become a nurse.”

The University will continue to make offers later this month and throughout February, with Semester 1 beginning on 24 February.

Anyone who has received an offer to study at USC will also have received enrolment and study planning information in their offer email. Those who did not receive an offer can also contact USC’s Student Central for advice about further QTAC offer rounds.

— Clare McKay