School's in for bright new students

Thousands of first-time students are set to kick off their academic careers at The University of Queensland next month, but it is a select group of the University's youngest new scholars that will help ring in a major milestone for a special UQ program.

Since 1998 the University's Enhanced Studies Program (ESP) has given high achieving year 12 students the chance to study a subject while still attending secondary school.

In this, the year of its 10th anniversary, a record 83 high school students from around the state are poised to take up the opportunity to "test drive" university life and study at UQ.

With a growing number of courses on offer and growing interest amongst Queensland secondary schools, Student Recruitment Manager Jessica Gallagher said the program was more popular than ever.

"Nominations for the Enhanced Studies Program have more than doubled just in the last year, and I think that's because students realise exactly how valuable an opportunity like this can be," Ms Gallagher said.

"ESP students are treated like real university students - they attend lectures and tutorials with other students and have access to the Library and all of the University's other numerous services and facilities.

"As well as giving them a greater insight into a study area of their interest, this experience can help them to make an informed decision about their future tertiary studies."

Nominated by their schools in the last semester of year 11, ESP students study one first year university course during their first semester of year 12.

Participants are not required to pay fees for their chosen course, offering them the unique prospect of sampling uni life, study and assessment without having to bear the financial strain usually associated with tertiary study.

They may also be able to gain credit for the course if they enrol in a UQ program at a later date.

For 2008, students chose from 65 courses on offer at the St Lucia, Ipswich and Gatton campuses in a wide variety of subject areas including agriculture, law, political science, journalism, mathematics, psychology and tourism, to name a few.

"Some courses are also available via distance study, so that ESP participation is possible for students living in regional or rural centres," Ms Gallagher said.

"This variety of study options has meant that although the bulk of participants are from the greater Brisbane area, this year we have students from schools located anywhere from Charters Towers to the Gold Coast."

For each year of the program's operation to date, a large percentage of the ESP students have returned to UQ to study in ensuing years - a statistic Ms Gallagher said was "extremely encouraging".

Teah Pantano, who completed the program in 2006 and is now studying a Bachelor of International Hotel and Tourism Management at UQ, said the ESP not only enriched her year 12 experience but also left her with an affinity for both the University and her chosen subject area.

"Having an outlet and a change from secondary study helped me extend myself, which reflected positively on my high school work, both during and after I had completed the ESP.

"Not only did it help clarify what I wanted to study, but it encouraged me to work harder to achieve the results that allowed me to continue studying at UQ.

"I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet other UQ students, [taking] full advantage of all of UQ's services and facilities [and] would recommend the ESP to anyone looking for a challenge in year 12."

The ESP's illustrious 10th intake of students will be welcomed to UQ with an official orientation day on February 11.

For more information about the program, including what courses are available and how to apply for ESP 2009, call 07 3346 9649, email esp@uq.edu.au or visit www.uq.edu.au/guidance/esp.

Media: For further information contact Lucy Manderson at UQ Communications (07 3365 2339 or l.manderson@uq.edu.au) or Jessica Gallagher (07 3346 9649 or j.gallagher@uq.edu.au).