Atomic.edu - TAFE or University

Prac versus theory

Another point of difference is the balance of theory and practical work. TAFE is all about practical work, while university focuses more on the theory behind that practical work. Consider the example of a first year programming subject. In university, you’d spend an hour or two in the lecture theatre, hearing about how the language allows you to do x, y and z. You’d then go home and read the textbook, before heading into the computer lab for your hour-long tutorial to put the theory into practice. In TAFE, you’d spend all those contact hours in the computer lab. While you’d still have a textbook, most of your learning would be a hands-on affair.

And that, in a roundabout way, brings us to one of the main problems with the TAFE system – you only have one teacher. If he or she is crap, well, here’s hoping you’re able to figure everything out for yourself based purely on what’s in the textbook. With the university system, at least if your lecturer is crap you have a tutor you can turn too, or vice versa. Quality of staff, unfortunately, is a serious issue in both systems. Study IT and you might meet teaching staff that are intelligent and deeply passionate about their chosen field, but are completely and utterly incapable of communicating any of their knowledge to you and your class.

That being said, TAFE classes are typically a lot smaller than their university counterparts. It’s easier to get to know your classmates and, more importantly, the person who’s running the show.



Money and time

Even with HECS and the option of deferring all payment until you’re working full-time, going to university is by no means a cheap exercise. The price of a degree shouldn’t be too much of a concern if you’re going to end up in some well-paying computing gig, but it’s worth keeping in mind if you’re unsure if computing – or, at least, the field that’s piqued your interest – is really for you.

If you’re in this situation, TAFE may well be the solution. In terms of time and money, you invest a helluva lot less in a diploma than you do in a degree. Remember that once you’re in a course, it’s plenty possible to upgrade to university if you really like what you’re doing. Although it depends on the field, your prior studies should be recognised by the university. This ‘backdoor into university’ is also worth keeping in mind if you finish school with marks that won’t get you into the degree you’ve got your heart set on. It’s also possible to do a year or two of a degree and then make the switch to something else, so long as your marks are vaguely respectable, but that’d cost way more than simply doing a diploma.

Employability

Don’t assume that doing a university degree automatically makes you more employable. In certain fields, yes, university is better, but some companies have a strong preference for TAFE graduates. Atomic forum user Caelum, for instance, was “head-hunted for [his] last two jobs”.

“While this may or may not have been due to me going to TAFE,” he said, “I think it has something to do with it. My previous boss was looking [specifically] for someone who went to TAFE due to the practical skills learnt.”

Forum user kikz feels that TAFE is fine so long as you don’t want to be a developer – unless you’re looking for government work. Indeed, TAFE was deemed as being perfectly fine by most Atomicans we surveyed. That being said, university – as rightly pointed out by forum user BeDLaM#29 – does impart more than just ‘job skills’. Independent thought is held in the highest regard by universities, just as it is by many employers.