General News
11 July, 2025
Students discover Melbourne's life and career pathways
Four Year 11 students of the Hopetoun P-12 College spent an exciting week away from home to explore city life and career options in Melbourne as part of a career-based camp.
Two school teachers accompanied Mickey, Jakob, Claire, and Esther during the camp and their journey, which combined university visits, cultural experiences, and real-world insights, took place in Melbourne from June 23 to June 27.
The group travelled on a bus to Ballarat, then caught a V-Line train to Southern Cross Station and stayed in YHA accommodation on Flinders Street, in the heart of the city.
"We were in Melbourne for a week, so five days," Jakob said.
"We started off by going to one of the last shows of The Project on Monday, and it was pretty good.
"The producers talked to the audience, and we got to see how it all works."
The group toured Victoria University's city campus on their second day of the tour.
"We visited universities and explored different paths we might take," Claire said.
Then they saw Beetlejuice on stage later that night.
"Tuesday was packed, we also had dinner at Schnitz and visited a massive food court the next night," Mickey added.
Day three included a visit to the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Museum.
"My favourite part was the dinosaurs," Mickey said.
"And the gemstone displays were cool too."
On Wednesday night, the group watched a movie at the cinema and visited the RMIT campus.
"We watched 'How to Train Your Dragon' in the cinema," Claire said.
"I really liked seeing the arts and creative classrooms there," she said.
"It's good to know I can go to TAFE at RMIT even if I don't get an ATAR.
"It was fun to see all the different marine creatures in the SEALIFE."
ACMI (the Australian Centre for the Moving Image) was in the list on day four and went ice-skating in Docklands the same night.
"I still have a bruise on my head," Mickey said.
Friday, the last day of the camp, was again exciting, as students toured the Melbourne West Police Station after storing their bags at Southern Cross Station.
"We saw the armoury, the cells, and the equipment, and I met my dad's old colleagues – he was a senior detective there," Jakob said.
Every student in the group has their favourite memories of the camp.
"The highlight was seeing ACMI and the police station more confident now using public transport," Jakob said.
"I want to study psychology at Melbourne Uni."
Claire said the camp provides her with numerous opportunities to explore.
"I'd recommend it to younger students," she said.
"It's fun and helps you learn how to get around Melbourne."
Mickey said the camp helped him consider a future in 3D design and animation.
"Just do it, and you learn a lot about how Melbourne and universities work."
The group did some shopping and also had plenty of good food, with souvlaki being everyone's favourite.
"I went with an empty backpack and came back with it bigger than my suitcase," Jakob said.
"The quality and variety were so much better than in a regional town."
The students agreed that the Melbourne camp offered unforgettable memories and valuable exposure to future education and career pathways.