Preparing for the future is exciting - but it can also be an anxious time for students and their families.

After all, there are so many students competing to get into so many different tertiary courses. Maybe you have just missed out on a university place. Or maybe you are simply not sure exactly what career you want. Maybe you are just not ready for the demands of university life.

Melbourne's Taylors UniLink could be the answer. It is a new concept in university preparation that offers government-accredited higher education diplomas in Business and IT. Many other available diploma courses force students to choose a university and then enrol in a course that will lead them into that university. But Taylors UniLink takes a different approach.

It allows students to decide at the end of the diploma which university will best meet their aspirations. And for those who do know what they want to do before starting, a package offer may be possible - a conditional letter of offer from their chosen university. Taylors UniLink has negotiated credit arrangements with 14 universities in Australia (four of them offering package offers).

Study Group Australia delivers the new Taylors UniLink Diplomas. Study Group Australia is also the organisation behind the well-known Taylors College. The Campus Director, Tony Cranshaw, says that Taylors UniLink, which took its first students in October last year, appeals to a specific group of students who may not feel entirely confident in approaching university studies.

"Getting into university is just the beginning of a demanding academic journey, and many students are ill-prepared for the challenges of university study when they get there - that's why quite a few students don't finish their degree. In the Taylors UniLink program we have developed specific subjects to explicitly and systematically address the skills needed to succeed. Graduates of Taylors UniLink will be confident and ready to meet the challenges of undergraduate study," says Mr Cranshaw.

Mr Cranshaw adds that Taylors College students have an enviable record of
outstanding results. "Throughout Taylors College we have provided academically rigorous preparation for many years to many students, who have gone on to excel at many Australian universities. All Australian universities know Taylors College."

"In most cases, successful graduates of Taylors UniLink will be able to enrol into second year at university, since Taylors UniLink courses are equivalent first-year university courses." Mr Cranshaw concludes the Taylors UniLink Diploma not only prepares students academically for the university course they want, but also addresses other needs, particularly those of international students.