Hey Elyse, I'm seriously considering UTS Comms for next year, as I'm really interested in working for nonprofits and other organisations in the future, but I'm not sure if my writing skills are good enough for it. How difficult did you find first year and what kind & level of skills do you think are highly necessary to achieve good marks?
Also are they any internships for the holidays still available?
Communications is an excellent degree for people who are interested in organisation work! Lots of politicians have the UTS Comms degree (Susan Templeman, Tanya Plibersek), as well as lots of Journalists (Caro Meldrum-Hanna), and lots of community/organisation workers too! It's one of the few degrees, in my opinion, that cover lots of ground and skills but at the same time gets you very intensely skilled in particular areas. Media, culture, citizenship, digital literacy, and so many other of the core subject areas would be very useful to someone wanting to work for an organisation like you've described.
First year was difficult because it was a shock to the system and I wasn't used to commuting. Tie that in with a bunch of personal dramas and it wasn't an easy year. But, by the end, I've realised that I survived, and did really well. If I didn't do so much paid work I could do even better, because you are very supported for all of your assignments and every tool you need to succeed is provided. Skills needed? The usual - hard working, interested in news/culture, and keep to adapt to a new setting (Uni!).
I think you'll be a great candidate for the Comms course