Written by Luke Gibson
I’m a big fan of asking questions. I’m naturally hugely inquisitive and find it hard not to ask questions. Towards the end of 2025, when I was deciding what to do for my second elective, I looked through the “Charles Sturt selecting minors and electives” document.
With only one year of my Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) completed and three subjects under my belt, I’d already nailed one elective: Health Psychology. Thanks to recognition of prior learning from a previous Counselling Diploma, my Charles Sturt degree consisted of just 16 units, rather than the 24 it would otherwise have required.
I only had one elective left to choose, and I wanted to complete it early on rather than at the back end. One elective caught my eye: “Writing for the Stage and Screen”.
Really? I could do that as part of my degree even though it is totally unrelated?
Despite reading the information in the PDF outlining electives specifically designed for the Psychology stream, I wanted to get confirmation for my own peace of mind. So I contacted Student Central through their ask@csu.edu.au email address. The prompt response was a definite yes. I also discovered that this subject was only offered every second year, in even-numbered years.
Looking ahead to 2026, I had to seize the day and secure my spot.
In the first semester of this year, I did just one subject: Writing for the Stage and Screen. It was life-changing. After three particularly challenging subjects in 2025 that stretched me academically, the switch sideways to a subject with a creative focus was just what I needed. It was revolutionary.
One of my previous lives involved working in the film and TV industry, which lasted 13 years. And although I tried dozens of positions, ultimately finding a niche in the location department, I’d never worked as a paid writer. I had no expectation that this would happen as a result of completing this Charles Sturt elective, but it gave me the opportunity to use my brain differently.
After two credits and a pass in my first three subjects, I assumed, perhaps wrongly in hindsight, that those kinds of grades were what I just had to get used to receiving. Yet somewhat unexpectedly, I excelled in this elective and even surprised myself with the flair I had for the subject. With an incredibly insightful, passionate and highly credentialed lecturer, I felt supported to pursue creative avenues that seemed almost limitless.
I achieved a High Distinction in both assessments for this subject, making it the highlight of my Charles Sturt journey to date. As a result of the confidence I gained in completing this elective, I am utilising my time over the summer break to further this writing outside of Charles Sturt. Having written ten pages of an original stage play, my chosen format for the second assessment, I plan to complete the first draft by the end of summer 2027.
Admittedly, the timeframe for getting a play produced in Australia could be up to five years. Yet this potential new career was only possible because I’d been curious about what pathway I was allowed to follow with electives at Charles Sturt.
The fact is, choosing your electives gives you the opportunity to follow a pathway that may have nothing to do with the degree you signed up for in the first place. It’s about making that conscious decision to do something completely different.
Be sure to check which electives are available for your chosen course in your Course Handbook.
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