Hey, Thunderbolt.
I'm considering joining the Police Force too, and I too have pretty average marks, but I'm smart. I just can't seem to be able to do anything right on tests and study just doesn't work for me.... Which sucks, because I know the UAI is 66, which is attainable for me. But i've just slipped over the past two years. Sick of School, etc. Not interested in it anymore....
What I was planning to do after I finish was do a TAFE course, which would be computers, (i'm pretty good in that area) which will aid the Adminstration skills in the office, but also, keep my fitness level up. The course and staying active could take about a year and a bit. (You just need to be pretty fit to suit the PSA.)
So, after all that, and doing my Senior First aid certificate then I would drop my application through to the Academy. You may have have idea of applying for a UNI (Charles Sturt or UWS) though. The Police out here where the Acedemy is in Goulburn, don't tend to take Year 12 leavers, or students in their younger years for a while, their minimum age is generally about 20. So in saying that is leaves a gap of about 2 to 3 years for me.
Sorry, I'm going on, but minimum age for probationary Constable is 19, and you can still be granted access into the Police Force, through a Uni or the Academy by mature age, in which I think the HSC and your UAI doesn't have as much of an importance.
If you show dedication and desire for the force and can suit their requirements such as the fitness tests and correct grammar and spelling, maybe medium to high standards of English, then you should be pretty good to be able to get in.
Don't worry too much about what your UAI will be. At the end of the day you have probably attained the best effort in which you have put in. Whatever comes out of school is only the basis and you are able to extent further education through TAFEs and such. So a tafe certificate in such an area as IPT or computers or something will look good on a resume when applying. But your score in the HSC for the Software Design might be good too.. Not sure what the course of that is like though.
As long as you are an overall desciplined and well being person, with no serious criminal record, then you should be pretty right. Don't focus on the down side of the exams, just focus on your positives and what you can do to achieve it.
best of luck.
I'm still really wanting to go into the Force myself, I've had some doubts over the few months, but It's still what I have my heart set on, so I'm going to go for it.
Sorry I went on. hehe