Is it just a number? or is that just a lie? (1 Viewer)

[d3c_]

Currently undergoing trials. Never felt so hopeless in my life.

So Dad walks in, gives me the cliche 'don't screw this year up' chat. Doesn't help me as he's from a very hard working background and I didn't cop any of his genes.

Anyways, been grinding heaps hard this year and haven't been seeing results. Not a very academic student, but I have really tried to turn things around and I'm only seeing slight improvements. Although I'm doing all this work and not getting the results, I have been considering where I am going wrong, what I can do better and what I can do to improve with the remaining time of my HSC.

I don't know about you, but whenever I put so much work into something to get a couple marks back, I don't want to bother anymore. It could just be I hate failing and not being successful but it's been like this since day 1 year 12.

I have no clue what I want to do after school. I have talked to careers advisors and they have been blasting my emails with courses. But with all the stress and rollercoaster of emotions (that is the HSC), does your ATAR really matter? Like seriously, does it? I know it can be different for a lot of people but I was just hoping if I could get an idea, besides my Dad's dense and clouded opinion, is the ATAR that important after school?

 

[jazz519]

Apart from being able to get into the uni course at the uni you want, which you can get into anyway most of the time later on if you dont get in through the atar result, it only really serves a purpose for things like scholarships. There is though I guess the sense of accomplishment that you did well at something and made your parents proud, but in the long run I don't think it's going to affect your career choice for the most part excluding stuff like medicine which is difficult to get into. But in saying that you're doing the hsc so you might as well try to do well and you might surprise yourself

 

[strawberrye]

Hey there,
First don't be too hard on yourself. I think you probably need to take a day or two to just relax/do something you like and keep things in perspective. I had a really critical Dad like your Dad too, he would be the type of guy who wanted to know whether anyone else was ranked first if I told him I ranked first, or asked me whether anyone got 100% if I got 98% in a test, and it was really disheartening to the point I no longer tell him about my results.

I think that it sounds like you have been trying really hard, and I think you should give yourself some credit for that. I think a HSC where you have no regrets is the best that you possibly can get. Arguably, there might be a potential reason that you need to work more efficiently or effectively, but you are definitely working hard enough. Please don't despair, and I know you might find this cliche or not sincere from someone who has gotten a 99+ ATAR, but having been through four years of uni, I can honestly tell you that ATAR doesn't define who you are, it is your character and attitude to things that does in the longer term. There are many people that transfers into their uni course from another course or from another place, where they didn't get there firstly. I think modify your expectations a little bit, yes you reap what you sow, but sometimes it takes a long time of reaping to see what you are sowing, and just because you aren't seeing immediately rewards doesn't mean it is the end.

Anyways, keep fighting, trying hard and having faith, you are stronger than you think and you are already doing very good and have come so far, give it your best shot for this last stretch of the journey And even if you may not think about what you want to do now, that's okay, not everyone will have a definite answer and the process is enjoying different possibilities, maybe try a uni course, not interested, then transfer to something more interesting. Everyone's paths are different Take it easy

 

[iStudent]

It might just be a number, but it does give you a stepping stone to many careers (so yes... it does matter...).

But still, it is just a number - you can get low atars and still get into the course or job you want. I know someone who studied business at UTS but still leap frogged everyone in UNSW/USYD commerce to secure a position at a Big 4 Auditing firm by turning things around at uni (through persistence and proactiveness etc.)

 

[Squar3root]

can confirm it is just a number after 1 year of receiving it. no one really talks about it unless you are in that enviroment