18 Dec 2019

So, you’re not stoked with your ATAR. In fact, you reckon it’s pretty bad. As in ‘I can’t get into the course or uni I wanted’ kind of bad. And you’re feeling pretty bummed about it.

We get where you’re coming from. When you’ve spent your entire senior years of high school focusing on that final number, falling short can feel pretty devastating.

But lemme remind you that despite what you’ve been told, that number isn’t as ‘bad’ as you think. It doesn’t mark you on your self-awareness, charisma, creativity, athletic ability or kindness. It doesn’t measure your desire to travel, your ability to empathise or your work ethic. You aren’t defined by that number and it won’t be tattooed on your forehead forever. In fact, I don’t even remember mine.

Learning is great, but high school can be pretty black and white sometimes when it comes to how it measures students abilities. Luckily, there are an abundance of paths after high school that aren’t so focused on that final ranking.

Here’s a handful of ‘em.

1. Pathway Programs

If you want to continue your education, amazing! You absolutely deserve to be able to continue your learning. University might even suit you a lot more than high school as you’ll be probably focusing on the subjects that you’re interested in. Uni, for a lot of people, is a way better vibe than high school.

If your ATAR isn’t quite enough to get into that course you wanted, pathway programs are a good way in. These are generally a year long course which gets you up to scratch for whatever degree you’re chasing. When you successfully finish, you can be fast-tracked straight into the second year which means you’re not going to get left behind compared to everyone else that started their degree straight out of high school.

Pathways aren’t the ‘easy way out’ either; you’re earning a Diploma (a nationally recognised qualification) and if you continue your studies you end up in the same place as all your uni mates, you just take a slightly different path.

There’s a tonne of pathway programs around Australia. We’ve rounded ‘em up below based on location so check them out for more info and to register your interest:

QLD – Griffith College
NSW – La Trobe College & Sydney Institute of Business & Technology
SA – South Australian Institute of Business & Technology
WA – Edith Cowan College & Curtin College
VIC – Deakin College & La Trobe College

2. Travel

If you didn’t get the ATAR you were hoping for, don’t stress. Uni ain’t going anywhere – but maybe you could be.

Taking some time off between school and the next chapter of your life is a perfect way to recharge those batteries. Who knows - after twelve consecutive years of school, maybe a bit of time off study will completely change your perspective on how you wanna live that life of yours.

It’s crazy what a bit of time and space to think can do. You might start your gap year convinced you’re destined to be an engineer but return a year later with your heart set on videography.

And if you’re worried about losing your momentum with study, don’t be. 54% of students reckon that taking a gap year had or will have a positive effect on their future performance in education and training.

Get out there. Uni will still be waiting for you when you’re back.

3. Work

Who said your only options after school are study or travel? Sometimes, the best option is to simply get yourself as cashed up as possible or to get some work experience to help you get employed further down the track.

Some people like to save up a tonne of cash before they go to uni, so they can free up more time when they have to focus on studying the following year. Even if you plan to work through your degree, having a bit of extra cash on hand never hurts and can ease the pressure when it comes to completing unpaid internships or practical placements.

Others might spend a year or so trying to get some work experience, or even doing some internships in the fields they wanna study. This looks great on your resume and can be a good foot in the door for whatever industry it is you’re chasing. Having relevant work experience can also help your chances at getting into some universities, so it’s win-win on the study and job side of things.

Work experience also gives you insights into whatever industry it is you’re thinking of working in. Maybe you’ll realise it isn’t as glamorous as you thought and decide to study something else instead.

If you aren’t happy with your ATAR, it’s not the end of the world as you know it. It’s just a hurdle (a very small one, in fact) for you to skip over as you continue making your life whatever you want it to be.