13 Dec 2017

If you’re one of the thousands of students who are waiting for their ATAR, listen up. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of anxiety that’s inevitably descending on you and your friends as you wait to find out whether your Plan A for next year is going to work out. Up until now, you could conveniently ignore the fact that you were waiting for you marks while you caught up on sleep, binge watched every newly released Netflix series and hung out with your mates. But now, it’s all real, and you know that your phone is going to light up in a matter of hours with a final determining rank telling you how much you are worth. When it does, here’s a couple of things to remember:

1. You are more than a mark

Here at Year13 we’re firm believers that a mark doesn’t define you, despite what anyone says. Whether you topped the state, or barely avoided a mystery mark–your ATAR doesn’t take into account you as a whole person. This goes for the high achievers as much as it does for everyone else–your academic success does not control or define your life, and it’s up to you to figure out what qualities about you that matter.

2. It’s okay not to be happy with your final ranking

Yeah, your mark might not define you but it’s okay to know this and still be disappointed by what you got. When you’ve dedicated hours of blood, sweat and tears into those final exams, it’s shit to feel like you failed. It’s alright to be angry, disappointed, shocked or annoyed when you get your results back. But, don’t let this consume you. Right now, it might seem like all your plans have been ruined, but even if your ATAR doesn’t get you into the course you want straight away, or it doesn’t feel like you got what you deserved, remember that after a while, your ATAR will ‘expire‘ anyway.

3. Don’t let anyone else make you feel shit

Don’t let people tell you that you didn’t get a good ranking, or that you could have done better. Don’t listen to people who are sighing and saying their score of 99.91 ‘isn’t great’ and ignore the family members who will raise an eyebrow when you tell them what you got. While it’s okay for you to feel the full spectrum of emotions towards your ATAR, it’s not okay for anyone to drag you down about your ranking–regardless of what you got.

4. You don’t have to talk about it

It will seem like an inescapable conversation (especially with all the family members who are visiting over the Chrissy hols) but the truth is, If you don’t want to talk about your ATAR–don’t. There’s no obligation for you to share the final results and it’s up to you who you decide to talk about it with. While it might seem like every conversation is cantered around the score, if you’re sick and tired of it, avoid talking about it.

5. It will be forgotten

Whether you got 99.95 or a mystery mark–your ATAR will be forgotten. In a matter of months (or even sooner), everyone will be starting the next part of their life. Even if you do head to uni, once you’re in–that’s it. No one cares where you ranked, because it honestly doesn’t matter.

So with all that said, I know that for a lot of you, you won’t be able to take this advice on board just yet (I know I didn’t). But a time will come where you look back on this moment and wonder what you were so worried about, trust me.