26 Dec 2016

If you take anything away from this entire ATAR experience, whether you’ve done amazingly or totally tanked, it’s this:

You should never undervalue yourself.

The worst thing about the ATAR process is that when people receive their results, even when they are only just under what they were looking for, they get immediately disheartened. They start questioning themselves and their capabilities. They start thinking, “well I didn’t get the mark I needed, so I can’t do that career anymore… I’ll have to settle for something else.”

It’s a really damaging way of thinking, particularly when it stops people from pursuing their dreams and going after degrees that they don’t really want to do. And it’s especially bad when it comes to choosing university preferences.

The point of university preferences is that they’re – get this – your actual preferences! They are supposed to reflect the places you want to study and the degrees you want to do, no matter what marks you need. If you don’t get it – not to worry, that’s why you have your back ups further down the list. Just because you have a suspicion that you won’t get your first preference doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put it as number one.

It’s important to keep in mind that if you place a ‘back up’ degree you know you can get into first on your preferences, then that’s probably the offer you’re going to receive in main round offers. And if you accept it, then that’s it for offers – you’re in. Or, if you don’t accept, and choose to try your hand in second and third round offers, courses are already filling up, meaning you may have already missed your shot.

This is especially important if you want to study at some of the top universities in Australia, like The Australian National University (ANU). ANU has some of the most attractive degrees in the country in a plethora of different fields, so it’s high on the list for many undergrads. Not to mention it has the prestige factor, which we know can be an important university consideration, but also an intimidating one when it comes to your preferences. But don’t be scared by it, and don’t undersell yourself. To miss out on an amazing and specialised degree in an area of study you are passionate about, simply because you were too scared of disappointment to put it high on your preference list, would be a shame.

So how should you go about ordering your preferences?

First, ask yourself what you’re looking for. If it’s a particular course you’re after, then get a list going of all the places where you can study that course, then order them from your favourite to your least favourite. Have some back ups as well and make sure they’re still appealing and worthwhile, but don’t prioritise them over what you really want.

If it’s a particular university you’re really keen to go to, then place a few different courses from that university in the first spots on your preference list. Remember that there are courses with lower cut-offs like Arts that can be a jumping off point towards other degrees, so it’s worth looking into pathway options like these at the uni you’re keen on studying at. Back-up universities in courses you’re keen on should round out your list.

Don’t let fear get in the way of what you want. And if a course at ANU is what you want, then you can check out more on their website, and don’t forget to stick them at the top of your preference list – you never know what could happen.