How To Deal When Your ATAR's Not That Great

Many students across the country have received their ATAR, so we asked: How you feeling?

As somebody who was regarded as top of the class for most of their high school life, you would think scoring a 50.00 ATAR would be a mistake.

I'm sure if I told others from my school the score that I achieved, they would likely be dumbfounded, calling for a recount.

I'm almost ashamed to tell people my numerical score—instead resorting to saying “a score that I was expecting” or “hopefully enough to get into my course”—but I know it's the truth. I also know that my ATAR isn't the most important thing in my life, and I can tell you why.

Though I only started VCE in 2015, as a bit of a 'brain' I had undertaken two Year 11 subjects in Year 10, and followed that by completing one Year 12 class in Year 11. Of course, doing this pretty much put me on the right track to claiming a brilliant ATAR, yet the path to get there wasn't always smooth sailing.

As someone struggling to maintain friendships and fighting depression and anxiety, studying was a part of my life that was phased out, replaced with worrying and procrastinating. This year, I barely scraped along, leaving all assignments until the day before, and then hurriedly completing them to the best of my ability.

This routine wasn't helping my brain, and I had to cut down my workload to three classes in order to cope. I only completed two exams this year, which ultimately resulted in my lower-than-average score, but was ultimately necessary for me.

So, how could my ATAR story help others? Well, I never thought study would be an issue for me, and I always expected to finish school on a high with every university kneeling at my doorstep, begging for my attendance.

Throughout high school, I didn't need to study at home, so I didn't. Others complained about tasks that I understood right away, but I always left completion until too late. Even though I know how to get a high ATAR, and I know exactly what I would have to do to achieve that, I was able to understand that my mental health was more important than a score.

Remember, don't push yourself so far during exams that your mental health suffers. If you do get a low score, or are worried about your options, remember that your ATAR isn't your only means of getting into university.

Overall, my ATAR was below average, however it wasn't important to me, because the course I'm aiming for doesn't need it. To those who are worried or nervous about receiving a low ATAR, remember: it doesn't truly assess you as a person; only your ability to put a pen to paper, which is not all you are.

If you or anyone you know needs help, support is available now. Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

Visit ReachOut to get support to help you with everything from everyday issues through to tough times.

Congratulations to Sarah for winning this writing challenge, answering: How I Feel About My ATAR. Sarah wins a $50 Westfield gift card for her submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Comps section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge!

Photo: iStock