Why Your ATAR Does Not Matter
- Jan 22, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 20, 2024
Let’s debunk some old fashioned mindsets. No matter the ATAR score you received, you can still succeed. Before you say ‘but...’, hear me out. ATAR scores may provide you with a stepping stone into further education, but it is NOT the only way to get in.
In light of high school students preparing to enrol in university, I am sure many young people are excited! Congratulations on all your hard work. Despite overcoming this hurdle, many may feel like they have failed, fallen short or worse, that they are not enough because they may have missed out on offers from their university of choice. These feelings can cause a downward spiral of unnecessary stress and anxiety. Could the pressure of achieving a high ATAR score contribute to the rising rate of mental distress, impacting the mental health of our young people?* Not to mention what we have all been through in the last two years.
No matter the score you receive, you can still succeed... ATAR scores may provide you with a stepping stone into further education, but it’s NOT the only way to get in.
I want to address the issue of our expectations in getting into university. Let’s debunk some old fashioned mindsets. No matter the score you receive, you can still succeed. Before you say ‘but...’, hear me out. ATAR scores may provide you with a stepping stone into further education, but it’s NOT the only way to get in. If you didn’t make it into university because of your scores, it is not the end of the world. Your results won’t matter in the whole scheme of things. Here’s why.
Your ATAR isn’t the only way to your goal.
I scored an 87% for my VCE. Although the course I wanted to get into didn’t require a score, I still didn’t get into my first preference for a Diploma of Graphic Design at Box Hill TAFE. Due to the lack of teacher support at my school in folio preparation, I couldn’t get into the course. However, I did get an offer to do Arts at Swinburne. Naturally, my dad advised me to accept the arts offer and think about graphic design later. He even took me to the campus to check it out, but I knew that I wanted to be a graphic designer deep in my heart. I told him that I couldn’t accept it, but I had no idea what my next step was.
Sometimes detours teach us essential lessons that add value to who we are. Don’t undervalue them.
Over the next few days, I started looking for different courses that I could do instead of graphic design. Unfortunately, nothing stood out for me until I stumbled upon a year-long art and design course specifically to help students build their folio and prepare them to enter art and design courses at uni. It was one of the best years of training as an emerging creative (read the full story here). I ended the year with a massive folio. After a gruelling selection process, I got into my first course preference - Bachelor’s of Arts (Design) at Monash University (read the full story of my uni choice here). My slight detour turned out to be a big win, and it became an artistic resource, which I continue to draw from until this day. Sometimes detours teach us essential lessons that add value to who we are. Don’t undervalue them.
No one is going to ask you about your scores once you start working.
After graduating, I worked in a few studios before starting my design studio and freelancing. Not once did any employer or client ask me how well I did in year 12 or uni. Even the awards I had earned at uni became irrelevant. Depending on what you study, your awards may not even matter after the first year of working. Yes, it may give you some advantage in your first job, but not as much as you think.
Focus instead on developing on knowing who you want to become and mastering your skills in the work you want to do. The legacy you leave your current job will set you on a path of future work opportunities.
When I became a team leader and had the privilege of interviewing junior designers, the senior team would look past how candidates performed at school or uni and only focus on their folio and how much work experience they had. This shows that your high school results only play a small part in your career. Your scores do not represent who you are. Focus instead on developing on knowing who you want to become and mastering your skills in the work you want to do. The legacy you leave your current job will set you on a path of future work opportunities. When you start to become the person you are meant to be, doors will open for you.
Success is not about results, money or fame. Success is about fulfilling your purpose.
Fast forward 17 years. I woke up one day and suddenly lost my passion for graphic design. It was scary since graphic design was all I had known for many years, but I couldn’t continue. I knew that I was meant to do something more than sitting behind a screen churning out pretty designs for clients. For the first time in nearly two decades, I was back at the drawing board of life with an existential crisis, questioning the purpose of my existence.
It was in this struggle that I found my WHY. Now I am truly living out my calling. I no longer design for people. Instead, I help people and organisations become their purpose. Was graphic design waste of time? Not the slightest bit.
It was in this struggle that I found my WHY. Now I am truly living out my calling. I no longer design for people. Instead, I help people and organisations become their purpose. Was graphic design waste of time? Not the slightest bit. It taught me how to really listen to my clients and read between the lines, ask questions that would help me get to the core of their vision, and think beyond the conventional to fill their gaps - all skills that I use every day in my work.
Understandably, you may feel confused, frustrated and a little lost during this time. Please know that it is ok and normal to feel that way, and unfortunately, it won’t be the only time you will feel this way.
Transitioning is a painful process. The point is not to allow your ATAR score to dictate your future because it is not a measure of your worth.
Transitioning is a painful process. The point is not to allow your ATAR score to dictate your future because it is not a measure of your worth. It is why starting from your purpose is so important, as it enables you to know the value you want to bring to this world and the outcome you want to see regardless of how you did in high school or university.
It is why starting from your purpose is so important, as it enables you to know the value you want to bring to this world and the outcome you want to see regardless of how you did in high school or university.
If you need someone to talk to, please reach out to a trusted friend or relative. If you would like to chat about becoming your purpose, please feel free to book a call with me.
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