Pathways - Ways of qualifying for a certain university course when you didn't get the ATAR you had hoped for.
*VTAC means Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre
1. ATAR doesn't define your future
It seems like your entire future depends on your ATAR. Even when people tell you, “It doesn’t mean everything,” you don’t believe them.
You feel that if you don’t get a good ATAR, then you won’t get into the right university, then you won’t get a good job and pretty soon you’ll be begging on the street and no one is going to respect you.
Right? Wrong.
Your ATAR seems overwhelmingly important to you because school is pretty much all you’ve ever done. The only way in which you are able to score yourself as a constructive member of society has been by the grades you get in school – given that, it makes sense that your ATAR, the ultimate mark that you’ve been working for basically all your life is going to determine the rest of your future.
But it doesn’t.
Most adults have no idea what they want to do (let alone students) and then end up doing something completely different from their degree – and the entire purpose of an ATAR is to get you into a degree. After university, chances are that no one will ever ask you about it ever again.
There are also plenty of successful people without degrees but they all have something else in common which I’ll discuss a bit later on.
2. What if my ATAR isn't good enough?
If you know what you want to do, there are alternatives that you can explore if you don’t get the ATAR that you need.
They are called “Pathways” and you should call up every university you’re interested in to find out what they are. It may save you a panic attack or two.
There is also a link at the top of this page which you might find helpful.
It isn’t the end of the world if you don’t get the ATAR of your dreams but there is something which is important.
Persistence.
What makes someone successful is a bit of talent, a dash of luck and an insane amount of persistence. Look at anyone who you consider is successful and I guarantee they’ve done the hard yards.
I know there are some of you which grind yourselves into the ground. If you’re one of these, please don’t work so hard that you don’t look after yourself and have a mental breakdown. You’re allowed to do things other than study once in a while!
The take away is this, do everything you can to get the best possible score but don’t think life will end if you don’t get the right ATAR. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel and another train to catch if you miss this one.
And if you are persistent enough, it'll get you exactly where you want to go.
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