After several nail-biting weeks, Queensland students received their final ATAR ranks today.
For some it will be a celebration; stories of 99.95 high achievers splashed across all the country’s major news publications and lauded by schools for their success. For others, it can feel like a day of disappointment; whether they didn’t quite scrape the grade for their preferred course, felt they disappointed high expectations or didn’t reach their full potential.
But, as ACAP University College Dean Professor Christopher Klopper says, an ATAR is more than ever “just a score” with multiple pathways open to students who missed out on top marks – and he has his own story to prove it.
“Back in South Africa, when I finished my year 12, I didn’t have the results to go into a bachelor’s degree in education at university, so I did a higher Diploma of Education, a few years later moved into a pathway to a university and then did all my postgraduate,” he told EducationDaily.
“Eight years later I’d finished a doctorate. I might have felt disappointed in not being able to get that university entry requirement in year 12, but it didn’t limit my career in any way at all.”
Less emphasis on ATAR scores
He says University Colleges like ACAP are, more than ever, assessing students on factors other than ATAR ranks and why schools place less emphasis on the final marks.
ACAP University College specialises in delivering accredited courses in psychology, counselling, coaching, criminology, social work, business management, law, and leadership (MBA) and has grown to become one of the largest providers of counselling, psychology and human services programs in Australia, delivering higher education and vocational training to more than 4000 students annually. Since it was founded 40 years ago, more than 25,000 students have graduated.
“At ACAP students have multiple avenues into a bachelor’s degree, including courses like the undergraduate certificate out of high school, and mature-aged entry based on demonstrated life experience after school for students over the age of 21,” Klopper says.
“Our cohort is mainly made up of non-high school students, and we have great success, we have an 89.6 per cent pass rate, that’s pretty impressive. That’s up there with Cambridge at 90 per cent pass rate.
“There’s a lot of importance and value placed on the ATAR within the school system and sector, because school’s build reputation and tradition on these scores, [but] that puts a lot of pressure on young scholars which can be quite confronting and overwhelming. It also camouflages the fact that there are other pathways that somebody could follow.
“To Year 12 students I say, it was just a score, at a moment in time. I would encourage you to look for the alternative pathway, the alternative approach, and ACAP University College is a wonderful institution that supports students looking for the alternative approach and pathway. Don’t let a score, whether it be good or not so good, define or limit who and what you are or want to be.”
Low ATAR? Don’t panic!
Senior Lecturer in Psychological Science at ACAP Dr Christopher Holt has his own tips for students navigating marks that might have been below their expectations.
“My advice to students feeling disappointed with their results is to normalise the negative emotions as a normal part of this process. When we experience negative emotions, have a tendency to try to get rid of them, but that can make the problem worse.
“Learn to make some space for those emotions and be OK with them. Acknowledge the feelings as they show up, you might be feeling sad or disappointed and that’s OK. It’s pretty normal for people to experience some form of distress or disappointment if they don’t meet a goal they have set out to achieve.
“Know that you are not alone and there are probably many students who are also experiencing this. If we can learn to accept the emotions when they show up, they are less likely to push and pull us around. You might be beating yourself up or giving yourself a hard time, and we’re all guilty of that.”
He says a useful strategy to help is to “think about what you might say or do to your best friend if they didn’t get the mark they wanted”.
“Then stop and reflect on whether they’re the same things you’re saying or doing to yourself? Often, they’re not. You want to try and be the best friend you can be to yourself.”
Well-meaning words are not always well received
Holt says friends and families may want to be helpful and support disappointed students, and they may try to solve the problem or suggest a solution when often, the student initially just wants to be heard and understood.
“Try to validate and connect. It can also be helpful to remind students that these feelings and thoughts that they are having now will not be with them forever. In five or 20 years’ time, they may not even remember their ATAR score.”
Holt says that “it’s tough going through high school and completing year 12 studies”, and it’s an achievement worth being proud of, no matter what exam results you receive.
“There’s a lot of emphasis on attaining a 99.95 but there are many other ways to open doors.”
