YEAR 12 students from across the Border and North East are nervously waiting for their ATAR results to be released this Friday morning.
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While for some, it will be a day of celebration, the Border’s tertiary institutions warned those nervous about their future that they won’t be defined by their ATAR score.
Trinity Anglican College student Shaylah House will be in Melbourne on Friday when the results come through.
She has plans to spend her gap year coaching netball with the Wodonga Raiders, before moving to Melbourne to study chiropractic care at RMIT.
“I haven’t really thought about my ATAR too much yet, but now it’s closer it’s on my mind a bit more,” she said.
“It’s nerve-wracking, but I’ve accepted that whatever those results will be, I just have to move forward.
“I don’t want to jinx myself, but I was happy when I walked out of my exams so hopefully it will all work out.”
Dean of students at Charles Sturt University’s Albury campus, professor Julia Coyle, said there were always alternative pathways into tertiary education for students whose marks didn’t allow them into their course of choice.
“When you get your ATAR, if it's not what you anticipated, take a breath, come in and have a chat and we can give a scope of the pathways that are available,” she said.
“It's very much a case of all is not lost, taking an alternative pathway is not the end of the world.”
La Trobe University's Kacey Mumberson said academic achievement in high school isn't necessarily an indicator of how well a student can perform at university.
Miss Mumberson, the community engagement co-ordinator at the Wodonga campus, encouraged anyone worried about their score or entry to courses to come and speak to her on Saturday.
“Your ATAR doesn’t define you, nor does it reflect the student you were or how you might perform at uni,” she said.
“There is always a plan B, whether it means starting with a lesser degree and progressing into the one you wanted from there, so many different options are out there.
“A lot of students have been told how important that number is, but at the end of the day it is just that – a number.
“The hardest part for a lot of students and parents is just having that conversation.
“There are no silly questions, I would encourage people to go to their university campuses and talk to the careers advisers there.”
HSC marks will be released for NSW students on Thursday, while ATAR and VCE scores will follow for all students on Friday.
