Georgie is an RMIT student completing her Bachelor of Business (Marketing). Georgie is currently undertaking her work placement (a year of paid industry experience) as part of her course. Looking back Georgie reflects on receiving her ATAR score and the emotions she went through.

The grand score you’ve all been waiting for will arrive so soon. It’s so important to remember that this score does not determine how successful you’ll be in the future. It is most certainly not a measure of your potential.

When you receive your ATAR, read it with an open mind. Be proactive and make a decision about which course will be most realistic and best for you. Think big picture and have one last think about whether the courses you have listed are right for you. So many friends of mine focused on their ATAR but didn’t think about their next course of action and ended up in a course that wasn’t right for them. Once you’re satisfied with your VTAC preferences, the best thing you can do for yourself over these next few months is get some work experience. Ultimately, we want a job out of all the study we do, so start taking actions now that will help you secure a job in the future. That will be the new measure of your success.

University will feel very different to high school. There is more freedom to learn the way that is best for you. For some, it may be easier to succeed at University as there is more time throughout the day to study, with only 12 – 14 contact hours spent in class on average. All of the presentation slides will be posted online, so if life gets in the way, there is an opportunity to catch up online. The content I’ve learnt at RMIT was very practical and directly related to my future job which kept me engaged throughout the course.

Most importantly, get excited about University and what lies ahead. There are so many fun clubs you can join; Weekend trips to the beach, snow or river. You’re going to meet so many new people and grow so much as a person. When I first started at University, I joined as many clubs as I could. From this, I ended up meeting so many people from RMIT and felt right at home relatively quickly. This reduces the shock of the transition from secondary school to university.

The ATAR hype will calm down soon. From my experience, once you’re at university it’s barely a topic of conversation and when you get to the workplace it is almost non-existent.

RMIT is here to support students leading up to results and when they get their preferences, find out more by clicking here.