2018 AA Club - Week 24

[scout]

People, we are in the last leg of the race! No more AA after Wednesday - can you believe it?

If you want a last-minute practice run of AA, here's something for you.

Good luck everyone - remember, just have fun 

Year 12 "Misery" Is Real, But Remember, Your ATAR Doesn’t Have to Define You



So, here I am near the end of my Year 12 experience, sitting at my computer writing this article.

Mind you, I am having my trials right now, and they aren’t going so great, but my genius idea, apparently, is to write rather than study. Fact is, I’m at breaking point, my wits’ end, "my spans last inch", and as a means to consolidate this life crisis, I’m writing about it.

See, I’ve witnessed the happiest people in my grade succumb to the poison of final exams. Don’t get me wrong, some are doing great. Fantastic, even. But there’s always one whose smile doesn’t quite reach their eyes.

Ask any HSC (or VCE or WACE or whatever) student how it’s going, and they won’t even reply. The HSC is special like that; it gives us the power to emit waves of misery to anyone around, so they can feel how it’s really "going". So cool, right? It takes time to master the skill, but I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.

You can always spot a HSC student, regardless of their uniform. You’ve just got to look for the signature bags under their eyes. These aren’t ordinary bags, either; these are bags that have bags for their bags.

As a HSC student, the most common thing you’ll hear is that "HSC doesn’t define you" or "HSC is not important". Of course, the HSC is, like, legit. Still, that saying is true, and your ATAR doesn’t determine your value in society or your value at all. In fact, looking at the larger spectrum of life, ATAR isn’t really that important. (Moment of silence for those of you who have just made this profound discovery. You’re welcome.)

Yes it’s true, as shocking as it may seem: after a while, your ATAR will be about as relevant as your primary school awards. Everyone congratulates you at first, and you place it on your shelf to show visitors of your achievement ("Oh, what’s this? Just my year six award for always completing my homework.") but after a while, you’ll find your shelf getting crowded with other things (in this metaphor: work and volunteer experience, other certificates and qualifications, et cetera), and the "ATAR" gets pushed back and back, until it falls behind and gets stuck between the wall and the shelf, forgotten there to collect dust.

Moral of the story: What you do defines who you are. Not your ATAR.

-Zuhor Xersi

[Anonymous]

So done with AA Haha!!

Using a bantering and a reassuring tone, Xersi uses his relevancy factor as a Year 12 student to postulate that the Year 12 ATAR and the stress associated with this, has created a superficial atmosphere of tension among students. From the outset, Xersi self-deprecates, as evident through his reaching "breaking point," and him having a "crisis" and through this, he seeks to portray himself as relatable, just like any other Year 12 student dealing with stress. Once this mutual understanding is achieved, Xersi then feels free to mock the stereotypical image of a Year 12 student "having signature bags under the eyes...bags that have bags for their bags." This imagery conjures a sense of ridiculousness that the stress brings to Year 12 student, to the point where students reading Xersi's comment are likely to feel themselves caricatured into some atrocious, unhealthy individuals at such a young age. As a result, students are likely to feel sorry for themselves, as Xersi points out the pains of Year 12, and in turn, they can be more attentive to Xersi's reassurance which would help them alleviate their pitiful feelings of themselves.

As a solution, Xersi postulates that the ATAR is not a measure of one's "value in society" and that it is not likely to hold worth in the future as much as it may hold for current Year 12 students, especially those who are approaching exams. Likening the ATAR to a "primary school award" that was won for a naive, seemingly childish task for "always completing homework," Xersi aims to reduce the importance of the ATAR especially when one looks back at it in the future. Portraying the ATAR as a tangible entity that that "gets stuck between the wall...to collect dust," Xersi encourages current Year 12 students and possibly any parents reading his comment, to dress and instead think of the ATAR as a temporary item to digest, so that in the long run, it can still hold its importance, instead of being so reminisced of, that it is undermined to "collect dust."

The meme corroborates Xersi's stance, as it captures a relaxed young adult sitting on the couch being dismissive of the "HSC" heading that stands in the forefront. The cartoonistic and the very fictional nature of this meme with the bolded "the worst" seeks to illustrate that the ATAR and its stress is a man-made creation, which can only be relieved by man. Just like the flying butterfly, the HSC and the ATAR along with other academic tensions should be viewed as drifting away a temporary presence, as they metaphorically 'fly away' from one's life.

THus, Xersi's coaxes Year 12 students to feel proud and be optimistic to gaining many other achievements like "work and volunteer experience, certificates" that should be placed more importance on for future growth. Upon being reassured, Year 12 students are likely to tackle the upcoming exams with less of a burden about their ATAR, but at the same time, with confidence.

[Anonymous]

This is my final attempt at Language analysis before the exam.
Thanks in advance


The recent commencement of the year 12 exams, filled with high stress and anxiety has ignited in responses to calm their nerves from all sorts of people. Targetted towards year 12 students, Zuhor  Xersi, a year 12 student wrote an article titled “Year 12 "Misery" Is Real, But Remember, Your ATAR Doesn’t Have to Define You”.  In an assured and rational tone, Xersi contends that the atar  is just a number and has no effect on your future. Xersi starts the article with a meme depicting the current situation.


Xersi emphasises that the atar has no purpose after high school and that it is not worth the stress that comes with it. The author uses descriptive language such as “ emit waves of misery” and “bags that have bags”. By using descriptive language, readers are able to relate to the author's view as they have personally seen it. This instils a sense of fear on readers as they too are in a similar situation. The author draws on his personal experience as he describes “the happiest people succumb to poison”. His personal experience urges readers to calm down and to de-stress as they too do not want to fall victims to vce. The use of the word “poison”  used to describe the life of year 12 students contains a negative connotation of evil and resulting in death. Thus this evokes a sense of worry as they too have the potential to succumb to the poison.

The meme supports Xersiis stance as it captures year 12 students relaxed of the HSC.  The words “the worst” on the meme highlights that academic stress is a result of man-made events suffered by humans. Thus the butterfly flying away signifies that the year 12 academic pressure and stress will fly away just like the butterfly. Thus this is motivated readers to try their best, but not worry if things don’t work out the way they are supposed too as the stress is only temporary and will eventually go away.



Xersis argues that the Atar will be pushed back and soon forgotten about. He compares it to the primary school awards where it is congratulated then pushed back as other awards soon come to take its place. Thus by creating a comparison,  he is able to demonstrate the lack of importance the atar is, therefore, compelling readers to reduce their stress for the exams as their atar will be less important as time passes on.

[scout]

So done with AA Haha!!

Using a bantering and a reassuring tone, Xersi uses his relevancy factor as a Year 12 student to postulate that the Year 12 ATAR and the stress associated with this, has created a superficial atmosphere of tension among students. From the outset, Xersi self-deprecates, as evident through his reaching "breaking point," and him having a "crisis" and through this, he seeks to portray himself as relatable, just like any other Year 12 student dealing with stress. Once this mutual understanding is achieved, Xersi then feels free to mock the stereotypical image of a Year 12 student "having signature bags under the eyes...bags that have bags for their bags." This imagery conjures a sense of ridiculousness that the stress brings to Year 12 student, to the point where students reading Xersi's comment are likely to feel themselves caricatured into some atrocious, unhealthy individuals at such a young age. As a result, students are likely to feel sorry for themselves - mhm, as Xersi points out the pains of Year 12, and in turn, they can be more attentive to Xersi's reassurance which would help them alleviate their pitiful feelings of themselves.

As a solution, Xersi postulates that the ATAR is not a measure of one's "value in society" and that it is not likely to hold worth carry any value in the future as much as it may hold for current Year 12 students, especially those who are approaching exams. Likening the ATAR to a "primary school award" that was won for a naive, seemingly childish task for "always completing homework," Xersi aims to reduce the importance of the ATAR especially when one looks back at it in the future. Portraying the ATAR as a tangible entity that "gets stuck between the wall...to collect dust," Xersi encourages current Year 12 students and possibly any parents reading his comment, to dress?? and instead think of the ATAR as a temporary item to digest, so that in the long run, it can still hold its importance, instead of being so reminisced of, that it is undermined to "collect dust." - not clear what you mean here

The meme corroborates Xersi's stance, as it captures a relaxed young adult sitting on the couch being dismissive of the "HSC" heading that stands in the forefront. The cartoonistic and the very fictional nature of this meme with the bolded "the worst" seeks to illustrate that the ATAR and its stress is a man-made creation, which can only be relieved by man. Just like the flying butterfly, the HSC and the ATAR along with other academic tensions should be viewed as drifting away a temporary presence, as they metaphorically 'fly away' from one's life. - good

THus, Xersi's coaxes Year 12 students to feel proud and be optimistic to about gaining many other achievements like "work and volunteer experience, certificates" that should be placed more importance on prioritised/foregrounded for future growth. Upon being reassured, Year 12 students are likely to tackle the upcoming exams with less of a burden about their ATAR, but at the same time, with confidence - yup that's the way to go my friend!.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for this!

Haha! I meant to say "Year 12 students and possibly any parents reading his comment to de-stress" NOT 'to dress' 
Just goes to show how I'm out of my mind!! Can't wait for Wednesday to be over!! 

[scout]

This is my final attempt at Language analysis before the exam.
Thanks in advance


The recent commencement of the year 12 exams, filled with high stress and anxiety has ignited in responses to calm their nerves from all sorts of people. Targetted towards year 12 students, Zuhor  Xersi, a year 12 student wrote an article titled “Year 12 "Misery" Is Real, But Remember, Your ATAR Doesn’t Have to Define You”.  In an assured and rational tone, Xersi contends that the atar  is just a number and has no effect on your future. Xersi starts the article with a meme depicting the current situation.


Xersi emphasises the fact that the atar has no purpose after high school and that it is not worth the stress that comes with it. The author uses descriptive language such as “ emit waves of misery” and “bags that have bags”. By using descriptive language, readers are able to relate to the author's view as they have personally seen it. This instils a sense of fear on 'instill in' readers as they too are in a similar situation - fear of what? Of exams (can't be because that's contrary to the contention)? Fear of succumbing to exam stress?. The author draws on his personal experience as he describes “the happiest people succumb to poison” - damn answered my previous question!. His personal experience urges readers to calm down and to de-stress as they too do not want to fall victims to vce. The use of the word “poison”  used to describe the life of year 12 students contains a negative connotation of evil and resulting in death = lethal. Thus this evokes a sense of worry as they too have the potential to succumb to the poison.

The meme supports Xersiis stance as it captures year 12 students relaxed of relaxed attitude towards the HSC.  The words “the worst” on the meme highlights that academic stress is a result of man-made events suffered by humans. Thus the butterfly flying away signifies that the year 12 academic pressure and stress will fly away just like the butterfly -yup. Thus this is motivated readers to try their best, but not worry if things don’t work out the way they are supposed too as the stress is only temporary and will eventually go away.



Xersis argues that the Atar will be pushed back and soon forgotten about. He compares it to the primary school awards where it is congratulated then pushed back as other awards soon come to take its place. Thus by creating a comparison,  he is able to demonstrate the lack of importance the atar is has, therefore, compelling readers to reduce their stress for the exams as their atar will be less important as time passes on.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for this!

Haha! I meant to say "Year 12 students and possibly any parents reading his comment to de-stress" NOT 'to dress' 
Just goes to show how I'm out of my mind!! Can't wait for Wednesday to be over!! 

Clearly 'stress' isn't in your dictionary!    It'll all be over in no time so be sure to soak up the moment

[scout]

That was me, I must be feeling the exam jitters too

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