A 50 ATAR, a rapid shift to online learning, and how it's affecting me

[JR_StudyEd]

I don't know if any of you feel similarly, but I am still pretty deflated about my Year 12 results and my ATAR. I missed my first and second preferences, and ended up in a course that doesn't even need an ATAR. I'm not enjoying it so far, to be completely honest. I've stopped caring about the coursework, and instead devoted my time to searching the world-wide web for other courses I'd rather be studying right now.

Through my grand adventures across the internet, I have come across some pretty discouraging correlations; that the lower the ATAR a student receives, the higher their chance of dropping out; online study is also correlated to a high dropout rate. I got a relatively low ATAR, I've been forced to adapt to an online method of learning, and I'm not feeling all too invested in my degree. Yet I don't want to drop out. I still think university is for me, it's just my Year 12 results severely limited where I could go. And as I've previously alluded to, I'm not in a desirable situation in terms of my course or the style of teaching.

I am aware that my ATAR is mainly just a snapshot of my performance across one year of education. It doesn't define me. There's so many more aspects that make me who I am. But will my Year 12 results really have an impact on my university performance?

[SOULXX]

I don't know if any of you feel similarly, but I am still pretty deflated about my Year 12 results and my ATAR. I missed my first and second preferences, and ended up in a course that doesn't even need an ATAR. I'm not enjoying it so far, to be completely honest. I've stopped caring about the coursework, and instead devoted my time to searching the world-wide web for other courses I'd rather be studying right now.

Through my grand adventures across the internet, I have come across some pretty discouraging correlations; that the lower the ATAR a student receives, the higher their chance of dropping out; online study is also correlated to a high dropout rate. I got a relatively low ATAR, I've been forced to adapt to an online method of learning, and I'm not feeling all too invested in my degree. Yet I don't want to drop out. I still think university is for me, it's just my Year 12 results severely limited where I could go. And as I've previously alluded to, I'm not in a desirable situation in terms of my course or the style of teaching.

I am aware that my ATAR is mainly just a snapshot of my performance across one year of education. It doesn't define me. There's so many more aspects that make me who I am. But will my Year 12 results really have an impact on my university performance?

what year 12 subjects did you do ?

[lm21074]

Hey JR,

Through my grand adventures across the internet, I have come across some pretty discouraging correlations; that the lower the ATAR a student receives, the higher their chance of dropping out; online study is also correlated to a high dropout rate. But will my Year 12 results really have an impact on my university performance?

As you said, this is a correlation. Correlation does not equal causation. Uni's a new playing field, an opportunity to start anew after high school. I know of plenty of people who got similar results to you - one's now a dentist, another is a wonderful nurse, and another is doing an aerospace engineering diploma at RMIT TAFE and is transferring into RMIT next year to study the degree version. On the flip side, there will be students who achieve higher results and decide that uni is not for them.

Yes, your past and your circumstances can be obstacles, but that does not mean that you cannot get to where you want to be. 

Your ATAR can be viewed as a key to open doors to courses. It is just one key, and there are more you can gain. Through hard work (and determination), you have the capability to open more doors with different keys.

Ask yourself, what is it that you want to achieve? What do you value? What do you want to get out of studying at university? You have your whole life ahead of you to strive for anything, so don't give up.

[JerryMouse2019]

I don't know if any of you feel similarly, but I am still pretty deflated about my Year 12 results and my ATAR. I missed my first and second preferences, and ended up in a course that doesn't even need an ATAR. I'm not enjoying it so far, to be completely honest. I've stopped caring about the coursework, and instead devoted my time to searching the world-wide web for other courses I'd rather be studying right now.

Through my grand adventures across the internet, I have come across some pretty discouraging correlations; that the lower the ATAR a student receives, the higher their chance of dropping out; online study is also correlated to a high dropout rate. I got a relatively low ATAR, I've been forced to adapt to an online method of learning, and I'm not feeling all too invested in my degree. Yet I don't want to drop out. I still think university is for me, it's just my Year 12 results severely limited where I could go. And as I've previously alluded to, I'm not in a desirable situation in terms of my course or the style of teaching.

I am aware that my ATAR is mainly just a snapshot of my performance across one year of education. It doesn't define me. There's so many more aspects that make me who I am. But will my Year 12 results really have an impact on my university performance?

Hey JR,

I think you need some time off from study. It seems pretty clear to me that you have no clear idea of what you want to do in your life currently. You feel unmotivated to study and this also makes studying at university harder for you in my opinion. You can't seem to adapt to sudden changes and you know what you have to do in order to study but you keep waiting for perfection to come for you. The truth is that perfection doesn't exist. You tell yourself that university is for you when you also tell yourself that you don't feel motivated to study. How can you do a university degree when you can't motivate yourself to study? This is a problem. If you can't adapt to sudden changes then how can you work in a company where changes are constantly announced. Think about it deeply.

You've decided that you want to change to a different degree but before you do that take my advice. Think deeply before you take a decision on switching degrees. Think about what your future goal is. Anthropology is an interesting field for sure but are there many jobs available in that field which can provide you with a stable income? I guess not. Any jobs in the arts or humanities usually aren't stable. Or are you doing anthropology simply because you find it interesting enough. We all have to work sometimes to do work that we don't enjoy but that doesn't mean we don't do it simply because we don't like it. We do it because we need to do it in order to survive and live our lives.

I've received bad results in high school myself and they have de-motivated me but I've always attempted to get back up again because I know that if I don't then I'll regret that I didn't even try to get back up again.

Famous Quote: Life is not fair; get used to it. - Bill Gates

In the end, pick a degree which makes you feel excited to study and which makes you want to wake up to go to uni in the morning.

Watch This Video for Inspiration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2NDQOgGycg

Use this website to compare which universities are the best (it uses official student survey data conducted by the federal government annually):

https://www.compared.edu.au/

Good luck,

Kind Regards
JerryMouse2019

[JR_StudyEd]

I have previously considered taking time off study, but what would I do? Travelling is kind of illegal right now, and job hunting has become even more difficult, so I basically have no choice but to continue my studies, despite my lack of interest. I guess this was just one unit that I didn't find interesting. Seriously, if I watch a YouTube video on the topic and it's still not interesting, then I know it's not my thing. The outbreak has been nothing but a burden on my studies. Firstly, home is absolutely NOT where I want to be studying as no matter how hard I try, it's just too difficult to work in the same place as I sleep.
 
All this time at home has made me realise just how little research I did when it came to university. I went to two open days, quite unprepared, and guess what? The uni I'm currently at is one that I never visited prior to O-week. I'm human, just like all of you, but surely I would have adapted by now?