Up close and personal with the HSC

5/TARA RAMAKRISHNAN reminds us that life is about more than just ATARs

Itis thac time of the year as anxious SW Year 12 students receive their 2013 HSC res ults and Australian Tertiary Admission Rankings (ATARs) administered by the Board of Studies and the Univers ity Admissions Centre. For many srudent5, it marks an intense ye ar's worth of dedication, perseverance and sac r ifice mo LLlded into a number.

As frustrating and demandi ng as the 1-ISC year can be, the only thing smdems can do is to try the ir absolute best. Of course, reaching academic goals wmtld be an incredible feeling knowing the wo r k paid off and career paths are now set However, despi te hard work and commitment, sometin1es results don't always go to plan. tv[issing die cutoff for m y dream course by 0.4 was definitely a good hard slap in d1e face. But at the encl of the day, the ATAR is merely die shorcesr pamway for students to reach their career goals.

The ATAR \Vill not srop students from pursuing and achieving their dream career paths if they are driven and committed to getting there through oilier pad1ways. Sure, it could simply mean a different university for stndy, or it could even take.a year or two longer, bur hey, how significant is that in terms of a Lifetime?

The HSC year for me was steered by a personal drive and a degree of pressure which felt heald1 y, as it kept me pushing myself to work towards m y personal goal even after a few occasions of disappoinmient

Everyone bas a different ATAR aim wbetherjt's 99.95, 95, 85 or 75, and any of diese marks are a great achievement if you tried your hardest. ln just about all m y subjects: English Advanced, English Extension 1 & 2, Chemistry, Biology and Ancient Histor)~ I would nevet have considered myself a 'fasdearner'. You know what type of learner you are and just how qwckly you can absorb information. So smdems, set ample time, consult with your teachers, practice and develop studying techniques that swt your own learning style whether it is wr iting, lots of colour, diagrams, doc-points or preparing essay scaffolds!

All die above was a personal choice l wanted to see what I could achieve when I tried my absolute best and put in the ho urs I did. I was extremely lucky to h ave such supportive parents who showed no hostility cowards my decision to drop madiematics altogether and put absolutely no pressure on me so I felt like I had no external expectations but co fulfil my own.

TbeATARis pe rso nal and that is bow it should be. The subject., you choose, die career padi you wish to pursue and die marks you receive should all come down to a personal choice.

Any external pressures can be emotionally draining and simultan eously impact on the quality of one's study and ruindset during an exam.

So a bumble note to parents if you want your child to succeed, all you need to do is le t them make d1e big decisions and just be there for them Sure, Extension 2 Mathematics, Phys ics, Chemistry and a career path of medicine may seem like a fantastic choice for your child, but at the encl of day, your child is the one d1at must immerse themselves in substa n tial periods of rnese subjects and fields. So smdents, put as ide all thls ' low scaling/high-scaling' b u siness and do what yon End most imeresting and the marks and resul ts will undoubtedly follow in die best way.

\x;'hat I have learnt is mat success is not about p leasing or compacing yourself with others, it is not necessarily about receiving die highestATAR or making the most money eidier. Success i s the result of passion. W/e can achieve die greatest of thln!;,>s when we find o ur place of passion in die long speccrwn of li fe's possibilities and can wake upin tbemorning, just feeling happy That's all it really is and these days just abour any passion can result in a career. Whether chat is through university, TAPE, medicine, arc, business, photography or music, go find it, work for it, grab onto it and never let anyone stop you from achieving trne happiness.