Yoooo,
As you may or may not know, ATAR Notes turns 10 on October 19 of this year. That's less than a fortnight away, and I think something super important to acknowledge.
(https://media.tenor.com/images/b058f4cf363c182044e75e6a789b8d4d/tenor.gif)
From humble beginnings (see the very first post here), ATAR Notes has grown to be a much, much bigger thing than probably what was first intended.
As you can probably tell from that post, AN started off as FreeStudyNotes (FSN). It then progressed to VCE Notes (VN) and, as is now, ATAR Notes (AN). It's pretty crazy if you think about the progression. We have nearly 200,000 members. We'll probably make our collective 1,000,000th post some time next year. There are more than 65,000 threads.
Further to that, we've run literally hundreds and hundreds of free VCE and HSC lectures across two states. Thousands and thousands of students have attended those lectures. That's an absolute game-changer, even compared with when I was in Year 12; the concept of a free revision or head-start lecture would have been freakin' absurd.
There are more than 2,500 sets of notes entirely free to download. Heaps of free content on a daily basis across multiple platforms. Plus low-cost study guides and tutoring, of which we're extremely proud.
IMO, though, the very best part of ATAR Notes is this very community. This community right here. I joined 5.5 years ago, when I was in Year 12 myself (and had lurked here prior to that). I received help and support when I was in my final year. AN was a great place to chill, and connect with others in a similar position. Perhaps unlike the majority of AN users, I became more active after Year 12, and I've never wanted to leave since.
Why? Because this community is legitimately special. It's the most supportive place I know - the most supportive place I could possibly fathom. And it's only become increasingly so. Honestly, I don't think the forums have been this strong and vibrant for a long, long time.
That's a huge thing, and it's due to everybody reading this thread - and many others.
ATAR Notes is a mammoth part of my life. I guess this thread is really just to thank you all for making it so, and for giving me somewhere to relax, to push myself, and to learn. Many of my closest friends, I met directly through ATAR Notes - and that's something I don't take lightly. I am forever in AN's debt.
That's the thing, though.
Very few people from when I first joined are still active. brenden and I joined a month apart. vox nihili and spectroscopy, amongst others, joined soon after. But most have left. And in the last 5.5 years, I've had the absolute pleasure of seeing new users take their place.
People who first came for the free notes or essay marking, who then became the ones giving the free notes and essay marking.
And I'm proud to say that I was one of those people. Two years ago, I wasn't a moderator. Now I work full-time for ATAR Notes, and there literally could be no better or more enjoyable place to spend my days.
If you're reading this as a lurker, or somebody who has posted only a few times, please get more involved. You won't regret it.
If you're reading this as a current VCE or HSC student, please stick around. You won't regret it.
This community is incredible, because it's simply worth so much more than the sum of its parts. When some leave, others emerge, and still others push themselves further. I love that. This community is built on altruism, on trust, and on selflessness. That's what I love about ATAR Notes. That's what I love about all of you.
I think it's important over the next couple of weeks to recognise the contributions of all who have come before us. Of the previous administrators and moderators, of the previous essay markers, of the previous posters of any age and any variety. Every single person who has made a single post has contributed to ATAR Notes, and for that I am thankful.
A customary glance at the most prolific posters in the history of AN will likely reveal many unfamiliar names. But these, plus very many others, are the people who have built the foundation for ATAR Notes both now and in the future.
So let's tip our hats.
(https://i.imgur.com/5ajbeWB.gif)
The most exciting thing, though, is to think about what ATAR Notes might be like in the future. As members of this community, which is the core of everything ATAR Notes does and can do, we have the considerable opportunity to make a genuine difference.
Who will be the ones that move ATAR Notes forward in the future? You. All of you. If you want to make a difference, you can.
That's why I'm sticking around, and why I hope you do also. ATAR Notes is pretty much my favourite thing on Earth. I genuinely love ATAR Notes.
So, thank you all - and please join me in wishing AN a very happy 10th birthday!