How to deal with people doubting your aims?

[Dejan]

@nosuperstar- Don't cry, don't let this get you down if you let get you down it may keep you there for good so cheer up and break away from any tears and become positive about the situation. That's good, keep it up and try as best as you possibly within your own abilities and trust me your dreams will become a reality. The exact situation at my school there a few people that don't care but these people are the one's that didn't get really great SAC's scores however the situation can be differ at your school, I know how you feel 100%, I am generally the person who really really cared about my education and what ATAR I scored more than anything else but my mates were different and also most people at my school really wanted to get the year over and done with so they can go out clubbing etc, they necessarily didn't really discuss their SAC results or how they were going really, people really just did their own thing as they weren't interested about it tbh. This pissed me off quite alot but I never told anyone like it's something I shouldn't complain but it made me feel like no one cared at all which brings the feeling in the sense that I shouldn't care either and strive to do well as it didn't bring the element competitiveness of VCE which can serve as a purpose to beat others as others aim to do as well as you want. That's good to know that these responses has changed your views and how you are going about it. I honestly wish you all the best in that you can prove everyone wrong as I feel it would be a huge disappointment and make me quite pissed that people of your school doubted you in your abilities to do well and weren't being supportive or at least encouraging ><

[oizoo]

Stopped reading the rest of this thread after the first couple of posts because it all turns into the same shit 'reach for the stars' 'don't listen to them' etc.

The only advice I would give you is to suck it up, surround yourself with positive thinkers and ensure the goals you have set for yourself are attainable ( in your mind ) if they are, you have no reason to take into account what anyone else says and it shouldn't affect you in the slightest.

Also, you don't necessarily have to rub it back in their faces if you do do well as many others have suggested. That would only prove that you still rely on them to be satisfied with yourself and then you really wouldn't have gotten anywhere...

[brenden]

Also, you don't necessarily have to rub it back in their faces if you do do well as many others have suggested. That would only prove that you still rely on them to be satisfied with yourself and then you really wouldn't have gotten anywhere...

Nah no way, your level of satisfaction would just increase tenfold. Defs rub it in their faces.


Edit. Kid does have a point though. You could be all moral and stuff. Or you could just revel etc

[oizoo]

Also, you don't necessarily have to rub it back in their faces if you do do well as many others have suggested. That would only prove that you still rely on them to be satisfied with yourself and then you really wouldn't have gotten anywhere...

Nah no way, your level of satisfaction would just increase tenfold. Defs rub it in their faces.

Or do that

[CaiTheHuman]

Who cares about them. They aren't your prospective employers, they have no relevance in your life, they shouldn't really matter. Be strong and brave. You will be able to get a high ATAR if you strive for it and work hard. I had a teacher once told I'll just be the class clown for the rest of my life and told me I was going to fail the eighth grade. It really got to me at that time but I realized what he said wasn't true. I managed to Pass Year 12 and I am content with it. These people are not worth your tears, trust me. They will have none or little relevance in your life in the future.

[Mr Keshy]

Last year, I almost failed VCE. (Failed a subject, as you can see). I was literally the worst student in the year level. I barely went to school. I didn't take any math subject in year 11 and in year 10 I told my math teacher "I will never do math after this year so I'm not going to do any work." I read novels in English (totally unrelated to the course) and you don't even want to know about the other subjects. Point of story, I am the last person you would expect to graduate let alone get a high ATAR. My aims weren't as extreme as yours, I just wanted a 90. The only subject I took this year that I did units one and two for was English. When I told everyone I was going to get it everyone laughed, as you can imagine. One year later, no one is laughing.

Funny you should say this, I was talking about you, or that position you were in. While I'm not in such an extreme position as you were, I'm not performing/studying at the level I should be to achieving my goals in year 12. So anyway, I mention things to my friends like, 'there are people who can transform their academic abilities when they go from Year 11 to Year 12' , but they would reply with things like, 'and you're gonna be one of them are you?'..

While what they're implying may be true, their intentions aren't to be 'realistic', but to put you down. Sometimes it does hit even me pretty hard, but now I've learnt not to care!

@nosuperstar

We do think alike! As many people have said, do your best to keep up the first rank and you'll be sure to get that goal of yours!



If I manage to exceed their expectations of me, I'll present my score on a paper with a Smug Victory Face.

Like this

imagine it with a piece of paper saying 95 or something

[thushan]

Guys, yet again BRILLIANT support work. This is amazing.

@nosuperstar, I have nothing to add - but I echo the sentiments of the others here in the thread.

[Greatness]

I went to an average/alright public school. Most of the teachers were great but some were a bit eehh, there were a small group of students who wanted and had potential to do well, a larger population who only wanted to get into uni and a small population who didn't care at all. The middle band students, probably didn't care too much about school unless it were for major sacs/exams but I don't think anyway ever doubted anyone elses goals. Most of us respected others' goals and aspirations. My advice is probably stick with the people who have big goals, who care about education, who want to go somewhere in life and be someone. Big goals get big results, provided you work at it and give it your best shot. I had an ATAR goal in mind all the way through year 12, did everything I could to attain it. In the end I got it! People may say oh wow you're aiming for a 90+,95+,97+,99+ ATAR that's going to be insanely hard and so on, but don't let that drag you down. It's only a number, someone has to achieve that certain ATAR score whether it's a 99.95, 99.90, 96.40, 90.50, 80.70, 75,00... you get the picture. Pencil in your name for one of the numbers and go for gold. If you set a high goal and miss out marginally, so what you would still have achieved a great score!
Honestly, if one of my friend's questioned my ability to achieve a certain score, I would question my friendship with them.
Impossible is nothing.

[Yendall]

I thought I would share my experiences with this type of stuff:

I don't go to a "bad" school, but moreso a school that is focused on sport. The academic side of my school is increasing as more and more of us strive to be better students and higher achievers, however there are still those who are bad influences. Now, as you can imagine, a lot of people look down upon those who try and those who actually take classes seriously. In year 10, I didn't care about certain subjects. I didn't care about math. I said to myself, like Brenden, that I would never do a math subject ever again and that I wouldn't have any chance at surviving a science, technology or math subject in the near future. All through Year 11, I essentially failed math, but the transition between Year 11 and Year 12 is enormous. I told myself at the start of this (even at the end of last year) that I will do well. Not that I will simply pass, I will do well. So, coming from a background of failing every sac, test, quiz in math, i didn't fall below an A all year. Yeah I don't do Methods or Specialist, but if I tried i'm sure I could. There were people telling me i'm going to fail math and i'm an idiot for choosing it, but everything is achievable when you put your mind to it. I told my friends that I am not going to get less than an A+ in English, Studio Art and Software Development. They all laughed in my face. Finishing up all my sacs, I didn't drop below 88% in any subject this year, and those three subjects I didn't drop below A+. People shouldn't bring you down, just stand up and say I will and leave them to worry about their own problems. They might not care about school or achieving, but that shouldn't influence you to do that same. So if you want a 98, you get a 98.

[pi]

You say "fuck you", get the ATAR you've always wanted, and then go back and rub it in their faces.

Life's too short to have people be negative, doubt you and say bad things about you - you know your own abilities and you know what you're capable of, don't let any stupid person say otherwise.

Agreed with this except for the 'rub it in their faces' part. No need to sink to their level.

[brenden]

Funny you should say this, I was talking about you, or that position you were in. While I'm not in such an extreme position as you were, I'm not performing/studying at the level I should be to achieving my goals in year 12. So anyway, I mention things to my friends like, 'there are people who can transform their academic abilities when they go from Year 11 to Year 12' , but they would reply with things like, 'and you're gonna be one of them are you?'..

While what they're implying may be true, their intentions aren't to be 'realistic', but to put you down. Sometimes it does hit even me pretty hard, but now I've learnt not to care!

Year 12 is an effort game.There's a line between your academic capabilities and what you are achieving. If you say you're going to be one of them, I believe you. Year 12 is drastic, it changes you in ways you wouldn't expect. At the start, unless you're a sped, it just hits you in the face "woah... my last year... this isn't S or N anymore... I need to try". I had no reason to try in Year 11, especially because I took stupid as subjects (HHD, Bus Man, and then I took Legal Unit 2 and Unit 4 synonymously) so I could pass without doing anything. This year though, on the holidays I started getting really aggressive about asylum seekers' rights and decided I wanted to do Arts and then the JD so I'd need a huge score. Whilst they were surprised, the faith and point blank amazingness of my teachers shocked me. They were a massive part of why I was able to turn myself around totally and a huge support network. Subsequently, I decided I wanted to become a teacher because the effect they can have, especially as a chain reaction, is huge. Maybe not in the way doctors do, but teachers save lives, y'know? So every time I thought "fuck maybe they're right and I can't do it" I then think "But I have to, or what am I going to tell my students, that I gave up?"
In sum, it's all about you man. Don't be realistic. I spent all year trying to be realistic. I thought "45 In Theatre, 38-40 in English, 35 in Math, 43 in Psych". Lol - I'm expecting a 35 for Theatre, close to a 45 in Math, before my English exam Werdna told me he'd expect 45 in English from my writing (something I would never have dreamed of let alone aim for) and anywhere from a 36-41 for Psych. Up your aims if you think there's any chance you can do it. Otherwise you'll put all your work to the level that you're aiming for. If you aim for a 40, you'll cap your work at what you think gets you a 40. If you aim for a 45, and aim properly, you'll work much harder than if you got a 40. I don't think I could ever repeat enough, the only limits you have are the ones you put on yourself. If you say you're going to do it, I believe you will.
+AN is a secret weapon. No one knows. Hehehe.

[b^3]

Post is kinda all over the place since I had to type it all up again (read the edit) and I've a bit late to the thread here, but coming from an area thats not that great academically (and in other regions aswell) I thought I'd add my view on this too.

As some of on here already know, I didn't go to such a great school, didn't have many great/good teachers (there were times when I remember having to learn one set of incorrect theory for sacs and then the proper theory for exams for physics), and with the schools average ATAR that is, well... average (if you get my gist). Despite all of this, I gave year 12 a bloody good shot, and worked hard for the whole year, and got relatively high, and a scholarship. What I'm trying to say is that, even in a crap school, if you REALLY set your mind to it, motivate yourself and put the hard yards in for the whole year, then you will be on your way to get there, and you CAN achieve it. Screw the people that think you can't do it, prove them wrong, what do they know in the end? They're not able to go and do it themselves so they're trying to bring you down with them.

With VCE, being 'smart' helps, but it more comes down to how hard you work. I know some people at my school who themselves say that they aren't that 'bright', but put the effort in and worked thier asses off all year, and got above 90, surprising a few people, teachers and even themselves. There was a guy that thought he was going to get a 70, and that was all he was aiming for, he ended up getting above 90, and a 50.... surprising thing is I thought he was doing VCAL for the whole year... until I found out on results day (he used to be on here, kinda hoping he doesn't read this... if so *bcub3d runs*).

The point is though, it can still be done, just set your goal and work hard to achieve it, you don't know what you can achieve unless you give it a shot. And yes, those at other schools (private, selective e.t.c) may have it better, it just means its a little harder to get to the same point as they are, it just requires more effort, but you can still get there, you just have to not give up on it.

Try and stick with those at your school who will actually work hard, of find some people that you think might be able to do that with a bit of encouragement. That way you can try and support each other, help each other out, bounce off each other. You can do it on your own, its just that you don't have that support there as much (and thats when you come to AN ).

So in the end, just remember, it doesn't matter what the others think, you're not doing it for them, you're doing this for yourself, not anyone else, and if you put the hard work in you CAN do it, you can prove them all wrong. And whats the worst that could happen? You try hard all year, fall not short of your aims and are left with your options open, knowing you gave it your best shot?


EDIT: I had the whole post typed up when I got the resubmit post thing and lost half of it, so the end bit is a little rushed... I've left a few things out with what I was going to say... and kinda ended up repeating myself...

[Mr Keshy]

Post is kinda all over the place since I had to type it all up again (read the edit) and I've a bit late to the thread here, but coming from an area thats not that great academically (and in other regions aswell) I thought I'd add my view on this too.

As some of on here already know, I didn't go to such a great school, didn't have many great/good teachers (there were times when I remember having to learn one set of incorrect theory for sacs and then the proper theory for exams for physics), and with the schools average ATAR that is, well... average (if you get my gist). Despite all of this, I gave year 12 a bloody good shot, and worked hard for the whole year, and got relatively high, and a scholarship. What I'm trying to say is that, even in a crap school, if you REALLY set your mind to it, motivate yourself and put the hard yards in for the whole year, then you will be on your way to get there, and you CAN achieve it. Screw the people that think you can't do it, prove them wrong, what do they know in the end? They're not able to go and do it themselves so they're trying to bring you down with them.

With VCE, being 'smart' helps, but it more comes down to how hard you work. I know some people at my school who themselves say that they aren't that 'bright', but put the effort in and worked thier asses off all year, and got above 90, surpising a few people, teachers and even themselves. There was a guy that thought he was going to get a 70, and that was all he was aiming for, he ended up getting just above 90, and a 50.... surprising thing is I thought he was doing VCAL for the whole year... until I found out on results day (he used to be on here, kinda hoping he doesn't read this... if so *bcub3d runs*).

The point is though, it can still be done, just set your goal and work hard to achieve it, you don't know what you can achieve unless you give it a shot. And yes, those at other schools (private, selective e.t.c) may have it better, it just means its a little harder to get to the same point as they are, it just requires more effort, but you can still get there, you just have to not give up on it.

Try and stick with those at your school who will actually work hard, of find some people that you think might be able to do that with a bit of encouragement. That way you can try and support each other, help each other out, bounce off each other. You can do it on your own, its just that you don't have that support there as much (and thats when you come to AN ).

So in the end, just remember, it doesn't matter what the others think, you're not doing it for them, you're doing this for yourself, not anyone else, and if you put the hard work in you CAN do it, you can prove them all wrong. And whats the worst that could happen? You try hard all year, fall not short of your aims and are left with your options open, knowing you gave it your best shot?


EDIT: I had the whole post typed up when I got the resubmit post thing and lost half of it, so the end bit is a little rushed... I've left a few things out with what I was going to say... and kinda ended up repeating myself...

Great read. Really great read.

[HossRyams]

Going to Nossal High School, I've been often categorised into what they call a 'MacRob reject'. People are incredibly sceptical of me and I think that's a part of life - I personally find that people doubting your VCE aims will be similar later on in life when we aspire to certain careers and so forth, so I look at this as a great opportunity to well... "Tolerate f*ckery" LOL.

It's one thing to aim high and get there, but another thing to do it while everyone doubts you.

People always say to me that they can't believe that I even study and they assumed all I did was go out and wag school. So when I tell them I want to do law and that I've even thought about trying to study overseas, they all reply "good luck... But you realise you can always transfer etc. and what's your back up plan?". They always immediately jump to the conclusion I won't get into law first round!

I admit I have some sort of pride dilemma whereby I don't particularly enjoy being classified 'dumb'. But I've decided to push my ego beside because really the only thing worth doing is to please yourself, isn't it? So aim as high as possible, because it'll encourage you to work harder than ever, regardless if you reach it or not.

And sometimes I do start worrying because even though I can't accurately conceive just how difficult it is to gain entrance into such a difficult course, and I am still aware I will have to work my ass off to get what I want - but I definitely will! I think that 'mindset' is a very important aspect in your studies, and you'd be surprised how much it affects you!

I remember beginning Psychology 3/4 with a "meh, I hope get a 40ish" sort of attitude but after the first SAC I thought no, I'm going to try to be the top rank.
And that's what I did for all my SACs! And then for the mid-years, I got the top rank for my cohort. So bam, it's all in the hard work!

I think people are sceptical of others because they aren't happy with themselves - I actually do think is quite true to a degree. So don't let them to get to you.

Good luck with everything I BELIEVE IN YOU, I MAY NOT KNOW YOU, BUT I THINK EVERYONE IS CAPABLE OF GREAT THINGS IF THEY WORK HARD!!!

[thushan]

Going to Nossal High School, I've been often categorised into what they call a 'MacRob reject'.

Shit you serious? Oh man...the lengths people go to...