'Moving on' from VCE once you get into a uni course

[appianway]

I'm not going to lie: some graduate jobs (and a very very small number of graduate programs) do ask for your VCE or high school results. However, put this to the back of your mind once you graduate, because VCE won't matter for anything until then (and honestly, probably will barely matter at that point) once you get into a course.

What always annoyed me was that a lot of people were saying how your ATAR sums up 18 years. It really doesn't. It sums up about 6 days, really, and some other work. It's a key to open doors, but nothing more.

[Lasercookie]

Yeah but appianway, if I get an ATAR of 40, it will essentially ruin my life as it closes nearly every door to engineering/medicine/commerce

Not really. There's alternate pathways into uni.

[BigAl]

Go to one of those camps before uni

[TrueTears]

I'm not going to lie: some graduate jobs (and a very very small number of graduate programs) do ask for your VCE or high school results. However, put this to the back of your mind once you graduate, because VCE won't matter for anything until then (and honestly, probably will barely matter at that point) once you get into a course.

What always annoyed me was that a lot of people were saying how your ATAR sums up 18 years. It really doesn't. It sums up about 6 days, really, and some other work. It's a key to open doors, but nothing more.

To add on to what appianway has already said. I know of a case where two extremely smart people were a few of the last remaining candidates left for a very top position at a prestigious firm. They were on par in almost every aspect - abundant work experience, extremely good uni grades etc, what ended up as the deciding factor was their ENTER.

So yeah, your VCE ENTER could still matter just when you don't think it will...

[alondouek]

The best way to move on from VCE is to slay your certificate and consume its soul; this is the only way to free yourself from its foul grip and banish it from this realm. It is known.

But seriously Brenden is absolutely correct. Once you're in uni you pretty much forget about school altogether.

[simpak]

The only time ATAR is was mentioned in my course is subtly when people discuss whether or not they have guaranteed med entry.

Edit: ):

[b^3]

But it's still important though, it's part of your roots

I don't see how that makes a difference. You made it into the course, it doesn't matter where you came from or your roots. What you've done in the past and what effort you've put in doesn't matter once you've got in. It's how you go and what you put in when you get there that matters. Just because you got a good atar doesn't mean you'll do well in uni, and just because you may not of gotten a good atar doesn't mean you won't do well in uni either.

Starting uni is a time to reinvent yourself, if you want to. After VCE you shouldn't let yourself attach your ATAR to yourself or 'part of your roots'. You're missing the point here. It's important to get you in, after that it doesn't mean squat*

*(other than the situations that TT and appianway have said or if you want to transfer at midyear).

EDIT: You'll probably realise and understand it more after results when the "VCE bubble" bursts.

[eeps]

Yeah but appianway, if I get an ATAR of 40, it will essentially ruin my life as it closes every door to engineering/medicine/commerce

I can't see how you can proceed successfully into the future without a "decent" ATAR (I know it's subjective but you get what I'm saying)

A "shit" (using it loosely) ATAR score doesn't mean "Oh no, it's the end of the world". There are always ways to get where you ultimately want to be, some ways just take longer than others. That said, there is a saying in life "no pain, no gain". As what others have already alluded to, your ATAR score is simply a stepping-stone into university, but it's really what you make of your degree that counts. If you look at some of the most successful entrepreneurs like Lindsay Fox, he dropped out of school altogether and yet look where he's at now. Sometimes, I believe we tend to overemphasise scores/rankings (whatever you want to call it) and make sweeping generalisations about people based solely on empirical data. Life all around us is defined by numbers and scores, but that doesn't define us as individuals. There are no guarantees in life.

1. I think this thread has brought up some great discussion.
2. I am never this serious.
3. Must be hacked.

[ShortBlackChick]

^ Wow.

[Thu Thu Train]

What the hell is this thread?

Step 1) Get ATAR
Step 2) Get into ideal course somehow
Step 3)
Step 4) Never mention your ATAR or study scores after the first half of semester 1 of your first year to your peers or it's just embarrassing for everyone involved

[alondouek]

What the hell is this thread?

Step 1) Get ATAR
Step 2) Get into ideal course somehow
Step 3)
Step 4) Never mention your ATAR or study scores after the first half of semester 1 of your first year to your peers or it's just embarrassing for everyone involved

5. ? ?? ?
6. Profit?

[walkec]

I can't wait to move on from VCE once I'm in Uni. And in all seriousness, my step brother and I were talking about this the other day and he says the people who do talk about their atar are usually people you want to avoid. So do yourself a favour, don't talk about your atar in uni and save your self from the potential pit of alienation

[slothpomba]

There is an absolutely massive gap between VCE and Uni. 3 and a bit months, give or take. It's some of the largest holidays you've ever had. It's ~12 weeks, think about that for a bit. You won't care about VCE or ATAR maybe a month or two after. You settle into not being at school and not having to do the routine anymore. Uni slowly eases you into it as well.

It's not like it hits you like a brick. You will just gradually get use to it, believe me. Even then, theres not some magical moment where a dude in a robe gives you a secret invitation to be a uni student, theres no inauguration to a secret society or anything. It's a bit like becoming an adult, theres no magical letter to hogwarts or the secret adult club with all you need to know, it just happens one day and you ease into it without even really noticing.

As for those saying uni will be awesome, it is. It's not all smiles and rainbows either though, theres a lot of work and in some regards the extra freedom and responsibilities which make it so awesome can also magnify your problems. It is an awesome experience for sure but there won't be rainbows in the sky and you won't be magically a foot taller once you're there. I've seen some people go into it with massively overinflated expectations (including myself to a degree) and it makes it a bit of a shock to the system.

If you don't feel like moving on, become a moderator on an Australian educational website and forum.
This way, your high school days will haunt you forever.

That got real deep...fast.

[VCEcupcakes]

is transferring courses or university as easy as everyone says it is?
I heard that if your gpa is good enough in year 1 you can practically transfer into any course/uni you want. I haven't been doing very well this year, been suffering from depression, I think I'll be lucky to get even ~85 which falls short of comm/eng @ monash 93. In previous years I've pretty much pretty damn good at school; got a 41 last year in accounting without putting in too much effort, so I'm sure that after I get over my issues I should be able to do well in uni. Would give me lots of hope if transferring is as easy as it sounds

[clueless123]

is transferring courses or university as easy as everyone says it is?
I heard that if your gpa is good enough in year 1 you can practically transfer into any course/uni you want.

Mid year transfer for Melb Uni courses have half weighting on ATAR and half weighting on GPA, while after a full year of study your ATAR becomes irrelevant.
It should be similar for other universities as well