My anecdote, in light of this years ATAR results

[4lec]

This is just a short anecdote I wish to share with people who have a passion for VCE, results and the great community this website had blossomed.

I graduated 2 years ago, from an eastern Suburbs Public School with an ATAR of 77.6.But I believe I deserved 90< For so long, I was achieving extremely high results in my maths and science work due to being tutored from an early age and pressure from family. It was planted in my brain that a high ATAR was everything and that is what I aimed for. With my two cousins finishing year 12 in 2006 with an ENTER score of 94.XX and graduating the year before me with an ATAR of 96.10. I was determined, at least, match their achievements. I was pressured to take Biology  3/4 in year 11, under recommendation from the  senior biology teacher who said she "saw some potential" in me to take it. In a hasteful decision I decided to undertake it. I was clueless the whole year, and kept telling myself that it would be over soon. Ended up with a 31,  I knew i had wasted my time and effort to impress others but felt ok. The year after, subjects I chose where, Methods, Physics, Chem, Software Dev and English. Although english was not my forte, I promised myself a year of extra essay writing and practice. I was pumped as for year 12 and ready to kick its but so to speak. My main concern for semester 1 was physics and I put 110% for all sacs and classes. All this time my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer, but I didn't let it distract me to much. The physics exam was approaching and I had nearly solved 30 practice papers and knew how to solve nearly every single question. Exam day was a nervous wreck and just screwed the exam totally up, getting a B+ after so much time, effort and commitment investing into the preparation. I even requested to see my marks for each question (forgot what its called) I was guttered and all the life was sucked out of me. Year 12 went down hill from there. I realised that my current friend group needed to be changed (due to immaturity, low morals/ethics, different subjects), my mum was having appointments every week, just had a feeling of despair due to so much effort being put in, essentially for nothing. It was around this time I found out about the likes of Melbourne High and MacRob. It was also at this time that our "sister" school if you will was outweighing us in nearly every single positive facet. All adding pressure and emptiness to me. I was feeling so alone and I knew I knew it was coming to an end of 12 previous years of high achieving going to waste....for nothing. All the money and time my parents spent, all the time I spent, all the sacrifices I had to make to my social life, sacrifices I was to make at home such as being provisioned time to spend on the computer, not being able to watch TV or use the Playstation during the school week. It was those little things that I couldn't really bare. These feelings and thoughts continued to resonate, and my only ever relief was ATAR Notes. As the year came to a close, people were saying good bye, studying hard for exams and my mood was continuing to decline. On the last official day of year 12, I nearly didn't allow anyone to sign my shirt due to my sour feeling to the whole concept of school at the time. The exams approach and I really made an effort to study and consolidate on the subjects I was stronger at (Methods, Physics, Soft Dev). Exams approach and I remember playing "Where's my Water" nearly everyday before getting out of bed. During the exams I knew I had not done well, not because of my lack of study, but the disability to recall facts due to my nervousness in each exam. I would think about my friends and family reactions when the reality catches up and my ATAR is published. I made sure I submitted my SEAS application as a safety net. My ambition was to study Eng/Commerce @ Monash and become consumed with all the statistics and calculations for the ATAR, study score scaling, ATAR cutt-offs, VTAC, Uni rankings, all the different course, even had some hope for MBBS (secretly). Mostly though, it was the allure of a prestigious school like Melbourne High that kept me coming back to this website. I would still remember my extremely high level of achievement, especially mathematics at year 8/9 level, when the entrance exam took place. In the end, when my results were released, I felt my heart miss a beat and nearly stopped beating completely.

[Methods]  31 -> 36
[Physics]    33 ->35
[Software]  35  ->31
[English]    29 ->30
[Chem]      28 ->34
[Bio]          30->31

Right now, I am @ RMIT studying double degree in Electrical Engineering & Business Management. I  really enjoy my course and know I have options in the future. It when I think of the past that hurts the most. I not sure how many of you will still be reading but I have so many regrets about secondary school, the main one being staying at my own school. I had a horrible environment and no one to go to. I keep beating my self up missing the chance of a lifetime going to Melbourne High. I know there nothing I can do about it, but feed this craving I have about VCE by visiting this website. I don't know why I keep reading The Age and Herald Sun, come to theses forums, read all the result discussions, alway look the the years exams/answers. For those who are still with my I appreciate you for staying this me. I don't really know what my contention is and just need to get it off my chest.

Thank You again

[shadows]

This is just a short anecdote I wish to share with people who have a passion for VCE, results and the great community this website had blossomed.

I graduated 2 years ago, from an eastern Suburbs Public School with an ATAR of 77.6.But I believe I deserved 90< For so long, I was achieving extremely high results in my maths and science work due to being tutored from an early age and pressure from family. It was planted in my brain that a high ATAR was everything and that is what I aimed for. With my two cousins finishing year 12 in 2006 with an ENTER score of 94.XX and graduating the year before me with an ATAR of 96.10. I was determined, at least, match their achievements. I was pressured to take Biology  3/4 in year 11, under recommendation from the  senior biology teacher who said she "saw some potential" in me to take it. In a hasteful decision I decided to undertake it. I was clueless the whole year, and kept telling myself that it would be over soon. Ended up with a 31,  I knew i had wasted my time and effort to impress others but felt ok. The year after, subjects I chose where, Methods, Physics, Chem, Software Dev and English. Although english was not my forte, I promised myself a year of extra essay writing and practice. I was pumped as for year 12 and ready to kick its but so to speak. My main concern for semester 1 was physics and I put 110% for all sacs and classes. All this time my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer, but I didn't let it distract me to much. The physics exam was approaching and I had nearly solved 30 practice papers and knew how to solve nearly every single question. Exam day was a nervous wreck and just screwed the exam totally up, getting a B+ after so much time, effort and commitment investing into the preparation. I even requested to see my marks for each question (forgot what its called) I was guttered and all the life was sucked out of me. Year 12 went down hill from there. I realised that my current friend group needed to be changed (due to immaturity, low morals/ethics, different subjects), my mum was having appointments every week, just had a feeling of despair due to so much effort being put in, essentially for nothing. It was around this time I found out about the likes of Melbourne High and MacRob. It was also at this time that our "sister" school if you will was outweighing us in nearly every single positive facet. All adding pressure and emptiness to me. I was feeling so alone and I knew I knew it was coming to an end of 12 previous years of high achieving going to waste....for nothing. All the money and time my parents spent, all the time I spent, all the sacrifices I had to make to my social life, sacrifices I was to make at home such as being provisioned time to spend on the computer, not being able to watch TV or use the Playstation during the school week. It was those little things that I couldn't really bare. These feelings and thoughts continued to resonate, and my only ever relief was ATAR Notes. As the year came to a close, people were saying good bye, studying hard for exams and my mood was continuing to decline. On the last official day of year 12, I nearly didn't allow anyone to sign my shirt due to my sour feeling to the whole concept of school at the time. The exams approach and I really made an effort to study and consolidate on the subjects I was stronger at (Methods, Physics, Soft Dev). Exams approach and I remember playing "Where's my Water" nearly everyday before getting out of bed. During the exams I knew I had not done well, not because of my lack of study, but the disability to recall facts due to my nervousness in each exam. I would think about my friends and family reactions when the reality catches up and my ATAR is published. I made sure I submitted my SEAS application as a safety net. My ambition was to study Eng/Commerce @ Monash and become consumed with all the statistics and calculations for the ATAR, study score scaling, ATAR cutt-offs, VTAC, Uni rankings, all the different course, even had some hope for MBBS (secretly). Mostly though, it was the allure of a prestigious school like Melbourne High that kept me coming back to this website. I would still remember my extremely high level of achievement, especially mathematics at year 8/9 level, when the entrance exam took place. In the end, when my results were released, I felt my heart miss a beat and nearly stopped beating completely.

[Methods]  31 -> 36
[Physics]    33 ->35
[Software]  35  ->31
[English]    29 ->30
[Chem]      28 ->34
[Bio]          30->31

Right now, I am @ RMIT studying double degree in Electrical Engineering & Business Management. I  really enjoy my course and know I have options in the future. It when I think of the past that hurts the most. I not sure how many of you will still be reading but I have so many regrets about secondary school, the main one being staying at my own school. I had a horrible environment and no one to go to. I keep beating my self up missing the chance of a lifetime going to Melbourne High. I know there nothing I can do about it, but feed this craving I have about VCE by visiting this website. I don't know why I keep reading The Age and Herald Sun, come to theses forums, read all the result discussions, alway look the the years exams/answers. For those who are still with my I appreciate you for staying this me. I don't really know what my contention is and just need to get it off my chest.

Thank You again

Wow. I truly admire your honesty.

Things that have happened a little more than 2 years ago now is irrelevant. I sense you have some qualms about your VCE. But considering all the hardship you went through ( I cant imagine what it was like to go through VCE with your mum having breast cancer); sometimes you just can't expect to be a high achiever and get killer scores if more pressing issues are pervading your life.

But let me tell you one thing. Things that have happened a little more than 2 years ago now are irrelevant. Don't look back. Look forward. I think it is excellent you are enrolled in RMIT studying a double degree. Getting to where you would like to get in life is still possible. Not ever is it not. No matter how deep you of a rut you have created, no matter how shit life gets. If you plan on further study in the future, the university you do to for undergrad is not really important. Postgrad is a lot more important.
So work hard with the remaining time you have at RMIT, work to get a high GPA (or maintain it) and transfer to monash or wherever you want to go.

Don't be so hard on yourself! I think VCE just finished abruptly and you have unclosed feelings about it. But VCE is a small and minute speck in your life its purpose solely for entrance to uni, nothing else. It doesn't define who you are.

[lala1911]

Not getting a 40 in Further shattered me too, especially because I dropped at least 7 marks to questions that I actually knew well but just couldn't focus. A lot goes on in year 12 but it really sounds like this is affecting you still. I guess you just need to move on from it. I'm sure when a good opportunity comes along you'll pounce on it and never look back at VCE.

[lionelmessi1997]

Wow, truly inspirational message you have shared with us. Life can be rough sometimes, but you just have to push forward like you have yourself. You have motivated me so much as i am in a similar position atm, thankyou.

[abd0051]

So inspiring.