UoM BBiomed Roll Call!

[vox nihili]

If you mean socially, again, I don't think that will be the case. I don't think people will really be talking about their ATAR at university and I've heard that those that do are generally dismissed. The same would probably happen if someone directly put you down for the score you got.

This is the biggest myth at Uni. Everybody keeps on talking about their ATAR and their subjects. Though, with that said, having a lower ATAR doesn't necessarily mean people lose face in that conversation, sometimes it can be a good thing. "they got a 97, I got a 99.5 and they're beating me...shit?" That kind of thing.

You're quite right about the put down thing. You hear whipsers, often followed with the not so whipsered "dick head". What you've said is the right sentiment, I was just disappointed that it was a myth at the end of the day! haha

[vox nihili]

Thanks

I meant just generally because I'm not used to being in such a high-achieving cohort; went to a pretty average school. And not really a fan of being a 'lower achiever'.

I hope everyone is nice. I've heard stories about students telling other students wrong answers. Don't even see how that would be beneficial seeing as it isn't a ranking system like in VCE.

How's the study demand in comparison to Year 12?

To give you a bit of background before I go into my experiences. In terms of "cohort strength", we were one of the lowest achieving in the state. In fact, we ended up in the bottom 10 or so schools in the state, depending on how you look at it (there were only 8 with a lower median SS than us, but about 10-15 with the same median SS). The dux got a 99.35 in my year, which is the highest in well over a decade. I got a 98.10, which in any other year would have been dux (any other year that I was at the school, damn hey? haha!). The number three person in my year got a 79, so it wasn't exactly what you'd call a strong cohort... Two of us who were keen to buck the trend, much like yourself probably!

So, experiences:

High achieving cohort: yes, it is very different and it can take some getting used to. I can't deny that it really is quite a confronting experience to be surrounded constantly by people who are achieving at the same level or better than you, or at least have done before. It can be a pretty intense environment at times, that's certain, but it can also be hugely rewarding. You may just find that you feel far more at home among other, neurotic high achievers such as yourself.

Lower achiever: you may be by ATAR, but that doesn't endure. What you do at Uni will matter much more to the way your cohort sees you. Even then, they don't really care. Everyone struggles at times.

I've heard those stories, but I can't say I've seen it in Biomed. It may exist, but not among the people I know. To be quite frank, I've seen far more plagiarism and answer-sharing than I have deliberately misleading people! haha

The study load is probably more than year 12, but a better way to put it would be to just say that it's different. You don't study for exams anymore, really, you study to have all the knowledge. That was my experience with it anyway.


Stress less about where you come from! Coming from modest backgrounds can be a bit confronting, but not because people are mean and nasty or anything like that. Personally, I just found it confronting and somewhat bizarre because I'd never really met people who'd been supported so much in their lives. That can be a little confronting, and hey, annoying, but it's not the end of the world and is hardly a problem.

[Hancock]

Didn't come from a legit private school with a high 99+ ATAR. Doing ok for myself. Many students on this forum would attest that uni is a completely different playing field compared to high school, so use the fresh start to show where you stand!

[Shenz0r]

Doing ok for myself.

Haha, such an understatement...