90+ WAM in stem fields...

[clovvy]

Hi guys, as some you may wonder I am somewhat interested in doing adv sci/engo or adv sci/adv studies at either UNSW or Usyd (I also put actuarial on my preferences just for the sake of temporary reputation and transfer to other course so that I leave an impression that I am capable)... Now the thing is right now I am not even expected to get 90 ATAR (although I am not thinking about it knowing how useless and energy-draining it is, something that I failed to do up to now)... The thing is that any ATAR <90 to me is extremely shameful and even if I do get offered a position I do have fear that people will still ask here and there (and even if no one cares, it doesn't change the fact that I get an undesirable ATAR and my legacy at school will not be what I would want)... This is why i am considering to repeat HSC or I could compensate it with a 90+ WAM at least in first year if I got a position and I could potentially lie to people about my ATAR and marks for a short period of time or they will forget it if my WAM is super duper high like that....

The problem is the transition from High School to Uni without feeling totally equipped kinda scares me, and I also lack skills outside of school or any extra-curriculars... so that may not give me the skills required to achieve a 90+ WAM at least in first year? From people studying engineering or adv sci, how difficult is it to really get that WAM high (since I heard high WAMs like that in prestigious and difficult uni courses outweighs outstanding ATAR)...
I have considered to pros & cons of each and my parents have been strongly encouraging me to just loosen up for this HSC then decide if my results came up since everyone (including school staff) told me that they care more about my own safety and happiness over results, and they will be proud of me regardless of what I get at the end of the day although I felt insulted by this (since there is someone I really desperately tried to prove wrong but I have always been hiding this, my true intention is to not actually get into a course but I list them out as masquerade... although i did get interested in them overtime)...

Also if my HSC is dissapointing but got offered a position in any of my preference then I will use my post-hsc holidays to prep for first year uni and hopefully I could get that 90+ WAM in first year...., or I redo HSC again except I won't be in the same group when I get into uni which is one of my fears sometimes....

[Bri MT]

No one in uni cares what ATAR you got. In my experience,  people are more likely to have a negative perception of someone if they bring up that they got a high ATAR than if they just keep quiet about it (which really isn't hard to do). Definitely not worth spending a year to change. 

In my advanced science at monash  we're expected to keep our WAM above 70 which is probably equivalent to turning up for classes and handing in assignments etc  but not really putting in extra effort (this will vary depending on you and the units you take).
However, I would say that for most people getting a 90+ WAM is harder than a 90+ ATAR; however,  this could also be because many people stop caring about grades so much in uni.

Keep in mind that my perceptions of this are highly subjective and unlikely to generalise well, but hopefully this gives you a very rough idea

[Aaron]

No one cares about ATAR at uni. It's a rank / snapshot of 1-2 years of your life. Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank. Bolded the 2nd and 3rd words on purpose. I have done two degrees at two different unis and it has actually never come up once - in terms of comparing etc.

Also if my HSC is dissapointing but got offered a position in any of my preference then I will use my post-hsc holidays to prep for first year uni and hopefully I could get that 90+ WAM in first year.

This is a good idea. Stick with it.


Note that all you need is to actually get into a course and then you can transfer based on 1st sem/1st year grades. Even if you didn't get into uni at all, there's still bridging courses to get in that wouldn't require you to repeat Year 12 at school.

I strongly recommend you don't take that path of repeating year 12. There are so many pathways these days to get into a desired course. Not getting into your first pref is not the end of the world, which is what a lot of people think.

ATAR is not an indicator of success at uni either. I am a perfect example of this. I got ~65 as my ATAR but ended up with WAMs in the upper 70s in both my Bachelor and Masters, with several 90+ grades. I won't lie, it is extremely difficult to obtain a 90+ WAM in a uni degree, whatever discipline it is. Given most unit grades are weighted (in the sense that multiple assessment tasks/exams contribute to it), you'd have to be pretty bloody consistent.

we're expected to keep our WAM above 70 which is probably equivalent to turning up for classes and handing in assignments etc  but not really putting in extra effort

Eh... I personally disagree with this statement. It's not easy to maintain a WAM of 70+. For some it might be, but for the vast majority, it isn't.


tl;dr don't repeat yr 12, you can still get to where you want to go. ATAR is a tertiary admissions rank and that's it. Don't let it define you.

[www]

I highly recommend not choosing a course for the sake of other people. Choose a course because you want to do it, even if you do end up transferring out of it because of another passion you discover, or that it turns out you're not fond of it after starting uni.

I know this mindset is hard to get out of, but once you get to university, people genuinely do not care about your ATAR (people also don't generally ask out of the blue or care about other peoples' WAMs). Think of entering uni as a fresh slate. An undesirable ATAR is also not the end of the world - there is always a pathway to what you want to do. Your legacy will be who you are/were, not what you scored.

I can confidently say everyone I knew, including myself, felt unequipped going from high school to uni - and continued to feel lost for a good part of the first semester. First year, especially first semester, is a time to transition, get used to assessment expectations, and really exploring how you effectively study. It is okay to feel this way, especially at this time of the year when you're considering your next move out of high school. There also seems to be a common misconception that marks at uni level are comparable to marks at high school level. It's university, so keep in mind that the expectations will be different to high school. A WAM is 90+ is incredibly hard to get and maintain.

I echo what your parents and school staff are saying. It is definitely not meant to be an insult. Your health and well-being is more important than a score. If you are applying for uni without any real intention to go into tertiary study, have an open dialogue with your parents and school if you genuinely do not believe uni is the path for you right out of high school.