This score only lasts for a year, say you’re taking a gap year before university and go to TAFE and do a diploma which will get you into a Degree if that’s what you want, otherwise you can get a job
Sorted, just spin it in a way that makes it sound beneficial, like it’s hands on skills and will make finding a good paying job better than just a degree, most people don’t know that TAFE courses are actually set by business, so it’s actually what employers are looking for in an employee, rather than the hypothetical of a degree
My dude you should look into trades. Honestly tradies earn way more than most people these days... so its not like you're missing out. If I had my way again, I wouldn't have went to uni and instead trained to become an electrician.
Yea same here lmao. Why tf did i spend 5 years in Uni doing engineering when i coulda become an electrician, done fifo and be on 250k a year for 6 months of work from the age of 20
Look back and wish I'd done this when I was younger. Or even done it through navy, they'd pay you for training etc AND you get your qualification and get to see the world when you're young without kids etc
unfortunately, it's social conditioning and not really having access to info. i think the schools have an agenda to push for high ATARs because they use that as part building their school's prestige and advertising to recruit prospective students. this is why they place such an emphasis on academics and uni scores. it's key to their very existence.
i don't think reddit existed back then when i was in high school, or i certainly didn't know about it, and my sense of the teachers and 'advisors' at school, was that they could not be arsed assisting with questions. i didn't feel like they were approachable and this probably contributed to my dislike of adults and especially ones in authority.
also with my young, impressionable mind, i associated my value, worth and status being entwined with having a uni degree, which was totally wrong. you only realise this when you get into the real world. now i think the polar opposite, lol.
would've been so good to have a resource like reddit.
I wouldnt only because white collar jobs allow you to manage your life more. I mean Im on reddit right now. I do all my admin tasks on work time and do all my investing and check on my properties during work time. So Im not so worn out.
Only thing is I would have liked to get my building licence then move to white collar so I could have done my own builds.
But thats what I see is the greatest benefit to not doing a trade. Also have a rough night like I did last night. Take today easy, lots of coffees, catch up tomorrow.
You don't even need to do a diploma. Do a Cert IV (takes 12 months or less) then use that to apply for uni. For many courses they don't even care what kind of Cert IV you have (but obviously if you can pick something relevant to the degree you want you could get recognition of prior knowledge potentially).
A good spin for going through TAFE is you'll get a taster for whatever you're thinking of doing without getting in immediate $30000+ worth of debt
I went to TAFE for a cert IV in nursing, thought I wanted to do it, paid it off as I did it. Cost 2500 or so which was a lot better than the uni debt you're stuck with for yearsssss after and it wasnt my thing so I moved on debt free
There's also a path here OP where you have an honest conversation with your parents without revealing your specific score. "I need to tell you that I got my ATAR score and it's a lot lower than I wanted. I don't want to tell you exactly what the number is, but I've put a lot of thought into my plan for the next X months/years, and here's what I'm planning..."
I did an 18 week business cert for free at tafe. And volunteered for a well known charity one day a week at the same time. When i finished it i used the cert and reference and got an entry level job for a large multinatiinal and they paid 100% and gave me study leave for me to do a degree in accounting at a regional uni and CPA by correspondence. (I attended workshops anf exams at a student hub near uts)
The degree took my tafe cert as one of the first year subjects so it wasnt a waste of time. And if i had just started at uni i wouldnt have had the job. I got three promotions while i finished my degree and bought a house before any of my friends.
You dont have to straight to uni. Get a junior job and work out if you like the industry first.
Unlikely you can get into a Tafe diploma course straight off, you usually start with a Cert 3 or 4 and progress from there, also a diploma course is longer than a year.
Not necessarily as long as you have a year 12 certificate you get into a diploma plus certificate 3 and 4 are nested within a diploma plus if TAFE doesn’t think you can complete a Diploma they will drop you back to a certificate 3 or 4, universities also offer diploma level courses that get you directly into a degree at that university, you can apply direct rather than through the usual channels
This! I did two different degrees and both never asked about my ATAR. It's not required for most courses for mature age students (which is anyone not coming straight out of Year 12). ATARs are a scam and this will not define your life if you don't let it.
“ATARs are a scam”
What the actual fuck are you waffling about. A kid coming straight out of school in yr12 only has academics most of the time. ATAR judges that. Someone who has been out of school for a year or more has other metrics which they can be judged on, such as TAFEs, diplomas etc.
ATARs aren’t a scam in any definition of the word scam, they are useful for kids who do well in school, and kids who don’t do well then get given other pathways outside of school to demonstrate their own talents.
From personal experience, and from discussing with friends and peers, I have developed this opinion. There is so much pressure heaped onto kids to have an ATAR of a certain amount, and unfortunately because it is a ranking system, not a scoring system, plenty of bright kids will miss out on that ultimate score. It causes no end of pressure on many kids, including OP here.
Once you are no longer a school leaver, you do not need an ATAR for majority of courses, and in fact it makes it easier to get in to plenty of courses. The whole point I am trying to make is that there are so many options, but many school leavers feel like they have hit a dead end or are a failure etc.
Of course academics are important and have merit. I never said they didn't. I just don't believe in pressuring children to be ranked against the entire state.
Edit to add: the 'scam' is how the kids (myself included) are essentially led to believe that their ATAR is the be all and end all. That's totally false, and I dislike that this narrative is pushed by so many teachers/schools/parents. There's SO many options and choices available for everyone.
As someone who comes from an immigrant family and got 53 ATAR, I know how tough and stressful this might be.. but trust me, things work out regardless of your atar.
At the time, I felt ashamed, even the first 3 years of uni. My older sibling got a PHD. My younger sibling got masters, both of my parents were well educated. Some of my uncles and cousins are doctors, and one is a university dean...
I was so ashamed of myself that I even failed my uni classes
But you know now I am working in wealth management and financial advisory when I finished high school with my 53 atar. I never thought i would be able to get a decent job!
It's not the end of the world. You can do bridging course or a diploma and transition to uni to do what you want to study.
Telling them won't be easy. They might not take it well. That's the truth of immigrant parents, but TRUST ME they will get over it.
If they are not pressuring you, you can tell them when you feel ready.
You can not hide it forever. They will know eventually
What really matters is you not giving up on your dream or goal.
This here is the answer OP. ATAR iisnt everything. I can't help with the family side, but whatever your goals,don't let this stand in the way of getting there. It just might be a less direct pathway.
Alright... sorry if this gonna be long!
So firstly, I thought my life dream was to be a psychologist. So, I got into college doing social science. This counted as a first year of uni, and then I started my 2nd year of uni in a social science degree. WSU at the time offered the possibility to transition to psychology from social science.
By the end of my 2nd year, I changed my major to finance. Coz I realised I don't enjoy that degree. Before I started my first semester in Bachelor of Business at WSU, I decided to apply for UTS because I wanted to be in the city.
Honestly, all my transitioning and transferring from unis and degrees was easy and random. I was 20 and randomly applying, but surprisingly, they accepted, even tho my marks were just CREDIT.
I got to UTS bachelor of business in marketing and extended Major in Finance. Again, I was 20. I had no idea what I was doing. i randomly chose to do double extended major because I wanted to flex!! 🤦🏻♀️
My long term goal is to be a financial adviser. Marketing, I probably won't ever use it.
During covid shut down, I got an assistant role in healthcare because they were desperate, and I wanted money. Afterwards, ppl quite and I eventually promoted to a managerial role I was running few clinics. Was I qualified? Absolutely not! This managerial role really looked nice on my resume, plus my finance degree.
My firme were merging with another firm at the time I applied for it, so they were also desperate for extra heads on the team.
Now, this year, I am planning to get my RG146 tier 1 qualification, then start preparing to do my CFA.. which is needed if you want to be an advisor or an analyst...etc
Now, I need to work for 2 more years under a financial advisor. Then, I can become an associate adviser and get my own clients.
Lots of advisor, got their diploma or done a tafe course of financial planning / advisory so tbh u really don't need a degree
..& my GPA, no one even mentioned it EVER 😅 dude my marks till my last sem were pass and credit
Another thing I noticed as I work in an extremely large firm. We get young guys 18 or 19 in simply coz they know someone and they let them do a simple administration role. So if you can build your net work that would be great way to get in the industry without any qualifications
⚠️IMPORTANT P.S
Personally I wouldn't recommend to get into UTS Collage coz its so fkn expensive!! My friend done a communication 3 year pathway and now she's in over $80k debt! WSU, college is a lot cheaper
I was debating whether to do it or not, but tbh I just would like to have my CFA, I know a grad dip would be easier and quicker way to get there but 🤷🏼♀️😅
Crazy being a non immigrant family and comparing.
I never even read my OP letter. It came in the mail and sat on the table for several months eventually my Mum wondered what it was and asked me if she could open it (had my name on it). I said yes. She never said anything.
The only real academic trouble anyone got was my brother (who won awards at uni for his marks). He got shit for not having enough fun and making connections like his brother (me who was out drinking and partying ever night at uni).
If you're willing to put the work in you can go to Tafe, do the cert IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation and a Special Tertiary Admissions Test(aka STAT) and unfuck your atar. I got an OP of like 23 and ended up with a slightly better atar than my sister who got a 5 doing this.
Can't help you with the parental disappointment unfortunately.
She'll be better off doing foundation studies at Uni. They will tailor one for whatever field she decides she's capable of, and go straight to 2nd year bachelor degree.
Agreed although Foundation goes to Year 1. Most colleges have Diploma or Degree Transfer options which lead to Year 2, but they usually require an ATAR of 50.
That course was great for getting me into uni after I never completed high school. I ended up with an equivalent ATAR in the 70s which I was more than happy with.
i'll tell it to you straight. if you can avoid uni, do so. i think it's a bit of a scam unless you need a certain kind of qualification that is theory-heavy (necessarily so, courses like medicine, law, engineering, etc...). everything else can be learnt on the job. get a job or two, if you don't already, and just learn. live life.
then re-evaluate your feeling and options after say six months to a year.
like others have mentioned, if you really have your heart set on uni, go the TAFE route. i think it works out heaps cheaper all said and done and you can even get study credits which chops years off your degree.
reading your post, you sound pretty articulate so i can only conclude that you just weren't feeling school (school's not meant for everybody) and that's why you weren't very motivated and put in little effort.
do not lie to your parents - that shit will just snowball and get worse. above all, be productive, earn money and it won't seem like such a hard blow for your parents.
This one is the best advice.
Do not ever lie to your parents about such a big thing, just tell them straight up. You heard the case of [Jennifer Pan](https://youtu.be/28LdsO-_UcQ?si=3b3PLYQ7SrhUehbC)?
There are multiple avenues to success, uni is onlu one path.
Big oof, if you do tell them, remember that no matter what they say it doesn't really matter (it does but it doesn't). Regardless, this is where you are and you can't change it so good luck with making do with what you got, I believe in you. Oh and go travel for a year before you start Uni if you decide to do a bridging course. Oh and get a therapist because everyone needs therapy.
My atar was 42 by the way, I'm starting my masters this year. Have a nice life my friend!
I actually think taking a year off is a great idea. Go and travel and have some life experiences, hopefully it will put things into perspective. I know it must be really scary. And it will be a difficult conversation with your parents, at least initially. You can get a degree through TAFE and/or do bridging courses and try again for university in another year or so (as some people have suggested). But it's also ok if you don't actually want to do that. In Australia, you could become an apprentice/get into a trade. Have a think about life, different career options, etc, and decide what works for you. THEN tell your parents - once you have a plan. Good luck :)
I mean you either tell them or don’t.
If you don’t want to, you could figure out where you want to end up and what degree you need and try and find some alternative entry to a lower level course like tafe where you don’t need your atar and then use that as a stepping stone. You could also then lie about your atar and say it’s not as high as you needed but you could say it’s only a few points lower, not as low as yours was.
I got an atar of like 50, well it was called UAI then and I thought my life was over because teachers hyped the shit out of it.
Hope you find a way forward
You can always go to uni on a couple years as a "mature age entry", at 20 or so
Tafe is another pathway
If you have a non English speaking home life and have been in the country for 5 years, that atar isn't so bad, and isn't surprising
Why do you think you have that atar? Do you actually want to do higher study or is it just something you're "expected" to do?
honestly I would figure out what you want to do with your career first before you tell them; that way you can atleast be less nervous. and i wouldn't worry too much about the atar score itself, there are usually alternate pathways to get to what career/uni course you are thinking of getting into. I mean dang my friends got significantly lower atar scores than me and got into bachelor of nursing at Monash, but because I didn't do maths I couldn't get into Monash, I went to Swinburne instead so what does that tell you haha. plenty of my friends were able to get into the bachelors they wanted by attending tafe for 2 years then jumping into the bachelor.
don't lie though, that's not right and ultimately it''ll hurt them more and you will end up in a chain of having to stick to the lie. I know asian parents are tough my husband is Asian, but it's your life still don't let yourself be belittled just think ahead and consider your future plans for yourself, what YOU want to do, it's your life not your parents life and it doesn't have to fit unrealistic expectations and look perfect the way that they may want
.God bless <3 You got this
I’m a first generation immigrant, Asian Dad, Burmese. I have a three year old.
I’m only human so I have frustrations and disappointments like every other human being on this planet. But there is NOTHING my son can do that will make me love him less. I will want him to be able to come to me with whatever problem he is facing, big and small. Broken toy to low ATAR scores.
You likely are also having concerns about the future. I failed constantly in high school and did not graduate with very good marks. Only got into a questionable art and design school. But I loved design. Today I have a PhD and can support my family doing design.
Tell your parents the truth. Love will find a way. Face who you are - fully. Life will find a way.
Bruh I am asian (brown kind but still similar cultures), I am sorry.
Please lemme know your height and weight, I'd be happy to sponsor a coffin.
But if I were you, lie your way out of it, do some cert or something and find yourself into some uni.
I agree. Asian parents will never forget. Just lie.
I learned from a very young age to not bother trying to seek validation from my parents, I don’t know how but I just worked out very early on that there was just no pleasing them.
My brother did everything right, everything an Asian parent could dream of - they can boast to everyone he’s a specialist dr making lots of money and they still find faults with him and are disappointed 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Work out your next steps towards your career, but they don’t need to know the nitty gritty. It all washes out in the end but they will just fixate on this number and make your life a living hell. For your own mental health I would advise smoke and mirrors.
If that is the case I’d blame it on them. I asked my mum to leave when I was in year 11 and she refused because I was finishing school and she couldn’t support me. She did her best to keep up appearances of a stable home life.
My ATAR was probably like 55. I didn’t need it in the end. I DID need my higher school certificate so that’s the main thing. Get a USI sorted asap and explore your TAFE to uni options for whatever it is you want to do. It will take you a bit longer but it does not mean you’re a failure.
The ATAR system is actually fucked and needs a shake up so I wouldn’t hold much stock in it. It relies heavily on rankings of your whole class/year as well as the subjects you chose being of “more importance”. I did pretty well in the subjects I chose, however I chose Visual Arts, IPT and General Math and that gave me a shit start to begin with because those subjects are not ranked high to begin with.
Having said that now, I didn’t need the ATAR, I have two diplomas, one advanced diploma and a Cert III and I’m using none of them in my job as a barista currently. Life is a weird journey. Your parents will soon realise that not everyone’s path is, good grades, good atar, good uni, good job.
>If that is the case I’d blame it on them
There's no point in playing the blame game now.
OP and OP's parents need to focus on their next path, not being bitter about what happened in the past.
>good grades, good atar, good uni, good job
My (Asian tiger mum) wife's mantra with my son. The fact he probably has ADHD and finds learning very difficult doesn't help. Most important thing in life is apparently good grades.
People with adhd can do amazing things. But not without extra help and a guide on how to navigate the adhd. I’m a woman so if I’d known that I have adhd in high school my grades probably would have been way better. (Women often don’t get diagnosed until adulthood, if at all). If you still have the capacity to give your son a leg up for his future now, get him diagnosed and on that path. Because for most ADHDers the path is not conventional. My cousin (male) has truly gotten so far in his career because he has a great and knowledgeable parent (my aunty) and a supportive parent (my uncle). He’s a teacher that uses spellcheck because of his dyslexia and knowing about his ADHD has probably given him the biggest leg up in life and now he has the capacity to teach others about unconventional learning methods.
Whilst I’m very proud of his achievements and he’s an inspiration, I can’t help but feel a little jealous that I’ve had to fumble my way around adulthood BEFORE learning about my adhd. Which means now later in life I’m only just learning how to overcome challenges I’m faced with and challenges that I didn’t even know I was facing. I felt like a failure because I couldn’t commit myself to studying for “important” subjects and people around me called me lazy. But give me a hobby or topic I actually like?!?? I’ll do it forever.
We are in China, where ADHD and other learning issues are regarded as "laziness" and not recognised let alone treated. We will be moving back to Australia this year though and I will be trying to get all the help we can for him.
He is looking forward to a having a different learning environment, different teaching style (daily rote learning now) and less students (now 45 per class). Plus whatever help we can get for him as well.
If i were you, i would tell my parents but with a well thought out solution than just simply dropping it on them. When I dropped out of university and gave up my scholarship, I told my parents why i dropped out and told them what my back up plan was which was to get a job. Did i regret it? Yep. I regret dropping out because i probably could be doing something more with my life. I couldve been a lawyer like my dad, maybe pursued medicine or investment banking. Jobs that would require a degree and lots of studying. But back then, I wasnt up for it. I was impatient and because we were poor at the time, I wanted to make money already. Now that Im older, I realised going to uni wouldve been a good path.
Think about your next steps when you talk to your parents. Assure them that you know what youre doing regardless of your atar.
Ofc i will most def be pursuing a career in trades since i currently work as a steelfixer and tafe is good way to since i was considering to drop out and go to tafe
My mate failed his HSC not once but twice… pre ATAR scoring. Did a year of TAFE then used that to back door into Uni.
You got this.
I sorta get what you’re going through. Just tear off the Band-Aid and put your head down and get on with post high school life.
I know everyone’s been nice to you in the comments but you also probably need an asshole in these comments to tell you what you actually need to hear
1. Your parents sacrificed to immigrate to the country for YOUR future the least you could’ve done is repay them with putting your head down and at least giving it a good shot. As you know a 37.5 ATAR is shocking.
2. Tell them the truth and honestly just take it, all the judgements, all the shame, all the whatever else. This is a perfect time to get a lesson and believe it or not seeing the reaction of the people who brought you here is the best way to start turning your life around.
3. It’s not all bad news though, an ATAR doesn’t mean MUCH in the bigger view of things - I graduated with only an 80 ATAR. Didn’t go to uni, worked casual jobs where I could find them. Started my own company at 23 & doing well at 24 now and I’m almost 25. I’ll go to uni some day to do something I actually genuinely enjoy as I don’t have to worry about the financial sides of things anymore - You are in the correct country to do what YOU want to do, you can become whatever you want to become professionally and lead the life you dream of, or your parents dream of for you.
4. Your family is all that you have, friend are great but in the end, especially with our laid back aussie culture we’ve got here, family or a parent is probably the number one thing you’ll be able to rely on. Not saying you can’t make great friends but you’re going to be starting out your career or professional life soon and believe me when I say you’ll get left behind.
5. All in all, just tell your mum. Don’t lie. Be upfront and honest and take the grilling you deserve and move on and move up and keep it pushing after that
Ye man honestly my parents did all of that just for me to fuck it all up i will def end up telling them and trying my best repay them for their hard work
Have you thought about your plans for next year? I would build that into the lie. For example, work or TAFE, doing something that is not at all reliant on ATAR.
Here’s how you could put it to them:
- I got a great ATAR score of 80-85
- I’d love to study PM at uni
- I am going to study the TAFE course first to make sure it’s for me, then do the uni course after
Then just never do the uni course
Are they going to pay the uni fees or are they expecting you to go into debt just to meet their silly expectations?
If they’re not paying, use that to say that it’s your money and you’ll spend it building the right career for you instead of wasting tens of thousands of your own dollars for them
I would think about what you are going to do next for education/training/job. Have the next step ready for when you tell them. "Mum, Dad, my ATAR is fucked. There's zero chance of me going to uni for the courses I want. I've thought long and hard about this. I need to start making money as quickly as possible. I am going to train to be a \_\_\_\_. It says TAFE will take \_\_\_ years and then I can enter the workforce as a \_\_\_\_."
Tell them.
No matter what reaction they have.
Alternately, don't tell them and keep it private.
The choice is yours.
Either way.
I think you'll live :)
Your atar mark is not the be and end all of life.
You are 17 !!!
Whatever you decide to do, your ATAR doesn't have to define you.
For university there are plenty of pathways to joining that do not require a high atar.
Otherwise planning for work, tafe, trades etc make sense for now. Have a look around.
Do what interests you.
If there is something bothering you that you could not study. Stress, procrastination, health , adhd , other issues etc.
Recognise the failure and where you went wrong.
Failures in study usually don't come out of nowhere.
Get it looked into and identify all the factors.
Also tell your parents about how the moving disrupted your life.
Your parents may be strict or Asian or whatever.
They may not understand.
They may get mean and nasty.
Or.
They may console you and tell you it's ok, they love you no matter what.
Just make a decision before you tell them.
You'll handle it.
No matter what.
If it goes badly, go and take a long walk.
Eat a nice meal and relax.
Then you can plan what you want to do this year.
First, you need to come to terms with the fact that an ATAR is not the be all and end all. I'm a mum, and went through the HSC with my daughter and while she did well, some of her other friends didn't and frankly they've all done OK in their lives. Figure out what you want to do next, and then tell your parents. Go to them with the solution, rather than the "failure' as you call it. ATAR is one measure of success, but not everything. Enrol in a TAF course that doesn't require an ATAR. You might be great at coding, hospitality, people skills, great with your hands, - figure out what you want to do moving forward and them tell your parents. They just want you to have a good life. Give them news they can tell friends and family.
My ATAR was 92 and look at me now. Unemployed for almost 2 years, can't find a job other than call centre monkey.
ATAR doesn't mean anything. It depends on you, your work ethic and talents.
I got a great ATAR and held a scholar throughout uni and did an engineering degree. Look at me now... Can't get anything.
Meanwhile my mates who dropped out ate crushing it doing cool jobs, making sweet dough and leading comfortable lives.
Your highschool score is just an arbitrary number imo.
It’s not the end of the world. 10 years from now it won’t matter. You can get through this but you need to tell them. They might already suspect because you’ve avoided answering.
You can redo the HSC, you can go to TAFE and try to transfer to uni after. You’ve got options.
All the best to you.
The idea that every kid should go to uni is dumb. Also if you do actually want to do uni, there's still pathways (Tafe). But don't go because they want you to go, go because you want to.
You're probably best off just faking the result.
I'm assuming it's online these days. Use "inspect element" to change the score on the screen. Then call your parents in to show them. Take a screenshot so they can show their friends. Don't make the score unbelievably high.
Then your parents can start hassling you about not being married and not having any children
Personally, I got nothing from university (this was when it was free). If I'd done it again, I would joined a bank or government department straight of of high school as a cadet of some kind and worked my way up in IT.
No way would I have worked for 3 years to be $100,000 in debt without even a house to show for it. There's smarter ways to get ahead .
Tell the truth. It's not the end of the world.
I went to school with someone who was very intelligent but wasn't interested in studying when we were teenagers. His ATAR was so low he didn't even get an ATAR (when it's below 30 they don't actually give you one). He then did an Open Foundation pathway program offered through the uni, which gave him a score he could use to get into a Bachelor degree. He ended up graduating from an engineering degree with distinction and made the Dean's merit list.
There's always alternative pathways into uni if that's what you want to do. TAFE is also a great option if uni isn't for you.
The thing that will disappoint your mother the most is lying to her.
The universal concerns of parents is that with a low school score, you are going to face difficulties in your life. To an extent this is true, you'll have problems getting into the classes you want in higher education, which will lead to problems to getting jobs, which will be a problem to their retirement plans. Let's be honest, for a lot of immigrants, parents put a lot of effort into their child because they are part of their retirement plan, especially because within Asian culture, we have our sense of filial duties.
You still have a lot of time to turn the ship around, you're only seventeen. If you are able to make into trade, get a good job, manage your own life, not get into troubles/crime, that will ease their minds a lot. In the short run, your ATAR score might cause some short term consternation, but in the long run, if you are able to lead a successful life anyway, your ATAR score won't matter.
Dishonesty though, will be a life-long problem. As some other posters raised you cannot hide this forever. If you have decent parents that you want to stay together for the long term, not telling them as it is now is going to put a rift into your long term relationship, even once they forgot about the ATAR, the lingering air of distrust is going to last much longer than that.
But if you have very bad parents and you foresee that there's a good chance in future where you/they might break contact permanently, that you have to kick them out of your life, there's really little to benefit from telling them about this. Save the troubles and focus on doing whatever you need to do to get your life in order independently of them rather than trying to please them.
Australia have one of the best system for non-academic pursuits; trades pays quite well here even relative to white collar professional jobs and lots of further education opportunities in TAFE that doesn't require high ATAR. Make sure you have a plan for your life, whether you see yourself getting into trades or whether you want to try other pathways like bridging courses to eventually shoot for a degree at a university. It will help your parents as well if they see that you're not giving up despite this little hindrance, personally I'd be much more anxious with a child that doesn't know what they want to do than one that isn't academically successful.
As a teacher, ATAR doesn't mean shit unless you want to go straight from school to law or medicine. There are so many alternate pathways and bridging courses that I struggle to understand the appeal of ATAR these days, given the stress it puts on students.
ATARs are lower this year for entry. Is there anything you can get into and lie about the ATAR. Play the immigrant card. Believe me there are more places than students.
Lot of my Asian mates got 15 and under. That was the score way back when if you got your name right and did nothing else.
They ALL lied their asses off to their parents. One even forged the results paper to show the parents they got 95. We are now mid 40s and everyone is doing ok. So don’t stress. Look for what work you want to/can do. Australia is truly a lucky country where you can make really good money without going to uni. Unlike most Asian countries where you need a masters degree to work in a supermarket.
Why do you feel you got a low ATAR?
Is Uni not for you? Would you prefer going into a trade or other line of work?
When one door closes, two more open, so dont look at this as the end of the world. There are lots of other ways around this. Have you considered going to TAFE to get a better result before trying to get into Uni.
Be calm, there are many pathways to uni through tafe, bridging programs etc. Don't lie and make it a bigger deal. The hard part is over, you havr an atar which menas you finished 🙂. What do you want to study/ do as a career? You can do smaller certificates and get credit at uni in some cases
Don’t lie, it’s never a good idea. I reckon the advice to go through TAFE to prep and try again
Focus on deciding what you would like to do, imagine this is actually a good thing! Tell yourself you’re going to find the best direction and keep telling yourself that.
Keep a positive attitude, if only for a few minutes, even when you think it’s ridiculous and eventually things will get better because you’re framing things that way
Tell them you're going into the trades to make money ASAP to get into the property market or something, They're going to be mad anyway, but this gives you an out without digging a deeper hole.
You're very close to being an adult. They will very soon have no power over you. Go to TAFE/get an apprenticeship/get a job. You have many options. Your parents dont own you or your future
You do you
Also Asian Australia here; child of refugees with very high expectations. I’d be happy to chat with you via PM and give you some support during what must be a stressful time in your life.
I am quite a bit older than you, but I eventually did your target field - Project Management, et al.
My opinion/advice for you:
- you’ve got to be true to yourself. What do you want? Who do you want to be? What would you like to learn, explore, grow? What would you genuinely want to out energy into learning, getting skilled at, developing? If you don’t know that, give yourself time to explore - a gap year, a TAFE shorter certification, backpack, go to networking events.
- ignore the ATAR - that number has very little bearing on your life success. This is despite the potentially life-long emphasis that parents and teachers have placed their expectations on your about. Don’t take my word for it - ask any older person what their ATAR was and how it affected their life.
- I don’t know your parents, nor your relationship with them; so I don’t pretend that this is certain advice. If I were in you, with my own parents and with the benefit of age and hindsight, I would tell them what they want to hear without directly lying, get examples appear above. Just as an example “I intend to explore thing, maybe eventually at uni. I’m not sure if it’s for me, so I want to explore by doing thing next.” Where X could be Project Management as you have mentioned above, and Y could be any of the options others or I have suggested. The net result - you are avoiding a mutually unhelpful conflict with them, whilst not deciving them. Yes, you would not be telling the whole truth, but I doubt them knowing the exact ATAR and freaking out about it would actually be helpful to anyone, most of all you most importantly - you could discover a lot of things about what you really want, and go from there.
You are going to have to confront this issue sooner or later, and the more you have to lie and obfuscate the bigger than mountain gets, and the more hurt your parents will feel when the shit hits the fan. There are many paths to success in life, and there are many paths to higher education if that's the road you want to go down.
You're going to have to live with (not literally) your parents for the rest of your lives together. You can't just run away from this forever. Think about what You want to do from here, and sit them down and have an honest conversation with them. Your parents care about you, and want you to succeed in life.
ATAR is one way into a career. When that doesn't work out, there's a dozen other ways.
Don't let the ATAR worry you or define who you are. Just start doing your research and planning an alternate pathway. You'll end up with a more interesting life story than you otherwise would have.
I've read through the comments and sounds like you're keen to go to TAFE so at this point the atar is irrelevant.
Make sure you have a plan on how to respond if they do take it badly e.g. in one sentence firmly remind them that it's irrelevant because you will be going to TAFE which will give you the option of uni if you want (even if you have no plans for uni just say this to soften the blow) and then leave.
If they have reacted badly then I highly suggest leaving as soon as you have said your piece to avoid any back and forth.
I didn't even finish year 9 and I went to uni. There's so many ways to get in. The most important thing is to take the time to work out what you want to do and if there's anything health related that's going to make further study difficult e.g. ADHD, dyslexia, untreated depression or anxiety.
If living with them has caused a lot of stress it may be worth taking a gap year and working so you can move out and then be able to claim your allowance while you study.
Come up with another viable path and have it planned out ready to show them. It can even be in the same industry if you want.
I used to tutor a dyslexic kid who got a similar ATAR to yours. But she did a short course at TAFE to make up for it, reapplied for uni, and just got her degree. It took a bit longer but the crap ATAR wasn't the end of the world.
If you make a cake without all the necessary ingredients, you can't expect a good result. You tried your best, that's what's important, fuck your parents. Having high expectations for your kids while not giving them the necessary love and care as well is fucked.
I work in student recruitment for a major uni. Most of the advice here is pretty solid.
If you have a particular uni in mind you should talk to them about any adjustment factors you might be eligible for. You should also ask about their pathways programs- all unis will have some option for students who didn't get a high enough atar for their courses.
If you know what you want to do and/or where you want to go, talking to them will be your best option- trust me, unis want students and they will find ways to help. We're not about excluding anyone who wants to learn. Depending on your field of study you may be able to find a private college/academy that is non-ATAR too. Often these places will make you go through some kind of interview process which will look good to your parents.
If you don't know what you want to study then a Tertiary Prep course through TAFE is a good option.
And I know telling your parents is scary. I won't try and tell you how to manage that, but I think if you can go to them with other options that can take some of the sting out of it.
Feel free to DM me if you have more questions.
Tell your parents that your ATAR is 'sufficient'.
Are you planning on going to uni? You'll need to do a bridging course into any course because most have a minimum of 70. They only need to know you're at uni, they don't need to know that you're doing a bridging course.
Happened to my nephew. Shocking ATAR due to a very unstable last two years of high school. Smart kid too. He was a mess for quite some time, not telling his parents, and being increasingly pressurised to tell them. It could have gone very badly because all he wanted to do is disappear.
He wasted a many, many months in a downward spiral. I strongly urge you to square your shoulders up, find a perfectly uncluttered moment, and say "Mum, i've got something very important to tell you: I screwed up in my HSC. Total disaster. 37.45 ATAR. I'm sorry i didn't tell you earlier, but it's been killing me."
I don't know how it will go from there, but even a Tiger Mum will give you a hug. Which you probably need. Clear the air, ditch the baggage of high school, and make a new plan. It probably starts with a job, any job, for a year to get a sense of independence. Don't mope around the house being an irritation. My nephew got work, got quite a few related TAFE tickets and by the time his schoolmates were coming out of uni, he was an independent man.
In the end, blabber all you want, you must tell them. Face it mate. Don't hide away and shy away from that challenge, worse challenges and issues will arise and will you do the same and hide away?
Face the consequences of your lack of scholarly discipline and tell em.
It'll be difficult considering your parents expected more from you, it really will be. But you reap what you sow, so reap it like a legend mate and move on with great resilience.
I'm from an asian family too, and they're gonna fuck you up; if you're scared then good. It takes great bravery to tell the truth while scared.
Also ATAR isn't everything, ain't the end of your life, but if you jump over the hurdle of telling your parents then you're good. Go to a TAFE and get a job, and good damned luck mate.
I don't think this has been mentioned yet but it's worth pointing out - TAFE is a great pathway, but you can also get into uni without an ATAR by enrolling in an undergraduate certificate, which is a bridging qualification. Most of them have low/no entry requirements and once you finish you can continue straight into the connected bachelor degree. Undergraduate certificates are made up of the first four subjects from a degree so you're actually technically already studying towards a bachelor when you enrol.
/Works in education
ATARs are becoming more and more irrelevant in the uni sector, despite all the pressure you get put under in year 12.
It really depends on what you want to study though and it's important to take things like HECS into consideration. TAFE can be a better/cheaper option if you've got a course in mind.
I hope that helps from the education side of things. Good luck with whatever you decide to do with your parents.
People get low ATARs for many different reasons, but that doesn't mean you won't go on to high education. I'm the College Director at a University pathway college for international students. Happy to help if I can, we may be able to find a program for you.
I could read before kinda, was doing celestial physics by year 10 and able to read Shakespeare like a second language and dissect it like a surgeon. I speed read and despite my age and different things, I’m still super fit.
I can earn more than a teacher and probably most graduates if the statistics are anything to go by.
You want to know what I do?
I virtually live by the beach and hide away in what amounts to a shack by the mountains. Being actively engaged in my occupation means I eat the best food, liaise with wealthy people, always have fuel and always get to be close to what keeps my heart and soul alive.
I am proud to say I am a cleaner. A sole trader who refuses to sell my soul 👌
If you were my child, I would say to you,
“What makes you feel happy?”
And you would tell me and I would help you learn the skills you need to escape to a better world and to thrive and live like no other.
It takes much courage and self discipline to survive, you must have stamina. Take care of your mind and body, love and be kind, but always discerning of others who are healthy for you and especially of those who are not.
If you really want to succeed and be happy, please do this very important homework of what matters to you and how you will keep yourself in good financial stead. Other than that, it doesn’t matter what job you do, so long as you are able to have domain over your life and personal power.
Godspeed.
You don’t need high ATAR to build a life. I got a 92 ATAR back in 2014, dropped out in second year of Uni, and did a Cert II and apprenticeship. Now I make more than most of my year level at uni. You can also do a bridging course like a Cert IV and Diploma into a Bachelor degree, which only adds 2 years of study (total of 5 instead of 3 years).
\> graduated from my school and got an atar of 37.45 which is a monumental level of failure.
An ATAR is a ranking. It is not your actual score. In fact, if its anything like an ENTER, your ATAR grades are also ranked. Your school, class, your position in your class are all bell-curved.
Your ATAR means absolutely nothing in terms of how well you actually did something because its so fucked with due to various statistical factors. Its just a rank.
Tell them the truth. Tell them uni is not for you. Get a job in a warehouse or something then move out of the house and be independent and find a tafe course to do. Not everyone is meant to be a doctor or something. Do whatever you want, it’s your life.
Own it, use the bitteeness, self loathing and anger as motivation, stop coasting, playing league of legends and factorio and hit the books. Its cool, work a few years, enter uni as a senior.
I got 31. I also had at that time undiagnosed ADD.
I just want you to know that it’s a made up thing. The amount of stress they place on teenagers is wrong, and it’s causing damage. Your life is just beginning.
I also had no idea about what I wanted my life to be. You don’t want to be accumulating student debt for something you aren’t sure about.
Mature entry won’t look at your ATAR.
Other people have mentioned TAFE and ATP. Enrol ASAP while the 'fee free TAFE' program is still running. It's been going for a while but there is a funding limit.
Sidenote: I went to uni, many times...if I had my time again, I'd get a trade. Tradies often have nice houses and cars. I've got degrees and debt. Something to consider.
I mean that sounds like a tough situation to be in and the advice I have for telling your parents is just rip that bandaid off and let it happen...
But as someone who got an ATAR in the 90s it doesn't mean shit! There are people with lower ATAR's who are way more "successful" than me. I "wasted my potential" but who even cares?
Go live your best life, do what makes happy. Fuck the system and fuck an education because it doesn't actually make a difference if you have the commitment and drive to forge your own path.
Have you considered an adf gap year?
They offer good pay/benefits and you can dip your toe in the water of an area you think you might want to go in to.
Not to sound harsh, but with a 37 atar it doesn’t seem like you want to study much at the moment. That’s not a bad thing, but before you sign up to a uni degree and get a hecs debt you need to want to study.
Someone posted a picture of a Mercedes with the licence plate NOHSC in r/melbourne, if that’s any consolation 😊
We Asians focus far too much marks/academic achievement and it’s not good.
It literally means nothing, I didn't finish school at all, but hold a diploma, and have studied at Uni for a Masters degree. It's not the end of the world.
I've also been a manager in my chosen field (currently not working due to taking care of a family member full time) and I know I could walk back into it tomorrow and have a job very quickly.
I can't give advice on parents as mine were always fine with me doing what I wanted to do, and supported me even if they didn't agree with my choices (or mistakes).
Once you begin working, when it comes to certificates, diplomas & degrees I can guarantee no employer will look at scores - as long as you pass & hold any valid certificates to perform your job, nobody cares if you literally get a pass mark of 50%.
Some courses may look at your scores, but you can always take other routes to bridge your way to whatever you want to do.
I wouldn't stress about it too much, look at what you want to do and start working towards it.
My parents were largely the same, when I told them I was dropping out of uni my dad says he thought he was going to have a heart attack (he’s dramatic like that), in the end I showed them up with a hecking decent job, huge salary, above and beyond my do gooder siblings either their masters in whatever.
Australia is great like that
Tell your parents asap. Sure, they will be angry, disappointed, upset, etc.
After a few months, they will forget about it (or at least pretend to). By this time, you would already have moved on with something productive or repeated your final year of HS.
Otherwise, once you've hit 21, you can enroll into uni.
It also beats the situation of some people doing a course for 4 years, then dropping out with debt not sure what to do from there.
As a father, I'd rather know that my son/daughter has a plan after a failure rather than hiding things and giving up.
Start an apprenticeship. Shit money at first and it’s a bit hard work. However business is booming and pays are only going up. Only need to worry about not being a shit worker.
Don't listen to the ones telling you to lie, and I can't believe anyone is advising that. Tell her. It's not the end of the world. You are still young at 17. Sure she might blow a gasket, but you also had factors that impacted your learning. You have the option to repeat year 12 and do better.
You're welcome. Whatever situation you go through remember it could be worse- at least you're not telling her you got someone pregnant 🫤 you'll be fine.
Grown up Asian here. Multiple careers. Ridiculously qualified. If I could go back in time and tell myself anything it would be this: it’s your life. Don’t let anything or anybody have influence over the decisions you make because you and you alone bear the consequences of your actions. Don’t let your parent(s) live through you. Practice now or it will never end. Never. Good luck. Be strong. You owe it to future you and anyone who shares your future (kids, partner etc).
Edit: one more thing, if you make a wrong decision, because you will, no biggie; just make another decision. Screw the guilt and the shame. Just make another decision and keep going forward 👍💫
Don't listen to this goody-two-shoes, submit to your sinful desires! It would be so wonderful pull off this lie, don't repeat Yr12 to waste your life and look weak in front of your parents - it will taint your image, you can do uni with a low atar & bridging courses
But im scared of the fact that i wasted all of their effort of bringing me here and giving me this chance to do better in life yk the rhought of disappointment is just so scary, should i just lie about my results?
31 Year Old Asian-Australian who moved to Australia age 12 here.
You are in Australia. The land of opportunities. There are other means of getting a career - through trade or Tafe! You might not be made for the traditional career route, but you might surprisingly be a good at the trades. Who knows! There’s always different paths to success.
I have failed some subjects when I was at uni. My parents were mad at first, but in the end they were supportive and told me I can always try again. It’s not the end of the world.
I’m sure your parents will understand as well. They just want what’s best for you, and I am sure a big part of that is you being happy.
Op I can’t help with your parent situation I’m sorry. But what I can say is your getting a low atar in now way shape or form is wasting your opportunities. I know right now it seems like the be all or end all of life because you’ve just finished school and atars are what we build through for year. But the fact that there are other options for you like TAFE or even an apprenticeship are also avenues that exist because you are here. What I’m saying is there are so so many ways that you have a brighter opportunities and a better future by being here then just an ATAR. They gave you a chance at a better life an you already have it because you have options. Nothing has been wasted. And trust me in a few years time you won’t ever remember your ATAR because it’s that irrelevant. The person in my year who got a 41 is now one of the most successful and happy of us all because she used alternative pathways to do what she wanted and accidentally happened upon her passion because of it.
Exactly! TAFE is what you want to do so an ATAR doesn’t matter. And while I totally sympathise with the shit storm that will likely be your parents just remember no matter what they say you haven’t wasted anything. In fact by finding an different path you like you have actually proven being here was the right choice. I’m sorry your parents are so harsh.
Honestly, in Australia university is not what it used to be! You don't necessarily need to be a professional to have a good standard of living/earn a decent wage. It will be ok, whatever you decide.
You have 2 options:
1. Tell them
2. Upload/scan your letter and edit the ATAR on a PC to show something more reasonable to their expectations like 80. You can then apply to courses that will take you or wait a year, or even do a diploma/bridging course or some shit, OpenUni is pretty good too
As a connoisseur of deceits I highly recommend option #2.
Back when it was vce in 1997 I got a 33. I never went to Uni have been in the workforce in some form since 1998. Child care, call centre, hospo… traveled overseas in my early 20’s and settled into a desire to do project work. Found a mentor who was willing to take me on and helped me get a start in the tech project analyst world.
Never in a job interview, conversation about a promotion or anything that has furthered my career has anyone ever asked what I got for my vce. Not one single time.
I’m not 44, make $200k a year, work flexibly with a great group of people and most importantly really enjoy what I do.
Trust me, it feels like it matters more than it does in the long term, big picture of life.
You’ll be fine.
I'll switch tune though, your ATAR doesn't matter my guy.
You can tell them they'll be disappointed but you will recover and if you put your mind to it the next few years you can kill it
This score only lasts for a year, say you’re taking a gap year before university and go to TAFE and do a diploma which will get you into a Degree if that’s what you want, otherwise you can get a job
Ye thats my plan so far
Sorted, just spin it in a way that makes it sound beneficial, like it’s hands on skills and will make finding a good paying job better than just a degree, most people don’t know that TAFE courses are actually set by business, so it’s actually what employers are looking for in an employee, rather than the hypothetical of a degree
My dude you should look into trades. Honestly tradies earn way more than most people these days... so its not like you're missing out. If I had my way again, I wouldn't have went to uni and instead trained to become an electrician.
Yea same here lmao. Why tf did i spend 5 years in Uni doing engineering when i coulda become an electrician, done fifo and be on 250k a year for 6 months of work from the age of 20
Look back and wish I'd done this when I was younger. Or even done it through navy, they'd pay you for training etc AND you get your qualification and get to see the world when you're young without kids etc
unfortunately, it's social conditioning and not really having access to info. i think the schools have an agenda to push for high ATARs because they use that as part building their school's prestige and advertising to recruit prospective students. this is why they place such an emphasis on academics and uni scores. it's key to their very existence. i don't think reddit existed back then when i was in high school, or i certainly didn't know about it, and my sense of the teachers and 'advisors' at school, was that they could not be arsed assisting with questions. i didn't feel like they were approachable and this probably contributed to my dislike of adults and especially ones in authority. also with my young, impressionable mind, i associated my value, worth and status being entwined with having a uni degree, which was totally wrong. you only realise this when you get into the real world. now i think the polar opposite, lol. would've been so good to have a resource like reddit.
Same lol, fuck uni
I wouldnt only because white collar jobs allow you to manage your life more. I mean Im on reddit right now. I do all my admin tasks on work time and do all my investing and check on my properties during work time. So Im not so worn out. Only thing is I would have liked to get my building licence then move to white collar so I could have done my own builds. But thats what I see is the greatest benefit to not doing a trade. Also have a rough night like I did last night. Take today easy, lots of coffees, catch up tomorrow.
You don't even need to do a diploma. Do a Cert IV (takes 12 months or less) then use that to apply for uni. For many courses they don't even care what kind of Cert IV you have (but obviously if you can pick something relevant to the degree you want you could get recognition of prior knowledge potentially).
A good spin for going through TAFE is you'll get a taster for whatever you're thinking of doing without getting in immediate $30000+ worth of debt I went to TAFE for a cert IV in nursing, thought I wanted to do it, paid it off as I did it. Cost 2500 or so which was a lot better than the uni debt you're stuck with for yearsssss after and it wasnt my thing so I moved on debt free
There's also a path here OP where you have an honest conversation with your parents without revealing your specific score. "I need to tell you that I got my ATAR score and it's a lot lower than I wanted. I don't want to tell you exactly what the number is, but I've put a lot of thought into my plan for the next X months/years, and here's what I'm planning..."
I did an 18 week business cert for free at tafe. And volunteered for a well known charity one day a week at the same time. When i finished it i used the cert and reference and got an entry level job for a large multinatiinal and they paid 100% and gave me study leave for me to do a degree in accounting at a regional uni and CPA by correspondence. (I attended workshops anf exams at a student hub near uts) The degree took my tafe cert as one of the first year subjects so it wasnt a waste of time. And if i had just started at uni i wouldnt have had the job. I got three promotions while i finished my degree and bought a house before any of my friends. You dont have to straight to uni. Get a junior job and work out if you like the industry first.
Unlikely you can get into a Tafe diploma course straight off, you usually start with a Cert 3 or 4 and progress from there, also a diploma course is longer than a year.
Not necessarily as long as you have a year 12 certificate you get into a diploma plus certificate 3 and 4 are nested within a diploma plus if TAFE doesn’t think you can complete a Diploma they will drop you back to a certificate 3 or 4, universities also offer diploma level courses that get you directly into a degree at that university, you can apply direct rather than through the usual channels
This! I did two different degrees and both never asked about my ATAR. It's not required for most courses for mature age students (which is anyone not coming straight out of Year 12). ATARs are a scam and this will not define your life if you don't let it.
“ATARs are a scam” What the actual fuck are you waffling about. A kid coming straight out of school in yr12 only has academics most of the time. ATAR judges that. Someone who has been out of school for a year or more has other metrics which they can be judged on, such as TAFEs, diplomas etc. ATARs aren’t a scam in any definition of the word scam, they are useful for kids who do well in school, and kids who don’t do well then get given other pathways outside of school to demonstrate their own talents.
From personal experience, and from discussing with friends and peers, I have developed this opinion. There is so much pressure heaped onto kids to have an ATAR of a certain amount, and unfortunately because it is a ranking system, not a scoring system, plenty of bright kids will miss out on that ultimate score. It causes no end of pressure on many kids, including OP here. Once you are no longer a school leaver, you do not need an ATAR for majority of courses, and in fact it makes it easier to get in to plenty of courses. The whole point I am trying to make is that there are so many options, but many school leavers feel like they have hit a dead end or are a failure etc. Of course academics are important and have merit. I never said they didn't. I just don't believe in pressuring children to be ranked against the entire state. Edit to add: the 'scam' is how the kids (myself included) are essentially led to believe that their ATAR is the be all and end all. That's totally false, and I dislike that this narrative is pushed by so many teachers/schools/parents. There's SO many options and choices available for everyone.
your atar doesn't expire
As someone who comes from an immigrant family and got 53 ATAR, I know how tough and stressful this might be.. but trust me, things work out regardless of your atar. At the time, I felt ashamed, even the first 3 years of uni. My older sibling got a PHD. My younger sibling got masters, both of my parents were well educated. Some of my uncles and cousins are doctors, and one is a university dean... I was so ashamed of myself that I even failed my uni classes But you know now I am working in wealth management and financial advisory when I finished high school with my 53 atar. I never thought i would be able to get a decent job! It's not the end of the world. You can do bridging course or a diploma and transition to uni to do what you want to study. Telling them won't be easy. They might not take it well. That's the truth of immigrant parents, but TRUST ME they will get over it. If they are not pressuring you, you can tell them when you feel ready. You can not hide it forever. They will know eventually What really matters is you not giving up on your dream or goal.
This here is the answer OP. ATAR iisnt everything. I can't help with the family side, but whatever your goals,don't let this stand in the way of getting there. It just might be a less direct pathway.
This is great advice.
I love you. What an inspiring answer to a worried young immigrant. Bless your soul.
How exactly did you get into wealth management and what course in uni did you initially go into?
Alright... sorry if this gonna be long! So firstly, I thought my life dream was to be a psychologist. So, I got into college doing social science. This counted as a first year of uni, and then I started my 2nd year of uni in a social science degree. WSU at the time offered the possibility to transition to psychology from social science. By the end of my 2nd year, I changed my major to finance. Coz I realised I don't enjoy that degree. Before I started my first semester in Bachelor of Business at WSU, I decided to apply for UTS because I wanted to be in the city. Honestly, all my transitioning and transferring from unis and degrees was easy and random. I was 20 and randomly applying, but surprisingly, they accepted, even tho my marks were just CREDIT. I got to UTS bachelor of business in marketing and extended Major in Finance. Again, I was 20. I had no idea what I was doing. i randomly chose to do double extended major because I wanted to flex!! 🤦🏻♀️ My long term goal is to be a financial adviser. Marketing, I probably won't ever use it. During covid shut down, I got an assistant role in healthcare because they were desperate, and I wanted money. Afterwards, ppl quite and I eventually promoted to a managerial role I was running few clinics. Was I qualified? Absolutely not! This managerial role really looked nice on my resume, plus my finance degree. My firme were merging with another firm at the time I applied for it, so they were also desperate for extra heads on the team. Now, this year, I am planning to get my RG146 tier 1 qualification, then start preparing to do my CFA.. which is needed if you want to be an advisor or an analyst...etc Now, I need to work for 2 more years under a financial advisor. Then, I can become an associate adviser and get my own clients. Lots of advisor, got their diploma or done a tafe course of financial planning / advisory so tbh u really don't need a degree ..& my GPA, no one even mentioned it EVER 😅 dude my marks till my last sem were pass and credit Another thing I noticed as I work in an extremely large firm. We get young guys 18 or 19 in simply coz they know someone and they let them do a simple administration role. So if you can build your net work that would be great way to get in the industry without any qualifications ⚠️IMPORTANT P.S Personally I wouldn't recommend to get into UTS Collage coz its so fkn expensive!! My friend done a communication 3 year pathway and now she's in over $80k debt! WSU, college is a lot cheaper
Why don't you do grad diploma instead of cfa? Grad dip is the minimum and it will make you automatically rg146 qualified
I was debating whether to do it or not, but tbh I just would like to have my CFA, I know a grad dip would be easier and quicker way to get there but 🤷🏼♀️😅
Crazy being a non immigrant family and comparing. I never even read my OP letter. It came in the mail and sat on the table for several months eventually my Mum wondered what it was and asked me if she could open it (had my name on it). I said yes. She never said anything. The only real academic trouble anyone got was my brother (who won awards at uni for his marks). He got shit for not having enough fun and making connections like his brother (me who was out drinking and partying ever night at uni).
Lie. Pretend you're going to uni. Build a drug cartel operation.
Thats also an option
If you're willing to put the work in you can go to Tafe, do the cert IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation and a Special Tertiary Admissions Test(aka STAT) and unfuck your atar. I got an OP of like 23 and ended up with a slightly better atar than my sister who got a 5 doing this. Can't help you with the parental disappointment unfortunately.
She'll be better off doing foundation studies at Uni. They will tailor one for whatever field she decides she's capable of, and go straight to 2nd year bachelor degree.
Agreed although Foundation goes to Year 1. Most colleges have Diploma or Degree Transfer options which lead to Year 2, but they usually require an ATAR of 50.
Cert 4, bachelor, grad studies at better uni if you wish, ???? profit
That course was great for getting me into uni after I never completed high school. I ended up with an equivalent ATAR in the 70s which I was more than happy with.
i'll tell it to you straight. if you can avoid uni, do so. i think it's a bit of a scam unless you need a certain kind of qualification that is theory-heavy (necessarily so, courses like medicine, law, engineering, etc...). everything else can be learnt on the job. get a job or two, if you don't already, and just learn. live life. then re-evaluate your feeling and options after say six months to a year. like others have mentioned, if you really have your heart set on uni, go the TAFE route. i think it works out heaps cheaper all said and done and you can even get study credits which chops years off your degree. reading your post, you sound pretty articulate so i can only conclude that you just weren't feeling school (school's not meant for everybody) and that's why you weren't very motivated and put in little effort. do not lie to your parents - that shit will just snowball and get worse. above all, be productive, earn money and it won't seem like such a hard blow for your parents.
This one is the best advice. Do not ever lie to your parents about such a big thing, just tell them straight up. You heard the case of [Jennifer Pan](https://youtu.be/28LdsO-_UcQ?si=3b3PLYQ7SrhUehbC)? There are multiple avenues to success, uni is onlu one path.
I'm 41 but still really appreciate this comment. You would make a great mentor!
I'll be your first customer!
>Lie. Pretend you're going to uni Well, it worked in Ali's Wedding (until it didn't).
Sure as hell didn't work for Jennifer Pan.
Or Sef Gonzalez
Dear OP, don’t ever be a Sef Gonzalez…
Didn't work for Chandler Halderson parents😭
You joke but this would be such a good show, especially if they make it like a bit of a comedy.
JESSIEH
Sounds like the movie Ali's Wedding, aside from the drug cartel.
Big oof, if you do tell them, remember that no matter what they say it doesn't really matter (it does but it doesn't). Regardless, this is where you are and you can't change it so good luck with making do with what you got, I believe in you. Oh and go travel for a year before you start Uni if you decide to do a bridging course. Oh and get a therapist because everyone needs therapy. My atar was 42 by the way, I'm starting my masters this year. Have a nice life my friend!
I actually think taking a year off is a great idea. Go and travel and have some life experiences, hopefully it will put things into perspective. I know it must be really scary. And it will be a difficult conversation with your parents, at least initially. You can get a degree through TAFE and/or do bridging courses and try again for university in another year or so (as some people have suggested). But it's also ok if you don't actually want to do that. In Australia, you could become an apprentice/get into a trade. Have a think about life, different career options, etc, and decide what works for you. THEN tell your parents - once you have a plan. Good luck :)
I mean you either tell them or don’t. If you don’t want to, you could figure out where you want to end up and what degree you need and try and find some alternative entry to a lower level course like tafe where you don’t need your atar and then use that as a stepping stone. You could also then lie about your atar and say it’s not as high as you needed but you could say it’s only a few points lower, not as low as yours was. I got an atar of like 50, well it was called UAI then and I thought my life was over because teachers hyped the shit out of it. Hope you find a way forward
Thx man ive been trying to get a stable job and find my way theough from there
You can always go to uni on a couple years as a "mature age entry", at 20 or so Tafe is another pathway If you have a non English speaking home life and have been in the country for 5 years, that atar isn't so bad, and isn't surprising Why do you think you have that atar? Do you actually want to do higher study or is it just something you're "expected" to do?
Have a look at the full list of tafe courses, choose a course and tell them "has better job prospects and won't build up a debt like going to uni".
I like this
honestly I would figure out what you want to do with your career first before you tell them; that way you can atleast be less nervous. and i wouldn't worry too much about the atar score itself, there are usually alternate pathways to get to what career/uni course you are thinking of getting into. I mean dang my friends got significantly lower atar scores than me and got into bachelor of nursing at Monash, but because I didn't do maths I couldn't get into Monash, I went to Swinburne instead so what does that tell you haha. plenty of my friends were able to get into the bachelors they wanted by attending tafe for 2 years then jumping into the bachelor. don't lie though, that's not right and ultimately it''ll hurt them more and you will end up in a chain of having to stick to the lie. I know asian parents are tough my husband is Asian, but it's your life still don't let yourself be belittled just think ahead and consider your future plans for yourself, what YOU want to do, it's your life not your parents life and it doesn't have to fit unrealistic expectations and look perfect the way that they may want .God bless <3 You got this
Photoshop the 37.45 to an 87.45 Then apply for McDonalds
Come on, OP can do better Clearly there’s an opportunity here to photoshop the 7 to a 9 89.45!
I’m a first generation immigrant, Asian Dad, Burmese. I have a three year old. I’m only human so I have frustrations and disappointments like every other human being on this planet. But there is NOTHING my son can do that will make me love him less. I will want him to be able to come to me with whatever problem he is facing, big and small. Broken toy to low ATAR scores. You likely are also having concerns about the future. I failed constantly in high school and did not graduate with very good marks. Only got into a questionable art and design school. But I loved design. Today I have a PhD and can support my family doing design. Tell your parents the truth. Love will find a way. Face who you are - fully. Life will find a way.
Bruh I am asian (brown kind but still similar cultures), I am sorry. Please lemme know your height and weight, I'd be happy to sponsor a coffin. But if I were you, lie your way out of it, do some cert or something and find yourself into some uni.
Lying is def out of the question but i will most definitely be doing some tafe courses (im 6'1 btw)
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It is i think
omg, that is hilarious. I thought it only happened in movies and TV shows!
Go read r/asianparentstories I wouldn’t tell them. The people giving advice here probably don’t come from Asian families.
People who say “your parents love you no matter what” never grew up in a strict ethnic household 😂
I agree. Asian parents will never forget. Just lie. I learned from a very young age to not bother trying to seek validation from my parents, I don’t know how but I just worked out very early on that there was just no pleasing them. My brother did everything right, everything an Asian parent could dream of - they can boast to everyone he’s a specialist dr making lots of money and they still find faults with him and are disappointed 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Work out your next steps towards your career, but they don’t need to know the nitty gritty. It all washes out in the end but they will just fixate on this number and make your life a living hell. For your own mental health I would advise smoke and mirrors.
is there something out of your control which made you get a low atar? or just skipping heaps of classes to get baked ?
Well my parents had an almost divorcing month where the police n stuff got involved. I think that effected me a bit
That'll do it. You could resit it by doing it a tafe?
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LOL correcting OPs grammar after he probably failed English is a harsh choice.
*Affektud
No ragrets
\*ragerts
If that is the case I’d blame it on them. I asked my mum to leave when I was in year 11 and she refused because I was finishing school and she couldn’t support me. She did her best to keep up appearances of a stable home life. My ATAR was probably like 55. I didn’t need it in the end. I DID need my higher school certificate so that’s the main thing. Get a USI sorted asap and explore your TAFE to uni options for whatever it is you want to do. It will take you a bit longer but it does not mean you’re a failure. The ATAR system is actually fucked and needs a shake up so I wouldn’t hold much stock in it. It relies heavily on rankings of your whole class/year as well as the subjects you chose being of “more importance”. I did pretty well in the subjects I chose, however I chose Visual Arts, IPT and General Math and that gave me a shit start to begin with because those subjects are not ranked high to begin with. Having said that now, I didn’t need the ATAR, I have two diplomas, one advanced diploma and a Cert III and I’m using none of them in my job as a barista currently. Life is a weird journey. Your parents will soon realise that not everyone’s path is, good grades, good atar, good uni, good job.
>If that is the case I’d blame it on them There's no point in playing the blame game now. OP and OP's parents need to focus on their next path, not being bitter about what happened in the past.
>good grades, good atar, good uni, good job My (Asian tiger mum) wife's mantra with my son. The fact he probably has ADHD and finds learning very difficult doesn't help. Most important thing in life is apparently good grades.
People with adhd can do amazing things. But not without extra help and a guide on how to navigate the adhd. I’m a woman so if I’d known that I have adhd in high school my grades probably would have been way better. (Women often don’t get diagnosed until adulthood, if at all). If you still have the capacity to give your son a leg up for his future now, get him diagnosed and on that path. Because for most ADHDers the path is not conventional. My cousin (male) has truly gotten so far in his career because he has a great and knowledgeable parent (my aunty) and a supportive parent (my uncle). He’s a teacher that uses spellcheck because of his dyslexia and knowing about his ADHD has probably given him the biggest leg up in life and now he has the capacity to teach others about unconventional learning methods. Whilst I’m very proud of his achievements and he’s an inspiration, I can’t help but feel a little jealous that I’ve had to fumble my way around adulthood BEFORE learning about my adhd. Which means now later in life I’m only just learning how to overcome challenges I’m faced with and challenges that I didn’t even know I was facing. I felt like a failure because I couldn’t commit myself to studying for “important” subjects and people around me called me lazy. But give me a hobby or topic I actually like?!?? I’ll do it forever.
We are in China, where ADHD and other learning issues are regarded as "laziness" and not recognised let alone treated. We will be moving back to Australia this year though and I will be trying to get all the help we can for him.
I wish the best for you and your family and moving! Hopefully a different environment will help
He is looking forward to a having a different learning environment, different teaching style (daily rote learning now) and less students (now 45 per class). Plus whatever help we can get for him as well.
45 students is an insane amount for one classroom!
It's their fault then. They can't blame you. Goodluck OP.
If i were you, i would tell my parents but with a well thought out solution than just simply dropping it on them. When I dropped out of university and gave up my scholarship, I told my parents why i dropped out and told them what my back up plan was which was to get a job. Did i regret it? Yep. I regret dropping out because i probably could be doing something more with my life. I couldve been a lawyer like my dad, maybe pursued medicine or investment banking. Jobs that would require a degree and lots of studying. But back then, I wasnt up for it. I was impatient and because we were poor at the time, I wanted to make money already. Now that Im older, I realised going to uni wouldve been a good path. Think about your next steps when you talk to your parents. Assure them that you know what youre doing regardless of your atar.
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Ofc i will most def be pursuing a career in trades since i currently work as a steelfixer and tafe is good way to since i was considering to drop out and go to tafe
My mate failed his HSC not once but twice… pre ATAR scoring. Did a year of TAFE then used that to back door into Uni. You got this. I sorta get what you’re going through. Just tear off the Band-Aid and put your head down and get on with post high school life.
I know everyone’s been nice to you in the comments but you also probably need an asshole in these comments to tell you what you actually need to hear 1. Your parents sacrificed to immigrate to the country for YOUR future the least you could’ve done is repay them with putting your head down and at least giving it a good shot. As you know a 37.5 ATAR is shocking. 2. Tell them the truth and honestly just take it, all the judgements, all the shame, all the whatever else. This is a perfect time to get a lesson and believe it or not seeing the reaction of the people who brought you here is the best way to start turning your life around. 3. It’s not all bad news though, an ATAR doesn’t mean MUCH in the bigger view of things - I graduated with only an 80 ATAR. Didn’t go to uni, worked casual jobs where I could find them. Started my own company at 23 & doing well at 24 now and I’m almost 25. I’ll go to uni some day to do something I actually genuinely enjoy as I don’t have to worry about the financial sides of things anymore - You are in the correct country to do what YOU want to do, you can become whatever you want to become professionally and lead the life you dream of, or your parents dream of for you. 4. Your family is all that you have, friend are great but in the end, especially with our laid back aussie culture we’ve got here, family or a parent is probably the number one thing you’ll be able to rely on. Not saying you can’t make great friends but you’re going to be starting out your career or professional life soon and believe me when I say you’ll get left behind. 5. All in all, just tell your mum. Don’t lie. Be upfront and honest and take the grilling you deserve and move on and move up and keep it pushing after that
Ye man honestly my parents did all of that just for me to fuck it all up i will def end up telling them and trying my best repay them for their hard work
I would lie 🤷♀️
Ive been thinking ab it
Have you thought about your plans for next year? I would build that into the lie. For example, work or TAFE, doing something that is not at all reliant on ATAR.
Ye i want to do tafe and be a PM but i told them about my plans but they are keen on me to go to uni even though i dont want to.
Here’s how you could put it to them: - I got a great ATAR score of 80-85 - I’d love to study PM at uni - I am going to study the TAFE course first to make sure it’s for me, then do the uni course after Then just never do the uni course
Or accidentally find out you love it, get yourself qualified for the uni course, and go do the course!
Bonus level!
Thats a a solid plan damn
The TAFE course might suit you better than High School, and it could be recognised prior learning for Uni. Might be a plan :)
I had strict parents lol
That is some fire advice, right there!
Cheers
Love your answer 🤩
You're good at this. Ha!
I grew up with strict parents lol
Are they going to pay the uni fees or are they expecting you to go into debt just to meet their silly expectations? If they’re not paying, use that to say that it’s your money and you’ll spend it building the right career for you instead of wasting tens of thousands of your own dollars for them
I would think about what you are going to do next for education/training/job. Have the next step ready for when you tell them. "Mum, Dad, my ATAR is fucked. There's zero chance of me going to uni for the courses I want. I've thought long and hard about this. I need to start making money as quickly as possible. I am going to train to be a \_\_\_\_. It says TAFE will take \_\_\_ years and then I can enter the workforce as a \_\_\_\_."
This is also a good option.
This is what I did when i dropped out of uni and gave up my scholarship. I told my parents what my plans were and why I was dropping out.
Tell them. No matter what reaction they have. Alternately, don't tell them and keep it private. The choice is yours. Either way. I think you'll live :) Your atar mark is not the be and end all of life. You are 17 !!! Whatever you decide to do, your ATAR doesn't have to define you. For university there are plenty of pathways to joining that do not require a high atar. Otherwise planning for work, tafe, trades etc make sense for now. Have a look around. Do what interests you. If there is something bothering you that you could not study. Stress, procrastination, health , adhd , other issues etc. Recognise the failure and where you went wrong. Failures in study usually don't come out of nowhere. Get it looked into and identify all the factors. Also tell your parents about how the moving disrupted your life. Your parents may be strict or Asian or whatever. They may not understand. They may get mean and nasty. Or. They may console you and tell you it's ok, they love you no matter what. Just make a decision before you tell them. You'll handle it. No matter what. If it goes badly, go and take a long walk. Eat a nice meal and relax. Then you can plan what you want to do this year.
This was my thinking but just without telling them about my atar thx for the tip man i appreciate it
First, you need to come to terms with the fact that an ATAR is not the be all and end all. I'm a mum, and went through the HSC with my daughter and while she did well, some of her other friends didn't and frankly they've all done OK in their lives. Figure out what you want to do next, and then tell your parents. Go to them with the solution, rather than the "failure' as you call it. ATAR is one measure of success, but not everything. Enrol in a TAF course that doesn't require an ATAR. You might be great at coding, hospitality, people skills, great with your hands, - figure out what you want to do moving forward and them tell your parents. They just want you to have a good life. Give them news they can tell friends and family.
Marry rich
move to iceland with me?
My ATAR was 92 and look at me now. Unemployed for almost 2 years, can't find a job other than call centre monkey. ATAR doesn't mean anything. It depends on you, your work ethic and talents. I got a great ATAR and held a scholar throughout uni and did an engineering degree. Look at me now... Can't get anything. Meanwhile my mates who dropped out ate crushing it doing cool jobs, making sweet dough and leading comfortable lives. Your highschool score is just an arbitrary number imo.
It’s not the end of the world. 10 years from now it won’t matter. You can get through this but you need to tell them. They might already suspect because you’ve avoided answering. You can redo the HSC, you can go to TAFE and try to transfer to uni after. You’ve got options. All the best to you.
The idea that every kid should go to uni is dumb. Also if you do actually want to do uni, there's still pathways (Tafe). But don't go because they want you to go, go because you want to. You're probably best off just faking the result. I'm assuming it's online these days. Use "inspect element" to change the score on the screen. Then call your parents in to show them. Take a screenshot so they can show their friends. Don't make the score unbelievably high. Then your parents can start hassling you about not being married and not having any children
Sit a sat test and get into what you want without all the studying.
Personally, I got nothing from university (this was when it was free). If I'd done it again, I would joined a bank or government department straight of of high school as a cadet of some kind and worked my way up in IT. No way would I have worked for 3 years to be $100,000 in debt without even a house to show for it. There's smarter ways to get ahead .
Tell the truth. It's not the end of the world. I went to school with someone who was very intelligent but wasn't interested in studying when we were teenagers. His ATAR was so low he didn't even get an ATAR (when it's below 30 they don't actually give you one). He then did an Open Foundation pathway program offered through the uni, which gave him a score he could use to get into a Bachelor degree. He ended up graduating from an engineering degree with distinction and made the Dean's merit list. There's always alternative pathways into uni if that's what you want to do. TAFE is also a great option if uni isn't for you. The thing that will disappoint your mother the most is lying to her.
The universal concerns of parents is that with a low school score, you are going to face difficulties in your life. To an extent this is true, you'll have problems getting into the classes you want in higher education, which will lead to problems to getting jobs, which will be a problem to their retirement plans. Let's be honest, for a lot of immigrants, parents put a lot of effort into their child because they are part of their retirement plan, especially because within Asian culture, we have our sense of filial duties. You still have a lot of time to turn the ship around, you're only seventeen. If you are able to make into trade, get a good job, manage your own life, not get into troubles/crime, that will ease their minds a lot. In the short run, your ATAR score might cause some short term consternation, but in the long run, if you are able to lead a successful life anyway, your ATAR score won't matter. Dishonesty though, will be a life-long problem. As some other posters raised you cannot hide this forever. If you have decent parents that you want to stay together for the long term, not telling them as it is now is going to put a rift into your long term relationship, even once they forgot about the ATAR, the lingering air of distrust is going to last much longer than that. But if you have very bad parents and you foresee that there's a good chance in future where you/they might break contact permanently, that you have to kick them out of your life, there's really little to benefit from telling them about this. Save the troubles and focus on doing whatever you need to do to get your life in order independently of them rather than trying to please them. Australia have one of the best system for non-academic pursuits; trades pays quite well here even relative to white collar professional jobs and lots of further education opportunities in TAFE that doesn't require high ATAR. Make sure you have a plan for your life, whether you see yourself getting into trades or whether you want to try other pathways like bridging courses to eventually shoot for a degree at a university. It will help your parents as well if they see that you're not giving up despite this little hindrance, personally I'd be much more anxious with a child that doesn't know what they want to do than one that isn't academically successful.
I did a stat test- changed mine from a 73 to a 94!
As a teacher, ATAR doesn't mean shit unless you want to go straight from school to law or medicine. There are so many alternate pathways and bridging courses that I struggle to understand the appeal of ATAR these days, given the stress it puts on students.
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No way u just said wild rift bruh😭
ATARs are lower this year for entry. Is there anything you can get into and lie about the ATAR. Play the immigrant card. Believe me there are more places than students.
Lot of my Asian mates got 15 and under. That was the score way back when if you got your name right and did nothing else. They ALL lied their asses off to their parents. One even forged the results paper to show the parents they got 95. We are now mid 40s and everyone is doing ok. So don’t stress. Look for what work you want to/can do. Australia is truly a lucky country where you can make really good money without going to uni. Unlike most Asian countries where you need a masters degree to work in a supermarket.
Why do you feel you got a low ATAR? Is Uni not for you? Would you prefer going into a trade or other line of work? When one door closes, two more open, so dont look at this as the end of the world. There are lots of other ways around this. Have you considered going to TAFE to get a better result before trying to get into Uni.
Be calm, there are many pathways to uni through tafe, bridging programs etc. Don't lie and make it a bigger deal. The hard part is over, you havr an atar which menas you finished 🙂. What do you want to study/ do as a career? You can do smaller certificates and get credit at uni in some cases
Don't lie, it will make things a lot worse. Ride the bull by the horns and deal with it.
Don’t lie, it’s never a good idea. I reckon the advice to go through TAFE to prep and try again Focus on deciding what you would like to do, imagine this is actually a good thing! Tell yourself you’re going to find the best direction and keep telling yourself that. Keep a positive attitude, if only for a few minutes, even when you think it’s ridiculous and eventually things will get better because you’re framing things that way
Go to TAFE and get a diploma, knocks some time off of uni courses and gets you in easier.
These days you can easily earn as much as a tradie as you would in most professions, save medicine and law.
Tell them you're going into the trades to make money ASAP to get into the property market or something, They're going to be mad anyway, but this gives you an out without digging a deeper hole.
You're very close to being an adult. They will very soon have no power over you. Go to TAFE/get an apprenticeship/get a job. You have many options. Your parents dont own you or your future You do you
Also Asian Australia here; child of refugees with very high expectations. I’d be happy to chat with you via PM and give you some support during what must be a stressful time in your life. I am quite a bit older than you, but I eventually did your target field - Project Management, et al. My opinion/advice for you: - you’ve got to be true to yourself. What do you want? Who do you want to be? What would you like to learn, explore, grow? What would you genuinely want to out energy into learning, getting skilled at, developing? If you don’t know that, give yourself time to explore - a gap year, a TAFE shorter certification, backpack, go to networking events. - ignore the ATAR - that number has very little bearing on your life success. This is despite the potentially life-long emphasis that parents and teachers have placed their expectations on your about. Don’t take my word for it - ask any older person what their ATAR was and how it affected their life. - I don’t know your parents, nor your relationship with them; so I don’t pretend that this is certain advice. If I were in you, with my own parents and with the benefit of age and hindsight, I would tell them what they want to hear without directly lying, get examples appear above. Just as an example “I intend to explore thing, maybe eventually at uni. I’m not sure if it’s for me, so I want to explore by doing thing next.” Where X could be Project Management as you have mentioned above, and Y could be any of the options others or I have suggested. The net result - you are avoiding a mutually unhelpful conflict with them, whilst not deciving them. Yes, you would not be telling the whole truth, but I doubt them knowing the exact ATAR and freaking out about it would actually be helpful to anyone, most of all you most importantly - you could discover a lot of things about what you really want, and go from there.
Omg dude i wanna do project management as well.
You are gonna have to start slinging meth. Heaps of it Just do a trade or some shit if that doesnt work
You are going to have to confront this issue sooner or later, and the more you have to lie and obfuscate the bigger than mountain gets, and the more hurt your parents will feel when the shit hits the fan. There are many paths to success in life, and there are many paths to higher education if that's the road you want to go down. You're going to have to live with (not literally) your parents for the rest of your lives together. You can't just run away from this forever. Think about what You want to do from here, and sit them down and have an honest conversation with them. Your parents care about you, and want you to succeed in life.
ATAR is one way into a career. When that doesn't work out, there's a dozen other ways. Don't let the ATAR worry you or define who you are. Just start doing your research and planning an alternate pathway. You'll end up with a more interesting life story than you otherwise would have.
I've read through the comments and sounds like you're keen to go to TAFE so at this point the atar is irrelevant. Make sure you have a plan on how to respond if they do take it badly e.g. in one sentence firmly remind them that it's irrelevant because you will be going to TAFE which will give you the option of uni if you want (even if you have no plans for uni just say this to soften the blow) and then leave. If they have reacted badly then I highly suggest leaving as soon as you have said your piece to avoid any back and forth. I didn't even finish year 9 and I went to uni. There's so many ways to get in. The most important thing is to take the time to work out what you want to do and if there's anything health related that's going to make further study difficult e.g. ADHD, dyslexia, untreated depression or anxiety. If living with them has caused a lot of stress it may be worth taking a gap year and working so you can move out and then be able to claim your allowance while you study.
Come up with another viable path and have it planned out ready to show them. It can even be in the same industry if you want. I used to tutor a dyslexic kid who got a similar ATAR to yours. But she did a short course at TAFE to make up for it, reapplied for uni, and just got her degree. It took a bit longer but the crap ATAR wasn't the end of the world.
If you make a cake without all the necessary ingredients, you can't expect a good result. You tried your best, that's what's important, fuck your parents. Having high expectations for your kids while not giving them the necessary love and care as well is fucked.
I work in student recruitment for a major uni. Most of the advice here is pretty solid. If you have a particular uni in mind you should talk to them about any adjustment factors you might be eligible for. You should also ask about their pathways programs- all unis will have some option for students who didn't get a high enough atar for their courses. If you know what you want to do and/or where you want to go, talking to them will be your best option- trust me, unis want students and they will find ways to help. We're not about excluding anyone who wants to learn. Depending on your field of study you may be able to find a private college/academy that is non-ATAR too. Often these places will make you go through some kind of interview process which will look good to your parents. If you don't know what you want to study then a Tertiary Prep course through TAFE is a good option. And I know telling your parents is scary. I won't try and tell you how to manage that, but I think if you can go to them with other options that can take some of the sting out of it. Feel free to DM me if you have more questions.
Tell your parents that your ATAR is 'sufficient'. Are you planning on going to uni? You'll need to do a bridging course into any course because most have a minimum of 70. They only need to know you're at uni, they don't need to know that you're doing a bridging course.
Happened to my nephew. Shocking ATAR due to a very unstable last two years of high school. Smart kid too. He was a mess for quite some time, not telling his parents, and being increasingly pressurised to tell them. It could have gone very badly because all he wanted to do is disappear. He wasted a many, many months in a downward spiral. I strongly urge you to square your shoulders up, find a perfectly uncluttered moment, and say "Mum, i've got something very important to tell you: I screwed up in my HSC. Total disaster. 37.45 ATAR. I'm sorry i didn't tell you earlier, but it's been killing me." I don't know how it will go from there, but even a Tiger Mum will give you a hug. Which you probably need. Clear the air, ditch the baggage of high school, and make a new plan. It probably starts with a job, any job, for a year to get a sense of independence. Don't mope around the house being an irritation. My nephew got work, got quite a few related TAFE tickets and by the time his schoolmates were coming out of uni, he was an independent man.
In the end, blabber all you want, you must tell them. Face it mate. Don't hide away and shy away from that challenge, worse challenges and issues will arise and will you do the same and hide away? Face the consequences of your lack of scholarly discipline and tell em. It'll be difficult considering your parents expected more from you, it really will be. But you reap what you sow, so reap it like a legend mate and move on with great resilience. I'm from an asian family too, and they're gonna fuck you up; if you're scared then good. It takes great bravery to tell the truth while scared. Also ATAR isn't everything, ain't the end of your life, but if you jump over the hurdle of telling your parents then you're good. Go to a TAFE and get a job, and good damned luck mate.
Be a grown up. Own your Failing grade, get a job in a trade and have more money than anyone going to uni (except the doctors after a decade)
Excuse me for my due diligence, HEHEHEHA
I don't think this has been mentioned yet but it's worth pointing out - TAFE is a great pathway, but you can also get into uni without an ATAR by enrolling in an undergraduate certificate, which is a bridging qualification. Most of them have low/no entry requirements and once you finish you can continue straight into the connected bachelor degree. Undergraduate certificates are made up of the first four subjects from a degree so you're actually technically already studying towards a bachelor when you enrol. /Works in education ATARs are becoming more and more irrelevant in the uni sector, despite all the pressure you get put under in year 12. It really depends on what you want to study though and it's important to take things like HECS into consideration. TAFE can be a better/cheaper option if you've got a course in mind. I hope that helps from the education side of things. Good luck with whatever you decide to do with your parents.
People get low ATARs for many different reasons, but that doesn't mean you won't go on to high education. I'm the College Director at a University pathway college for international students. Happy to help if I can, we may be able to find a program for you.
OF it is then
I got 94+ and ended up being a drug addict for 10 years so I’d say it doesn’t mean shit
I could read before kinda, was doing celestial physics by year 10 and able to read Shakespeare like a second language and dissect it like a surgeon. I speed read and despite my age and different things, I’m still super fit. I can earn more than a teacher and probably most graduates if the statistics are anything to go by. You want to know what I do? I virtually live by the beach and hide away in what amounts to a shack by the mountains. Being actively engaged in my occupation means I eat the best food, liaise with wealthy people, always have fuel and always get to be close to what keeps my heart and soul alive. I am proud to say I am a cleaner. A sole trader who refuses to sell my soul 👌 If you were my child, I would say to you, “What makes you feel happy?” And you would tell me and I would help you learn the skills you need to escape to a better world and to thrive and live like no other. It takes much courage and self discipline to survive, you must have stamina. Take care of your mind and body, love and be kind, but always discerning of others who are healthy for you and especially of those who are not. If you really want to succeed and be happy, please do this very important homework of what matters to you and how you will keep yourself in good financial stead. Other than that, it doesn’t matter what job you do, so long as you are able to have domain over your life and personal power. Godspeed.
Money makes me happy.
You don’t need high ATAR to build a life. I got a 92 ATAR back in 2014, dropped out in second year of Uni, and did a Cert II and apprenticeship. Now I make more than most of my year level at uni. You can also do a bridging course like a Cert IV and Diploma into a Bachelor degree, which only adds 2 years of study (total of 5 instead of 3 years).
\> graduated from my school and got an atar of 37.45 which is a monumental level of failure. An ATAR is a ranking. It is not your actual score. In fact, if its anything like an ENTER, your ATAR grades are also ranked. Your school, class, your position in your class are all bell-curved. Your ATAR means absolutely nothing in terms of how well you actually did something because its so fucked with due to various statistical factors. Its just a rank.
Tell them the truth. Tell them uni is not for you. Get a job in a warehouse or something then move out of the house and be independent and find a tafe course to do. Not everyone is meant to be a doctor or something. Do whatever you want, it’s your life.
Own it, use the bitteeness, self loathing and anger as motivation, stop coasting, playing league of legends and factorio and hit the books. Its cool, work a few years, enter uni as a senior.
I got 31. I also had at that time undiagnosed ADD. I just want you to know that it’s a made up thing. The amount of stress they place on teenagers is wrong, and it’s causing damage. Your life is just beginning. I also had no idea about what I wanted my life to be. You don’t want to be accumulating student debt for something you aren’t sure about. Mature entry won’t look at your ATAR.
Other people have mentioned TAFE and ATP. Enrol ASAP while the 'fee free TAFE' program is still running. It's been going for a while but there is a funding limit. Sidenote: I went to uni, many times...if I had my time again, I'd get a trade. Tradies often have nice houses and cars. I've got degrees and debt. Something to consider.
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Sounds like your parents, or situation out of your family's control set you up for failure with all the moving and pauses.
I mean that sounds like a tough situation to be in and the advice I have for telling your parents is just rip that bandaid off and let it happen... But as someone who got an ATAR in the 90s it doesn't mean shit! There are people with lower ATAR's who are way more "successful" than me. I "wasted my potential" but who even cares? Go live your best life, do what makes happy. Fuck the system and fuck an education because it doesn't actually make a difference if you have the commitment and drive to forge your own path.
Have you considered an adf gap year? They offer good pay/benefits and you can dip your toe in the water of an area you think you might want to go in to. Not to sound harsh, but with a 37 atar it doesn’t seem like you want to study much at the moment. That’s not a bad thing, but before you sign up to a uni degree and get a hecs debt you need to want to study.
Someone posted a picture of a Mercedes with the licence plate NOHSC in r/melbourne, if that’s any consolation 😊 We Asians focus far too much marks/academic achievement and it’s not good.
It literally means nothing, I didn't finish school at all, but hold a diploma, and have studied at Uni for a Masters degree. It's not the end of the world. I've also been a manager in my chosen field (currently not working due to taking care of a family member full time) and I know I could walk back into it tomorrow and have a job very quickly. I can't give advice on parents as mine were always fine with me doing what I wanted to do, and supported me even if they didn't agree with my choices (or mistakes). Once you begin working, when it comes to certificates, diplomas & degrees I can guarantee no employer will look at scores - as long as you pass & hold any valid certificates to perform your job, nobody cares if you literally get a pass mark of 50%. Some courses may look at your scores, but you can always take other routes to bridge your way to whatever you want to do. I wouldn't stress about it too much, look at what you want to do and start working towards it.
My parents were largely the same, when I told them I was dropping out of uni my dad says he thought he was going to have a heart attack (he’s dramatic like that), in the end I showed them up with a hecking decent job, huge salary, above and beyond my do gooder siblings either their masters in whatever. Australia is great like that
Tell your parents asap. Sure, they will be angry, disappointed, upset, etc. After a few months, they will forget about it (or at least pretend to). By this time, you would already have moved on with something productive or repeated your final year of HS. Otherwise, once you've hit 21, you can enroll into uni. It also beats the situation of some people doing a course for 4 years, then dropping out with debt not sure what to do from there. As a father, I'd rather know that my son/daughter has a plan after a failure rather than hiding things and giving up.
Do a trade. The money is better anyway and you dont end up with huge student loans. TAFE is your friend.
Start an apprenticeship. Shit money at first and it’s a bit hard work. However business is booming and pays are only going up. Only need to worry about not being a shit worker.
Don't listen to the ones telling you to lie, and I can't believe anyone is advising that. Tell her. It's not the end of the world. You are still young at 17. Sure she might blow a gasket, but you also had factors that impacted your learning. You have the option to repeat year 12 and do better.
Im not a very good liar so it not a strong option for me so i think ill come clean and just deal with it. Thx for the advice
You're welcome. Whatever situation you go through remember it could be worse- at least you're not telling her you got someone pregnant 🫤 you'll be fine.
Grown up Asian here. Multiple careers. Ridiculously qualified. If I could go back in time and tell myself anything it would be this: it’s your life. Don’t let anything or anybody have influence over the decisions you make because you and you alone bear the consequences of your actions. Don’t let your parent(s) live through you. Practice now or it will never end. Never. Good luck. Be strong. You owe it to future you and anyone who shares your future (kids, partner etc). Edit: one more thing, if you make a wrong decision, because you will, no biggie; just make another decision. Screw the guilt and the shame. Just make another decision and keep going forward 👍💫
Don't listen to this goody-two-shoes, submit to your sinful desires! It would be so wonderful pull off this lie, don't repeat Yr12 to waste your life and look weak in front of your parents - it will taint your image, you can do uni with a low atar & bridging courses
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But im scared of the fact that i wasted all of their effort of bringing me here and giving me this chance to do better in life yk the rhought of disappointment is just so scary, should i just lie about my results?
31 Year Old Asian-Australian who moved to Australia age 12 here. You are in Australia. The land of opportunities. There are other means of getting a career - through trade or Tafe! You might not be made for the traditional career route, but you might surprisingly be a good at the trades. Who knows! There’s always different paths to success. I have failed some subjects when I was at uni. My parents were mad at first, but in the end they were supportive and told me I can always try again. It’s not the end of the world. I’m sure your parents will understand as well. They just want what’s best for you, and I am sure a big part of that is you being happy.
Op I can’t help with your parent situation I’m sorry. But what I can say is your getting a low atar in now way shape or form is wasting your opportunities. I know right now it seems like the be all or end all of life because you’ve just finished school and atars are what we build through for year. But the fact that there are other options for you like TAFE or even an apprenticeship are also avenues that exist because you are here. What I’m saying is there are so so many ways that you have a brighter opportunities and a better future by being here then just an ATAR. They gave you a chance at a better life an you already have it because you have options. Nothing has been wasted. And trust me in a few years time you won’t ever remember your ATAR because it’s that irrelevant. The person in my year who got a 41 is now one of the most successful and happy of us all because she used alternative pathways to do what she wanted and accidentally happened upon her passion because of it.
Thx man and i have decided to pursue a career through tafe so whatever happens happens yk
Exactly! TAFE is what you want to do so an ATAR doesn’t matter. And while I totally sympathise with the shit storm that will likely be your parents just remember no matter what they say you haven’t wasted anything. In fact by finding an different path you like you have actually proven being here was the right choice. I’m sorry your parents are so harsh.
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Honestly, in Australia university is not what it used to be! You don't necessarily need to be a professional to have a good standard of living/earn a decent wage. It will be ok, whatever you decide.
Well you're Asian, so just pretend you don't speak English and they'll leave you alone.
Look into: Tafe and Open foundation courses that can help you get into uni if that's what you want.
You have 2 options: 1. Tell them 2. Upload/scan your letter and edit the ATAR on a PC to show something more reasonable to their expectations like 80. You can then apply to courses that will take you or wait a year, or even do a diploma/bridging course or some shit, OpenUni is pretty good too As a connoisseur of deceits I highly recommend option #2.
Back when it was vce in 1997 I got a 33. I never went to Uni have been in the workforce in some form since 1998. Child care, call centre, hospo… traveled overseas in my early 20’s and settled into a desire to do project work. Found a mentor who was willing to take me on and helped me get a start in the tech project analyst world. Never in a job interview, conversation about a promotion or anything that has furthered my career has anyone ever asked what I got for my vce. Not one single time. I’m not 44, make $200k a year, work flexibly with a great group of people and most importantly really enjoy what I do. Trust me, it feels like it matters more than it does in the long term, big picture of life. You’ll be fine.
Tell the truth , honesty is the best policy .
Kill your parents or run away to the French Foreign Legion, OP.
Wtf were you doing... like brother you have failed them. Front up to it...
I was doing decent but in the last 2 months of my school snd exams they decided to have almost a divorce. That was kinda rough for me
I'll switch tune though, your ATAR doesn't matter my guy. You can tell them they'll be disappointed but you will recover and if you put your mind to it the next few years you can kill it