Dean of ACAP University College Professor Christopher Klopper and Senior Psychology Lecturer Dr Christopher Holt share why a low ATAR is no barrier to success, and how to deal with disappointment.
For some students, ATAR results released over the last week will be a celebration; stories of 99.95 high-achievers will be splashed across all the country’s major news publications and lauded by schools and the community for their well-earned success.
But for other students who didn’t get the rank they hoped, it can be tricky navigating disappointment on a day full of success stories.
ACAP University College Dean Professor Christopher Klopper and ACAP Senior Lecturer in Psychological Sciences and Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science course coordinator Dr Christopher Holt say navigating ATAR disappointments is as important as celebrating success.
Alternative pathways
At ACAP, students have multiple avenues into a bachelors degree, including enrolling in courses like the undergraduate certificates or gaining entry as mature aged students (aged over 21) based on demonstrated life experience after school.
“Our cohort consists predominantly of non-high school students, and we have great success, we have an 89.6 per cent pass rate, that’s pretty impressive. That’s up there with Cambridge at 90 per cent pass rate,” Professor Klopper said.
“There’s a lot of importance and value placed on the ATAR within the school system and sector, because school’s build reputation and tradition on these scores, [but] that puts a lot of pressure on young scholars which can be quite confronting and overwhelming. It also camouflages the fact that there are other pathways that somebody could follow.”
Professor Klopper knows first-hand that there are many paths to success; he took one less travelled by.
“Back in South Africa, when I finished my Year 12, I actually didn’t have the results to go into a bachelor’s degree in education at university,” he said.
“I completed a Diploma of Education, a few years later enrolled into a university degree as mature-aged student and then completed all my postgraduate studies. Before I knew it, eight years later I'd finished a doctorate. I might have felt disappointed in not being able to get that university entry requirement in year 12, but it certainly didn't limit my career in any way at all."
Managing disappointment
Dr Chris Holt from the Discipline of Psychological Sciences shared some advice on how to navigate feelings of distress or disappointment around a result below your expectations.
“We have a tendency to want get rid of any negative emotions, which makes sense, but this can be difficult and our attempts to get rid of these emotions may make the problem worse,” he said.
“You might find it helpful to acknowledge the feelings as they show up; you might be feeling sad or disappointed and that’s OK. It’s pretty normal for people to experience some form of distress or disappointment if they don’t meet a goal they have set out to achieve. Know that you are not alone and there are probably many students who are also experiencing this.”
He said parents and friends can help support those experiencing disappointment.
“Sometimes friends and families want to be helpful and they may try to solve the problem or suggest a solution, but this can come across as invalidating and often the student initially just wants to be heard and understood,” he said.
“You can sit with their emotions, let them feel them and just listen. Validate and connect. Sometimes that can be very helpful.”
He said for those who are experiencing disappointment, it can be helpful to be kind to yourself during this time.
“You might be beating yourself up, giving yourself a hard time, and we’re all guilty of that,” he said.
“A useful strategy is to think about what you might say or do to your best friend if they didn’t obtain the mark they wanted ? Then stop and reflect on whether they’re the same things you’re saying and doing to yourself? Often, they’re not.”
“You want to try and be the best friend you can be to yourself.”
Finally, he said we should be encouraging all students to celebrate, regardless of the marks on their email.
“It’s tough going through high school and completing year 12 studies, that’s no mean feat. No matter what mark you get, completing year 12 should be acknowledged and celebrated too,” he said.
“There’s a lot of emphasis on attaining a 99.95 but there are many other ways to open doors as well.”
Professor Klopper agreed, saying:
