Recent research shows that over 80 per cent of senior students have experienced ATAR anxiety this year. This is up from last year鈥檚 75 per cent and there are no prizes for guessing why. 62 per cent of students believe their 鈥淎TAR score will be worse鈥� thanks to COVID-19, but despite this most of them are still planning to sit their exams rather than receiving an ATAR based on an average of their school assessments.
80 per cent of students agree that seniors should get special consideration due to COVID-19. And almost half of them are considering鈥攐r are already using鈥攁dditional learning resources or support such as online tutoring on top of the support their school is providing.
Students have another worry though鈥攖heir parents. More than a third of students believe their parents鈥� ATAR anxiety is worse than their own.
When parents were asked whether this year鈥檚 events made them more or less stressed about their child鈥檚 ATAR score, almost 40 per cent said they were more stressed, with 43 per cent having experienced some anxiety over their child鈥檚 ATAR result.
黑料网 Chief Learning Officer Dr Selina Samuels says, 鈥渋t鈥檚 normal to feel pressure around important education milestones. The challenges of COVID-19 have no doubt contributed to these feelings. It鈥檚 important however, that students not waste time speculating about the possible impact of the pandemic on their final results, but rather focus on the ways to manage their stress and focus on what they can do to maximise their learning on a day to day basis.鈥�
Here are some of Selina鈥檚 top tips for getting through ATAR time:
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For students
鈥� Don鈥檛 keep re-reading the same thing over and over. Find new ways to approach familiar content.
鈥� A tutor can help to keep your study engaging and ensure no question goes unanswered.
鈥� Don鈥檛 worry about your competition; focus on your own learning. Remember that every Year 12 student in the country is in the same boat.
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For Parents
鈥� Make sure to check in with your child about how they are feeling; don鈥檛 wrap them in cotton wool but do acknowledge that their feelings of stress are real.
鈥� Remember that it鈥檚 not your ATAR: the key to managing your child鈥檚 stress is to manage your own.
鈥� Check out our blog for research, insights and guidance on maintaining continuity of learning.
