Mackenzie hopes to study a dual Bachelor degree of arts / law next year and eventually become a family and human rights lawyer. She recently participated in the Ponytail Project, an organisation that creates wigs and supports people with cancer.
Many teenagers face high levels of anxiety about their exams, but what if there was a way to combat it?
According to ReachOut, an Australian organisation designed to aid young people, stress as of last year has skyrocketed, with a whopping 17 per cent of Australian kids believing study stress has affected their mental health.
Isabelle Anand, a Grade 12 student from Kedron State High School, said: “My mental health has been affected by the ATAR because it can become quite stressful for me during assessment periods.”
They are looking to study either science or engineering after school, requiring an ATAR of 80 – 84.
Isabelle believes thoughts of their ATAR can play on repeat in their mind as they prepare for upcoming exams, leading perfectionist tendencies.
Students are experiencing added stress with the cost-of-living crisis as well as the effects of perfectionism, as many choose to give up on what they love to study for a well-paying career.
Eight per cent of students aged 15 – 19 were working multiple jobs since June this year, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data.
The ABS data shows that more young people aged 15 – 24 are working multiple jobs compared to any other age group, juggling school, work and personal life.
Distribution of age for multiple job holders graph; Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics
However even confident students feel anxious about their ATAR.
“The ATAR makes me feel slightly anxious, but I’m fairly confident I can get the ATAR I need, which motivates me to study,” Isabelle said.
But not all hope is lost for students who fear not getting the right ATAR score.
Kobe Elliot, graduate from Kedron State High School, said: “If you’re feeling too much stress from ATAR just remember that hanging out with friends or even having time for yourself is important to help you recharge at your own pace.”
Kobe is currently studying a Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Queensland, which he managed to get into through his ATAR.
He said that through his schooling he felt stressed to maintain his scores but gave a cheerful message to current school students: “If you fall out of schedule for a bit or lose some marks, that’s okay and don’t give up because of it.”
Though this stress may seem all consuming, it is only a part of your life, and your future still holds much excitement.
