Mixed bag of emotions as students receive ATAR results

2 months ago 7

Brisbane students have been given access their ATAR results, after feeling a mixed bag of emotions while waiting on Thursday morning.

QTAC chief executive Chris Veraa said the results reflected the efforts of students, as well as the families and school communities that worked alongside them through their senior year.

“We hope this moment will be one where all Queensland graduates are able to look back on what they’ve achieved with pride.”

Olivia King, 17, from Brisbane Girls Grammar School, said on Thursday morning she was feeling “quietly confident” about her ATAR results. She was also, of course, a bit nervous.

“I’ve been accepted to study a bachelor of international economics and management at Bocconi University in Milan,” she told this masthead.

“I’m still deciding if I will travel overseas to take up this opportunity in Italy, or if I stay in Brisbane to study the University of Queensland’s bachelor of advanced finance and economics.

“I’ve also applied to many universities in America. I’m torn between studying abroad and being closer to home, but I will make a decision once all of the offers are out.

Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School student Olivia King said she was quietly confident about her ATAR results.

“I feel really grateful that I have these choices and university ahead of me. It’s amazing to think that 150 years ago, when Brisbane Girls Grammar School was founded, women were striving for the right to a tertiary education.”

Faris Al-Haji, 18, from Park Ridge State High School, was keeping his confidence up. He chose not to look at his exam results on December 17, preferring to keep the whole thing a surprise.

Al-Haji admitted to feeling a little bit overwhelmed ahead of the results being released. “But it is what it is, you know, there’s nothing that can happen to the results now.”

He is hoping to get into a bachelor of nursing at Queensland University of Technology, which has guaranteed entry for students with an ATAR of 80.

“I do think I’ll be able to get into it. Right now, I’m just keeping my confidence up so I don’t have to have a little breakdown in the middle of the day. I think all will be well.”

Tatiana Edelman, 17, from St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School said she was “feeling OK”.

“I think mostly what I was really most worried about was just how I did in all my subjects individually. For me, the number of my ATAR isn’t the most important thing because nothing that I want to do [needs] a super, super high [ATAR].”

Edelman is planning to take at least six months off to travel, and continue strengthening her French language skills. “After that, I’m hoping to do something with a bit of arts and a bit of sciences because I’m in a bit of a difficult situation where I’m really enjoying both,” she said.

St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School student Tatiana Edelman is feeling OK about her ATAR results.

“It’s a bit annoying because I feel like most people know like exactly, or they think they know exactly where they want to go, but I’m just enjoying too many things, which is a good problem to have.”

Edelman has spoken with university students at her swimming club, who reassured her that many people go into tertiary studies not knowing exactly what they want to do, or are very set on their plans but end up changing.

Rasika Sudhahar, 18, from St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School admitted she was feeling pretty nervous ahead of the results coming out. She intends to study a maths and arts dual degree next year, which has an entry requirement of 92.

St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School student Rasika Sudhahar admits she’s feeling pretty nervous for her ATAR results.

“My issue is that I like too many things, so it’s really difficult to narrow in on one. I changed my application again, like, two weeks ago,” she said.

“I was so confused about what I wanted to do, but I just landed on doing trying a math degree and pairing it with an arts degree and, then after about six months or a year, seeing where I want to go from there.”

Results were released on the QTAC portal at midday.