Trish Sara is a local counsellor who has some wise words to say about HSC and the pressure that both children and parents feel about HSC.
The ATAR is Just a Number
As many of our children sit their HSC exams after 13 years of school it’s worth reflecting on what the ATAR means to our kids.
For some it will be the pathway to a career they’re really committed to pursue. Others may not have a clear idea of what career they’ll find satisfying. Others will just be relieved to be finished.
Regardless of the scenario, some will be delighted with their results and others disappointed, some so devastated they can’t see a way forward.
So as parents it falls to us to ensure are kids finish their school years as whole and supported as we can make them feel.
The ATAR is a number. Just that. A number. It’s not an indicator of a child’s future potential or of their worth, yet so many kids will see it as just that.
We see the smiling faces of top scoring students in the media each year. And of course, they receive the praise and attention they have worked so hard for. However for many students, the disappointment of a target mark not achieved can be crushing and the cause of so much unnecessary heartbreak and loss of self-esteem.
Different Pathways
We don’t see the faces of kids who go on to forge satisfying careers despite not achieving the ATAR they wanted. So often we link our sense of worth to the achievement or acquisition of something. However the danger in doing so is that if we fail in our aims, we label ourselves failures. If your child does not score the ATAR they want focus on what they did achieve (finishing the HSC). Then work with them to re-focus and re-direct their efforts in ways that will serve them better so that we can be fulfilled and live a life of purpose. Don’t focus on the negatives, look at the other options and focus on those opportunities. There are many different pathways to follow.
About Trish Sara
Trish Sara is a Lane Cove local with a counselling and coaching practice specifically for women. Trish has previously worked at Parramatta Community Health in its Counselling Department but saw an opportunity to serve women in her local community.
Trish said, My ‘Live the Life You Want’ workshops are aimed to explore who and why we are, what we want for our lives and how to plan the life we want now and in the future.
For further information on Trish’s services go to www.trishsara.com.au or phone Trish on 0438 388 336.
