How to Reach your ATAR Goals and Achieve Top Exam Marks
I’m going to tell you a personal story, but it’s important. I was 19 when I walked into my first class at teacher training college. In this class was a girl and, she literally took my breath away. I decided there and then that I was going to get to know her. The problem was she was so far out of my league that being around her made me feel like a giddy school boy. All the things I thought would make me sound cool and clever just came out making me look like a complete twit. At the rate I was going, I was never, ever going to get her attention. But then two things happened.
First, I discovered she lived in the same suburb as me. Second, her car broke down. So, I did what any good but desperate Aussie boy would do. I offered to take her to college – everyday.
And it worked. There was something about those long journeys to and from college that finally helped me learn how to relax around her. I stopped trying to be cool and clever, was just myself and a miracle happened. She said she liked me!
I remember the day as if it were yesterday, suddenly feeling like the luckiest guy on the planet. As fortune would have it, things just got better from there. We both graduated from teacher’s college together. Each of us got great jobs as teachers. We bought a house. Got married. Had two wonderful children. In my mind, we were living the dream, and we were; right up to the point she had a stroke.
Suddenly the incredibly vibrant, ‘sizzling with life’ girl I fell in love with was left in a hospital bed with obvious motor control, speech and memory issues. I didn’t think it could get any worse, but it did. It became worse when all the experts whose titles ended in an ‘ist’ gave us their prognosis. They said: There’s nothing anyone can do. Your lives will never be the same. You just need to go home and be grateful for what you’ve got.
And that’s exactly what I thought we were going to do. But, not my girl. She refused to accept the limitations placed upon her. So, we went looking for information on what we could do and how we could make things better. This is when we hit our first hurdle. You see there was a tidal wave of information available that we had no idea which information to pay attention to. So, we changed strategies and searched for people to help us. In 6 months, we only found two people. A retired occupational therapist and a speech pathologist still studying at University. But they believed in us, were willing to assist and they helped us make sense of the overwhelming tidal wave of information. These wonderful people worked with us and we worked with them.
To cut a long story short, five years later the girl in the hospital bed walked into University to enrol in a degree course which she later passed with Honors. She did exactly what the experts told her she couldn’t do and trust me, she did it in style.
Why do I tell you this? Well, I strongly believe that:
- if you have a goal, dream or ambition, don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done. All of us (you included) are capable of great and amazing things, even if you don’t know it yet. The biggest obstacle that stands between you and your goals are the limits you set on yourself. Overcome these and even the impossible can become possible. My life is living breathing proof of this.
- having a goal, even if you want it desperately, is not enough. You must be prepared to work hard to achieve it because at the end of the day, there is no substitute for plain hard work. I don’t know anyone in my life who has ever achieved anything great without it.
- unfortunately, having a goal and being prepared to work hard is sometimes just not enough. There are times when all of us need a helping hand. Someone to help us focus, to guide us when things feel overwhelming. If you haven’t already experienced this in your life, you will.
If your goal is to reach your full academic potential, and your prepared to work hard, The Exam Experts are the people you need when you need a helping hand.
Our teaching team is composed of highly-qualified education professionals including subject experts, Heads of Learning Areas, textbook authors, exams markers and past chief examiners. They are the best in their fields and are passionate about sharing their knowledge and expertise. Our teachers are continually evaluating, researching, updating and extending our course materials so that when you attend our programs you’ll get the best possible instruction and resources available.
Call us now to find out more on 9314 9599 or find out how our revision programs in the school holidays can give you the support and mentorship you need to help you to achieve your ATAR goals.