Listening to B105 today, I heard the hosts talking to someone of the name Mia. They were discussing the teenagers currently in year 12 that were about to graduate. Mia then went on to make a statement of how the results of your HSC or QCS in Queensland, or whatever final exams your state might hold are not all that important. If you in fact do not achieve the results that you were aiming for, it is not the end of the world.
She backed up her case with her own life examples, that were particularly relevant to the field in which I am studying. Mia explained how she did not get the results she needed to gain entry into the university course that she had wanted to do, but then went on to tell of her success as a journalist, writer and presenter. They had talked about how well known she had been, but of course I turned the station on a little too late and didn’t catch her last name!
I found this interview very intriguing as I went through the stress of QCS last year and know just how much pressure school and your parents put on you to succeed. How can one test determine what you can and can not do with your life? 2 days and 4 tests out of your entire 12 years of schooling.
Not going for an OP or receiving a rank is becoming increasingly common with many students becoming OP ineligible and finding their own path to a desired career. Bridging courses, tafe and trades are among the many options available for students that either do not obtain their desired result or decide to become OP ineligible. Whatever the case, I believe we are forcing too much stress onto students to ace the QCS or HSC and in result causing students to be discouraged from or anxious about sitting the test that will ultimately shape the rest of their lives, as this is the perception that they have been given.
maddymccoy 