With exams over and schoolies celebrations wrapping up, the countdown is on for year 12s to find out how they performed — and whether they’ll get into their dream university courses.
Students will receive their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) in mid-December, with a number between 0 and 99.95 indicating how their marks compared to their peers’.
For some it can feel as though this number will define the success of their entire 13 years of school.
Psychology researcher Ella Moeck from the University of Adelaide said it was normal for students to feel anxious while waiting for their ATAR.
“Our brains really don’t like uncertainty,” she said.
“Even if you get an outcome that you feared, that experience doesn’t makes us feel as bad as waiting for it.”