For many students, VCE is a means to a very specific end: getting into their chosen University degree. Students that have a very clear idea of what they want to do after school, and who are chasing a specific ATAR score, are inherently motivated to work hard throughout their final years of high school. The unfortunate flipside of this is that, for students who don’t know what they want to do after school, it is often hard to maintain enthusiasm for their VCE studies. Students that assume that the VCE is only a stepping-stone into a degree that bears no other significance in their lives might not work as hard to achieve the best that they’re capable of. Today, I wanted to put the VCE and the ATAR score into context and show that there are many other reasons for working hard during years 11 and 12, apart from just getting into uni.

1. It Builds Confidence

Self confidence is an amazing thing. If you think you can achieve a goal, you are far more likely to work hard towards it. Doing well in VCE doesn’t just give you a good score, it also helps you realise what you can achieve if you work hard. Students that achieve a high ATAR score learn an important lesson: though they might face great difficulties in their lives, they are capable of great things if they put their mind to it.

2. It Teaches You How To Work On Long-Term Goals

Achieving a good ATAR is one of the biggest long-term undertakings of a student’s life. In order to succeed in VCE, you need to plan ahead, sometimes up to two years in the future, and think about what you can do over a long period of time to achieve a larger goal. Thinking in such a long-term way is often very difficult; people are more likely to respond to short-term achievements and find it difficult to work hard towards anything that is not immediately rewarding. Working hard to achieve a long-term goal, such as achieving a good ATAR score, is a valuable experience because it teaches you to plan ahead and work towards something that is truly worthwhile.

3. It Teaches You Time Management Skills

VCE is tough. Students have to juggle up to 6 classes, each of which involves homework, tests, SACS, exams and assignments. Some students crumble under the pressure; others flourish and develop excellent time management skills. Guess what? These skills don’t stop being useful as soon as you graduate. If you can learn how to manage all of your classes in an efficient and effective way throughout VCE, then you have developed time management skills that will help you throughout your entire life!

4. It Opens Up Unexpected Job Prospects

When you are in university, you may have to find a job to support yourself. Some of these jobs are rewarding; some are not. Some pay well; some do not. Often a good ATAR score can make the difference between finding work as a poorly-paid dishwasher and landing a rewarding part time position in an office or as a tutor. These positions often require you to show your ability to work hard to achieve goals, and a high ATAR score is the perfect way to demonstrate this to your potential employers. When in university, you might not have the time to create the perfect resume though. You may find that you need support from some professional resume writers, like those at https://www.arcresumes.com/local/missouri/. They will be able to help you create a great resume to make it easier to secure a new career prospect.

5. It Provides Useful Knowledge

One of the biggest myths of high school is that, once you have left school, you will never use the information that you have learned again. This is absolutely false. While you may never again be tested on quadratic equations or asked to recall passages from Shakespeare, many of the skills that you develop throughout VCE will prove to be invaluable both at University and in your future careers. Students who work hard at developing their skills in foreign languages, critical thinking, mathematical operations, reading and essay and report writing will have a natural advantage in whatever field they pursue later in life.

What are some other reasons why it is important to work hard in your VCE? Comment down below!