Madeleine Damo reveals why the HSC is not the be all and end all

My year as an HSC student was a tumultuous one, because here’s the thing – life happens, writes Madeleine Damo.

In 2014, less than an hour after arriving home from schoolies, I received my underwhelming ATAR of 61.

The fun of leavers was quickly forgotten. I thought that was it for me — my hopes of a bright future were gone, along with any chance of the illusive media career I’d spent years dreaming of.

My year as an HSC student was a tumultuous one, because here’s the thing – life happens.

Being unceremoniously dumped by my high school boyfriend just weeks before the school year kicked off, coupled with all the messy emotions adolescence brings made getting out of bed some mornings a struggle, let alone completing the HSC with flying colours.

So while I knew I wasn’t going to score a coveted 90+ ATAR, I was still disappointed to find my marks were a lot less than anticipated.

An existential crisis about my future — at the age of 17 — ensued.

Madeleine Damo before her year 12 formal.

Looking back, this disappointment and the stress that followed can be pinpointed to all the hoopla surrounding the HSC as the “be all and end all”, not to mention the unspoken ATAR competition my peer group waged against each other.

I truly believed that having a below-average ATAR made me less of a person.

My dear parents did their best to hide their disappointment at how my final school year ended and reassured me things would work out eventually.

I recall my mum constantly reminding me it wasn’t the end of the world, and my teenage tantrums that followed: “What do you know, mum?!”

Turns out she knew something I didn’t.

Despite my disappointing HSC results, things haven’t turned out so badly.

I still ended up going to university and earning a bachelor’s degree. I’ve even gone on to do my masters. And, to top it all off, I have a job in media that I love.

It’s safe to say I peaked after high school and I am not alone or unique in my experience.

A close girlfriend of mine scored an ATAR in a similar range to me. She is now a paediatric nurse who has cared for babies all throughout Covid.

Did the English paper II measure her ability to care for sick infants in the middle of a global pandemic?

Would parents trust her less to look after their children knowing her ATAR was “only” 61?

No.

Another, who got a Band 3 in economics, later landed a grad job with one of the big four banks.

My friends who did manage to score high ATARs are enjoying similar levels of success in their lives post Year 12.

This goes to show that while it’s important, the HSC is not and shouldn’t be treated as a measure of intelligence or a predictor of future successes.

A 90-plus ATAR is not necessarily a golden ticket, much like an ATAR in the 60s is not the equivalent of a participation ribbon at a sports carnival.

Work ethic, resolve, resilience and a willingness to learn is more likely to get you where you want to be.

At the end of the day, maintaining mental health is more important than maintaining perfect scores all the way through life.

Unlike the vodka-raspberry stains on the white pants I wore to schoolies, it all comes out in the wash eventually.