Your ATAR Does (or Doesn’t) Matter

The adage goes that “once you go to university, ATAR does not matter”. And that’s true—each person studying law will end up studying the same degree regardless of the specific ATAR achieved. That said, beware of the culture shock: once you study law, you might come across some (or a lot of) students, including ones you wouldn’t suspect, who have achieved sky-high ATARs. You may come to realise that the almighty 99 is not as transcendent as it seems (or seemed in high school). i.e., ATAR doesn’t matter in terms of getting you into the same place as your law peers, but it does affect your (unspoken) academic standing relative to them.

With Great Flexibility Comes Great Responsibility

Who would have known that, if you so desired, your weeks on the university campus could be reduced to a measly two days per week? Adios to the tedious trudge of six-hour days, five days a week—the schedule that high school made the norm. Law is renowned for being time-consuming and content-heavy—think of a lawyer buried under thousands of documents. But the reality is that no number of assignments will ever equal the burden of a 9–5 job, because, unlike employment or high school, university offers the luxury of designing your week around your classes. This gives you the opportunity to streamline and optimise your days, which is obviously less feasible if you are stuck in a 40-hour workweek. Be excited about this opportunity and enjoy it while it lasts—but beware the inherent downside: a lack of structure can create downward momentum. It is up to you to decide how you want to shape your flexibility.