what's harder, getting 90+ ATAR or getting distinction + (6+ gpa) (2 Viewers)

[magnito]

what's harder, getting 90+ ATAR or getting distinction + at say med science?

 

[uac.aplcnt]

Wouldn't that depend on what subjects you choose for the HSC?

Also wouldn't it depend similarly on what electives you choose in university (or Subject)? And also, coincidently which university you go to (Or what units you have to do as core units) since some universities set different levels of difficulties in a course or major?

 

[Trebla]

Usually getting a distinction would be harder, particularly if you're in a high ATAR cut-off course. Only like the top 20ish% of the cohort (most of which would have scored 90+ ATAR anyway) would get a distinction or higher in a given unit of study. Many people I know who got 95+ in Year 12 are only barely passing their units, most notably those enrolled in courses with high ATAR cut-offs, probably due to a higher academic strength of the general cohort on average.
It really depends how much effort you want to put into your academic results at university.

 

[uac.aplcnt]

Wouldn't that depend on what subjects you choose for the HSC?

Also wouldn't it depend similarly on what electives you choose in university (or Subject)? And also, coincidingly which university you go to (Or what units you have to do as core units) since some universities set different levels of difficulties in a course or major?

*Nods head*..for shurree...oh and yes, this also applies for Medical Science.

Also, what the?! Just because someone has a high ATAR/UAI..doesn't necesserily mean that they'll get High distinctions/ D's in a university course because what if a high school student only studied for e.g. the humanities/ arts subjects for their HSC..aced it with a >90 UAI/ATAR but then applied for an engineering degree and he/she was only good enough to do general maths their whole life..would they mosts likely get D's and HD's? LESS likely.

And Engineering has an average ATAR of 80's.

 

[williamc]

wayy wayy harder getting a D than a 90 UAI

would say from my exp, correlating both HSC and UNI marks like this

F = band 3/4
P = band 4/5
C= high Band 5
D = band 6
HD = high band 6

 

[rx34]

For me, it was way harder to get a GPA of 6.25 than UAI of 90+. I did commerce in first year and a range of subjects (no artsy subjects) in HSC.

 

[uac.aplcnt]

It depends also on the person herself/himself, someone who knows more in one type of topic/subject area than others because of or due to differing interests in life obviously would perform better than someone who has no interests in a subject/topic at ALL. Hence, one person would get higher marks than the other..

Many people I know who got 95+ in Year 12 are only barely passing their units, most notably those enrolled in courses with high ATAR cut-offs, probably due to a higher academic strength of the general cohort on average.
It really depends how much effort you want to put into your academic results at university.

You mean

"MOSTS of the people I know who got 95+ enrolled in university courses which was of no relation to what course they did in the HSC.. which is why they are barely just passing their units. Probably due to not meeting course pre-requisites/assumed knowledge."

"It depends..the HSC is usually "The be all and the end all" (When it isn't really)..which is why many people perform way better in the final years of schooling as compared to first year uni..hence the difference of how much effort has been put in."

lol

 

[Roxtar]

Usually getting a distinction would be harder, particularly if you're in a high ATAR cut-off course. Only like the top 20ish% of the cohort (most of which would have scored 90+ ATAR anyway) would get a distinction or higher in a given unit of study. Many people I know who got 95+ in Year 12 are only barely passing their units, most notably those enrolled in courses with high ATAR cut-offs, probably due to a higher academic strength of the general cohort on average.
It really depends how much effort you want to put into your academic results at university.

Great description, thankyou.

 

[Survivor39]

what's harder, getting 90+ ATAR or getting distinction + at say med science?

I would say getting a Distinction average is harder. At university, there is generally no scaling. For example, in HSC Maths Ext 2, you may get a raw mark of say 70% in the HSC exam but you may end up with a reported mark of 90 from aligning (Band 6). At uni, you get 70 (Credit), that's it.

 

[melsc]

Uni, there is more content, taught in far less time, no spoon feeding, varied assessment and higher expectations = harder marking...

 

[Will Shakespear]

Uni is easy, just most people don't study much at all because grades don't mean anything, whereas there's a strong incentive to get a good ATAR. Your average uni student spends more time working and doing fun stuff than studying, because you only 'need' 50+.

Anyone can get HDs in every subject if they try; 98+ ATAR is basically restricted to people at good schools/with the right background.

 

[melsc]

Uni is easy, just most people don't study much at all because grades don't mean anything, whereas there's a strong incentive to get a good ATAR.

Anyone can get HDs in every subject if they try; 98+ ATAR is basically restricted to people at good schools/with the right background.

Do you actually go to uni? I don't agree at all.

 

[Will Shakespear]

Do you actually go to uni? I don't agree at all.

6.8 GPA after 4 years of science and uai 94

 

[melsc]

6.8 GPA after 4 years of science and uai 94

Yours is more relevant to the OP, I maintain uni is harder though,.

 

[uac.aplcnt]

I would say getting a Distinction average is harder. At university, there is generally no scaling. For example, in HSC Maths Ext 2, you may get a raw mark of say 70% in the HSC exam but you may end up with a reported mark of 90 from aligning (Band 6). At uni, you get 70 (Credit), that's it.

Theres no such thing as scaling now

 

[rx34]

6.8 GPA after 4 years of science and uai 94

6.8 GPA? And science? Wow kudos to you Will.

To the OP, I put in no effort at all in my VCE and got a very decent UAI of 95.1. Then again, I did have last minute tuition and went to a selective school. Uni is definitely harder because there are no tutors nor spoon-feeding.

 

[uac.aplcnt]

6.8 GPA? And science? Wow kudos to you Will.

To the OP, I put in no effort at all in my VCE and got a very decent UAI of 95.1. Then again, I did have last minute tuition and went to a selective school. Uni is definitely harder because there are no tutors nor spoon-feeding.

Why do they have tutorials for then? lol..oh and let alone bridging courses/short courses

 

[rx34]

Tutorials aren't like the HSC where they spoon-feed you. In my finance tute where they count 10% as tutorial participation, I know only a hand full of students who actively participate. Many students do not bother turning up and let that 10% mark slide. They still manage to barely pass at the end of the semester. Unlike in high school, the headmistress used to call parents if their kids wag school or were late for home class. And tutes are effectively only if you bother doing your tute work before the actual tute.

 

[John555]

I know of people who got an ATAR between 70-80 and worked very hard to achieve a D or HD average in order to transfer to a better University or to another course such as Law. So in my opinion, your ATAR has little to do with the marks you'll get in Uni. In my honest opinion, its not "harder" in the sense that the course content is more challenging, its more that there is so much more to do and you really have to manage your time VERY WELL and keep ORGANISED. In the HSC you could probably get away with it, but at University if you want good marks, you have to really be on top of your game.

 

[Will Shakespear]

Yours is more relevant to the OP, I maintain uni is harder though,.

Well obviously one data point isn't a trend, lol

All I'm saying is, the average effort at uni is much lower, coz people only do 'what they have to', hence it might be perceived that high grades are "harder" because less people get them.