Michael Ashfield: 99.8 ATAR score. d413426
Camera IconMichael Ashfield: 99.8 ATAR score. d413426 Credit: Supplied/Emma Reeves

Life balance is best

Staff ReporterWanneroo Times

SEVERAL northern suburbs secondary school graduates will be welcomed into the prestigious 99 Club after the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank results were released last week.

Woodvale Secondary College student Michael Ashfield received a rank of 99.8 securing him a spot in the top 1 per cent of the State. Michael said he could not have predicted his result.

‘I had been working hard through the year so I thought I would do well, but I didn’t know how I would go until the end,’ he said.

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‘Once I finally got the results, it was good to see the hard work had paid off.’

Michael attributes his success to maintaining a balance in routine.

‘Always keep up with things outside of school; I was doing sport so that helped to break up the study.’

‘You don’t want to focus too much on the end and think it all comes down to a few exams, because you’re always going to perform your best if you stay relaxed and have a good lifestyle,’ he said.

Despite the stress and workload, Michael said he enjoyed his ATAR experience describing it as ‘character building’.

‘Sometimes people get too wound up thinking it’s the ‘be all and end all’, like if you don’t do well in the exams you’re not going to go on to do what you want to do; it’s best to keep an open mind about it and do your best.’

He will study forensic science at university.