Getting your school and college exam results can be an extremely stressful and daunting day. It is the day you find out whether you have got into college, university, an apprenticeship, or even a job. This can add lots of pressure to the day and leave students anxiously waiting to find out. While there is nothing you can do to put off the uncertainty of your results, there are some ways you can prepare to make the day as smooth and as stress-free as possible.
Top Tips for A-Level Results Day
Try Not to Put Too Much Pressure on Yourself
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by how much is riding on your A-level results, but you must try not to put too much pressure on yourself. Whatever your results are, you should be proud of the work you put in and that you have made it this far. If you feel overwhelmed, try to look at the bigger picture and remember that results are not the most important thing in the world, and they do not have to define you if you don’t want them to. Take deep breaths and try to get plenty of sleep the night before.
Plan What You Need to do With Your Results
If your results are helping you to secure your place at university, make sure you know what to do with your results when you get them. They will go to UCAS automatically, but you may need to accept a place at university or confirm them. Perhaps you aren’t going to university, and you need to tell an employer or college what you got to confirm your place. The more research and planning you do beforehand, the less stressful it will be on the day. You don’t want to be searching for a phone number or trying to find your UCAS login details the morning of your results day.
Find Out How to Access Your Results
Every school and college has a different system for collecting results, so make sure to find out what yours is before the day. Like we mentioned previously, UCAS will automatically get your results and tell you whether you have got a place at your chosen university. Still, they won’t be able to tell you your results. You may have to go online to get them or go into your school and college to collect them.
Have a Plan B
Nobody likes thinking about not getting into their chosen university, but the more you prepare for it, the less challenging it will be on the day if you don’t get what you want. It’s imperative to remember that not getting into your first-choice university does not mean not going to university.
Many students secure their places through a process called clearing, where you ring up a university on the day and see if they have any places left. This is an entirely normal experience to go through and a great way to secure a place. Think about which universities you might want to ring up on the day if you don’t get into your first choices.
