Careers Team
Do you get a sinking feeling every time you think about Results Day? Getting your results can be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences for anyone, especially if you are getting your GCSE results for the first time. It can be equally stressful if you are getting results such as A Levels and BTEC qualifications that provide entry to university or progression to work or apprenticeships.
Here are our tips on how to calm your nerves and survive the day.
Tip number 1: Don’t Panic!
Of course, this is more easily said than done. Trying to fulfil everyone’s expectations is a tough task. The prospect of getting your results will always be there in the back of your mind. Having support from friends and family is important and to let people know how you are feeling. You must keep yourself active and try to keep thinking positively rather than negatively. Even if you don’t get your desired grades there will always be alternative options and plenty of people to offer you advice at this crucial time. Here’s a list of ways to distract yourself before the big moment.
- Get involved in active pursuits- do some exercise as this will help you focus and stay healthy.
- Go on a short break or holiday with friends or family.
- Meet new people through the National Citizenship Service (NCS) https://www.ncsyes.co.uk/ or projects through the Princes Trust https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/ over summer.
- Volunteer to gain some skills that you can use for work or employment, which can found at do.it.org
Tip number 2: Don’t worry about what other people may think!
If you get your results online or in person at school, college or sixth form try to stay calm and collected. Compose yourself prior to getting your results. Try not to think about it too much. Just open up the results and take your time going over them. If you don’t understand them there should be someone there usually from exams to help you. You may wish to open up your results in a quiet place away from others, it may help calm your nerves not have an audience to watch you get your results or even worse to film you on their smartphones and instantly uploading it to social media. On the other hand, you might prefer opening them in front of others. Either way, don’t allow people to get to you. They can be quite negative, overly competitive or sometimes make you feel slightly inferior. There are always those people who like Results Day more than any other day of the year. Don’t let their comments bother you.
Feel free to let your results sink in before you share them with other people. Whether this is through Social Media or in person. Think about your results as an achievement in themselves, not in relation to other people’s grades.
And if you’re thrilled with your results, don’t go bragging to those around you. You wouldn’t want to demoralise your friends (well, you might want to, but don’t).
Tip number 3: Check whether you should get any papers remarked
On occasions, examiners have been known to get results wrong, so if you feel strongly about the results that you achieved, it may be worth sending the paper off to be remarked. Examiners can explain this process to you and you can see if it. You may find that you were only 1 or two marks from a higher grade. This is actually much more common than people think, you may find some of your friends have very similar marks to yourself.
It should be noted that grade is final (you won’t be able to go back to your original mark) meaning your grade could go up but it can also get marked down.
Tip number 4: Consider resits?
If you’ve haven’t got the grade you want/need, it might be worth considering a resit. You may be able to resit Maths GCSE, English Language GCSE and English Literature GCSE in November, but you’d have to wait until next summer to resit other GCSE subjects.
The best thing to do is have a chat with your subject teacher, exams office and your parents, to decide whether a retake is worthwhile. If you do decide to move forward with retakes, it’s a good idea to find a tutor to help you prepare for this process so that you achieve the grades you desire. Chances are that you can do retakes in school or college alongside your full-time programme.
Tip number 5: Get advice from the experts.
Advice is available through a variety of ways from careers advisers in schools, colleges and sixth forms. Usually, colleges and larger organisations provide a drop-in support session to help students exploring their options. Advice is sometimes available online through a designated email or through a ‘chat’ service from online websites (see useful websites below). Careers Advisers will be able to explore all the options with you and allow you to look at the bigger picture and put everything into perspective. The chances are that they are experienced and have supported many students in the past. In some places, counsellors and learning mentors are also at hand to help provide emotional support.
Finally…
If you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped, don’t let results get you down. Don’t focus and dwell on them too much. Get all the facts from those who can help you and plan your next move. If you’re thrilled with your marks, be proud that all your hard work has been worth all the effort. Either way, you can give yourself a massive pat on the back at all you’ve achieved over the past year or two. You now need to celebrate and give yourself a treat as a reward!
Useful Websites
Below are some really great websites that have more in-depth information and support on practical hints and tips to make the best of Results Day.
Which? University
https://university.which.co.uk/advice/gcse-choices-university/gcse-results-day-2015-what-to-expect
The Student Room
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/results/gcse/gcse-results-day-2019-when-it-is-and-what-to-expect
Pearson – Help with Results Day
