So we're approaching A Level results day and I must say it was one of the scariest days of my life so far. I thought I'd share with you some tips about how to deal with the day and getting your results.
KEEP CALM
So you will wake up in the morning (or perhaps you won't have slept), you will be frantically checking UCAS and refreshing your email to see if anything has changed about your application. You have to try and keep calm. Rushing around on that morning will not do you any favours at all. It's a stressful day not only for you but for your parents too so try and keep your cool!
BE SELFISH
Ok so if you're hoping to go to university, you should know exactly where you want to go and what you want to study. Only you know where you will be happy and nobody can tell you otherwise. If you get to school on results day and you find that you don't have the grades you want DON'T PANIC there will be people around to help you. There is a UCAS advice line and of course your teachers - they want you to succeed too! One thing I would say, don't worry about your friends. If you don't have the grades you want, don't worry about staying around, speaking to your friends, saying thank you to teachers. GET HOME AND GET IT SORTED. Your friends will understand, I promise! Even if you don't speak to them for the whole day or ask them how they did!
DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT YOU WANT
It's very easy when going through clearing to lose sight of why you wanted to go to university in the first place. From personal experience, I found that going home and speaking to my parents whilst looking through the newspaper and online an emotional roller coaster and it's very easy to become distracted by different suggestions. It's true that you don't HAVE to go to uni that year, you could try a different course, you could get an apprenticeship or a job, but if you want to go to uni then don't lose sight of that.
DON'T BE SCARED
It's very easy to feel isolated on results day, you feel as if maybe you're the only person in the whole country to have not got the grades you worked so hard for. Don't be afraid to talk to people, to ring universities - even if you can see you haven't met their requirements, they might say yes! Also, don't be afraid to talk to people that have been in this situation before; try people in the year above, teachers, parents, family members, people online, if they've been through it then I can guarantee 99% of them will be willing to help in the best way they can! Universities are really understanding on results day, if you're unsure about a course or a place, ring them. Visit them. Ask them. It can't do any harm! They want to help you make the best decision you can and they're there to help!
DON'T SELL YOURSELF SHORT
When calling a university to ask for a place tell them everything! Try and build a rapport with the person on the other end of the phone. Truth be told they've probably heard a million and one people crying down the phone before you so don't worry about just showing your personality! If you have 40000 A*'s at GCSE, TELL THEM! If you help out at an old people's home in between school, TELL THEM! Whether you're a street dancing champion or you've just dabbled in a bit of ballet, it's worth telling them anyway..right? It shows you have a lot more to your personality than just a few letters on a piece of paper, they get to understand you as a person. They understand that you're nervous and upset but this is your time to show the university who you really are.
MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION
It can all be very daunting trying to think on the spot about what you want to do with your next few years but don't be swayed into something you're not passionate about because it will only end up backfiring on you! If you don't know what to do, if you've asked everyone you know, take some time out and have a walk, have some time to yourself and come back to it later on! Thousands of students around the country will be doing exactly the same thing!
FINALLY.. DON'T GIVE UP
It's never too late to do something about it! My advice would be to force yourself to look through the clearing places straight away even though you may not feel up to it. If you don't find a place suitable for you then don't worry, I tried for up to 3 weeks after results day to get a place at university, I rang lots of places every day. So if you don't get a place on results day, don't panic!
There are always options, there are always people around to help!
It's student sense.
Love, Miss Indecisive xx
UCAS Helpline:- 0808 100 8000
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