Results day is not always an indication to your future!
In England A-Level students received their results on the 18th August and GCSE’s were on the 27th August. For most people this can be a very stressful time. These results can mean the first step to the next decision for your future. This year is even more stressful as the exams have been cancelled over the last couple of years, so for A-Level students this has been the first experience of sitting exams and school attendance has been lower due to the pandemic.
How can you manage your expectations and look forward to a bright future?
Remember although it feels like one of the most important milestones in your life it is not forever. If you have received the results you were hoping for or exceeded it will be a massive relief and cause for celebration… Your plans can go ahead.
If you did not receive the results you were hoping for, acknowledge your disappointment, you will probably feel angry and sad. It might be difficult to share your feelings with others, especially friends that may have done better than expected, family members might also appear disappointed, try and find someone who will be able to support you. It is not the end of the world!!!
Although your parents might appear disappointed and even be angry, most of the time they want the best for you! Initially their reaction might not be helpful, but try and talk to them or another adult later in the day, maybe go for a walk or to a café to talk things through.
Your Mental Health
If you do feel hopeless or as if everything is pointless or even suicidal please reach out and ask for help either at www.childline.org.uk, www.samaritans.org or contact me to book counselling sessions. There is always someone who will be able to support you through this unbearable time. It might feel like an obstacle that is just too great to overcome, however with some help you might find that you can chip away at it until it is small enough to conquer.
Often people compare their results to others which can exacerbate your negative feelings. Yes it can make life easier when you do well but also try and think of some of the successful celebrities we know and love who did well without academic qualifications. For example on www.quora.com is a list of people who didn’t do that well including:
- Richard Branson who left school at 16
- Simon Cowell who barely passed any exams
- Alan Sugar left with just 1 GCSE
- Deborah Meaden left school before her A-Levels
- Sarah Millican failed her A levels
- Rihanna dropped out at 16
Many Universities offer alternate courses, if University was your plan. Once you have started University there can also be opportunities for change, discuss your options with the University of your choice and see what might be available. You could also take some time out, start a job or an apprenticeship and test out how working life suits you. If you then decide you would like to go to University you can re-apply at a later date. If you need certain A-Levels for a specific course, you can also re-sit them at a later date.
Similar ideas apply for GCSE results. Your college of choice might not be able to offer you the course you were hoping for, but get in touch with the college as soon as you are able to. GCSEs can be retaken at any age.
In many countries pupils retake years to ensure they do well in their final exams, at the time it might feel devastating but later on in life nobody will care if you took you’re GCSEs at 16, 17 or older and the same with A-Levels. At that age most people aren’t sure which career they want to pursue anyway, find something you are likely to enjoy and feel confident about. If you do have a plan
remember there are always several ways to reach your goal, sometimes you have to learn to negotiate some obstacles.
Parents’ Experiences
As a parent you may feel disappointed in your child’s achievement, try and be there for them, even if you feel they should have worked harder and deserve what they got. It is a difficult time for everybody and it can be hard to remember we are the adults who need to support our children through these milestones in their lives. Can you think back to the time you were receiving your
results? Try to stay calm and help them find other ways to carry on building their future. In 10 years nobody will ask how they did in their exams.
Get Support and Guidance if You Are Struggling
Don’t forget if you have a problem and you would like some guidance on the topic of exam results please send an email titled Ask Kirsten to info@kirstenpickcounselling.com. Just to remind you, as counselling is normally confidential your name and any identifying data will be changed, you will receive an e-mail with your answer privately.
Therapy is about exploring your dilemma rather than giving advice, so please be mindful these are suggestions to find your solutions, you know yourself best and will have the answers within you, together we can discover them and enable you to experience positive change.