Today's the day: results day!
It's a day of high emotion, the wait to get the envelope, ripping it open and looking at that piece of paper inside, are the letters the right ones? Did you get your uni place?
To everyone whose results are just what they needed congratulations, well done, start looking forward / panicking / planning for the next step be it a degree, apprenticeship or starting work.
To everyone whose results didn't quite match expectations congratulations are still due. Well done to you for trying, for sitting through the exams and believe it or not you have made it through. Take deep breath and think about what you need and want to do next. Don't jump at the first opportunity offered. Talk to your school see what they advise about remarking, resitting, changing your planned course. And if you've only just missed your place to your chosen university - they might be prepared to overlook a grade point or two. If you decide to change tack, have a look at the Training Directory, we have lists of colleges and details of what they offer.
An unplanned gap year might be just what you need, in which case use it wisely, look at what skills you can gain, practical certified ones and soft skills* gained through experience, try out careers by shadowing someone, test the water as a volunteer. There are lots of volunteer opportunities listed here.
* Soft skills are becoming ever more important, they are the ones lots of us take for granted: how to greet someone correctly, old fashioned manners, learning to stand on your two feet.
To everyone whose results are just what they needed congratulations, well done, start looking forward / panicking / planning for the next step be it a degree, apprenticeship or starting work.
To everyone whose results didn't quite match expectations congratulations are still due. Well done to you for trying, for sitting through the exams and believe it or not you have made it through. Take deep breath and think about what you need and want to do next. Don't jump at the first opportunity offered. Talk to your school see what they advise about remarking, resitting, changing your planned course. And if you've only just missed your place to your chosen university - they might be prepared to overlook a grade point or two. If you decide to change tack, have a look at the Training Directory, we have lists of colleges and details of what they offer.
An unplanned gap year might be just what you need, in which case use it wisely, look at what skills you can gain, practical certified ones and soft skills* gained through experience, try out careers by shadowing someone, test the water as a volunteer. There are lots of volunteer opportunities listed here.
* Soft skills are becoming ever more important, they are the ones lots of us take for granted: how to greet someone correctly, old fashioned manners, learning to stand on your two feet.