Approaching results day can be a daunting experience for many students. Sometimes the anxiety and stress of the situation can often effect how you react and respond on the day itself. This article will help you decide on how best to handle whatever is thrown your way on results day, whether you're studying A-Levels, Pre-U or the International Baccalaureate.
The best case situation:
Results day has arrived and you have received all your desired grades and you have been accepted onto your chosen course, College or University. There is nothing left for you to do but to celebrate in this case! However, you may be unsure of the course or subjects you have chosen for A-Level or University. It may be that you have decided you would like to take a gap year and travel the world, in which case you may like to know if it is possible to defer your place until the following year. Alternatively, there may be another course that has suddenly taken your interest and you would like to know what would be the process for making that switch? Perhaps you could have a quick look on the UCAS website the night before results day for all available courses, just in case.
What happens in the event that you do not obtain your desired grades and miss out on your College or University place?
If this happens, then it is not the end of the world!
Your first call will be to your College or University with who you missed out on the placement with. Speak to them and explain your situation. If you have only missed your offer by one grade then the institution may be willing to overlook that. Especially if that subject you dropped your grade in is not particularly relevant for the course you will be studying. Furthermore, if you marginally missed out on your grades, then it may be worthwhile explaining this to the College or University. In such instances, it may even be advisable to consider getting your papers remarked, especially if you're only 2-3 UMS marks off your required grades.
In the event that the College or University will not offer you a place based on your results then there are several options which you can choose from:
If you were hoping to go to University, you can apply to UCAS again via Clearing. Clearing allows you to see what other similar courses are still available which you wouldn't mind studying instead. In this case, it is important to drill down by course, location or institution whichever is most important to you. Then select the course you would most like to do. When speaking to Universities, you can relay your situation to them and then give clear reasons why you would like to come to their institution and study your chosen subject. To help you prepare for such phone calls, you could run through the below check list:
•What grades did you get?
•What were your predicted grades?
•Why didn't you get your predicted grades? Were there any specific reasons?
•Why do you want to study that particular course at that particular University?
•Why should they offer you a place? What will you bring to their University?
•What are your unique selling points? For example, have you competed at a high level of sport? Have you competed in any sport tournaments?
If you have missed the grades you were hoping to get for your A-Levels and you can no longer accept your conditional offer to study your chosen University course you wanted, all is not lost. You have the option of re-sitting your examinations or individual units (modules) again and securing the grades you were hoping for. The benefits of re-sitting your GCSEs or A-Levels is that it enables you to not only open the door to studying your desired A-Level grades or University course but also, to other future opportunities whereby a minimum grade for a particular subject and level is required. Re-sitting is not uncommon and there are many success stories whereby students have taken the time to secure grades and subsequently secure their future. There are a few factors to consider here:
1) Find an exam centre where you can re-sit your examinations.
2) Work closely with an experienced private tutor - this is very popular now, as tutors can focus on specific keys areas, work on exam techniques and unlike a retake college you can work through any specific units and exam boards with a tutor.
3) Join a sixth form college, yes they're more social, but you'll be back in a group again, and this may not have worked last time.
For free advice on any of the above options and choices then contact Tutor House.