Worried About Your Exam Results?
Welcome to the tumultuous Thursdays!
That’s right on Thursday 14th August 2014 it's A-Level results day and on Thursday 21st August 2014 it's when the GCSE results come out… but I’m sure you know that already, right?
Big days, important days for sure, but it’s not the end of days. No matter what results you get, there are always options open to you.
What are these options? Well, we had a word with our buddies Meic, the national advocacy, information and advice helpline for young people in Wales and they sent us over some great tips. But before we get on to those, I thought I’d say you can do exactly what CLIConline just did, pick up the phone (080880 23456), crack open the laptop or fire off a text (84001) and get in contact with Meic if you need someone to talk things over with about results, options, or anything else for that matter.
Anyway with out further ado here’s those tips…
1. Don’t Panic!
- It’s not the end of the world - lots of successful people didn’t get the results they wanted either
- Think carefully about what is it you really want to do
- Your results can be a point in your life where you should look at other possibilities - this could be an exciting and positive turning point
- Remember, you can always re-sit your exams
2. Contact Your Choices
A-Levels
- Contact the university or college that you’ve applied to - they may still accept you
- They might also help you by talking through your different options
- Check out other courses that still have places - the full clearing list is on the UCAS website or can be found in The Telegraph
- Try searching the BBC for support too
GCSEs
- Contact the school/college - even if you think you haven’t got the results you want, your school or college should still be able to help you
- Seek out your careers adviser in school/college on results day for some support
3. Contact Other Universities And Colleges That Interest You And Talk!
- Call around and try to get a place on another course
- Talk it over with your family, friends and teachers - talk to people who know you, as choosing the right college or university is important
- Speak to a careers adviser - your adviser in school should be available, if not, contact Careers Wales ASAP!
4. Consider Other Options
- Gap years
- Re-sits
- Employment
5. Be Positive
- It sounds like the worst news in the world right now, but in a few years time you might be pleased with the results you got
Useful Contacts
Below are some useful contacts and information, but the main one you're going to probably need on the tumultuous Thursdays is UCAS' Exam Results Helpline, which is manned by careers advisers who will give free, expert, and independent information and advice to students who receive higher or lower exam results than expected and want to explore alternative options for their futures.
Their telephone is 0808 100 8000 and is open...
- Thursday 14th August 08:00 – 20:00
- Friday 15th August 09:00 – 18:00
- Saturday 16th August 10:00 – 16:00
- Sunday 17th August 10:00 – 16:00
- Monday 18th August 09:00 – 17:30
- Tuesday 19th August 09:00 – 17:30
- Wednesday 20th August 09:00 – 17:30
- Thursday 21st August 08:00 – 18:00
- Friday 22nd August 09:00 – 17:30
- Saturday 23rd August 09:00 – 12:30
Another avenue might be the UCAS Customer Service Unit, which provides information and advice to students about applying to Higher Education e.g. specific offers, acceptances, rejections and university places. Their telephone number is 0371 468 0 468 and open Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 6pm (Hearing Difficulties Helpline number for text reply: 18001 0371 468 0 468)
Other sources of advice and support: www.thestudentroom.co.uk /// www.thesite.org /// www.bbc.co.uk /// www.careerswales.com (0800 028 4844 or 029 2090 6800 from mobiles)
Finance
Aside from the grades, money can play on your mind (doesn't it always?), so here are a few sites that can help with the financial side of things...
- www.gov.uk/browse/education/student-finance - general financial info
- www.studentfinancewales.co.uk - student finance for Welsh students
- www.slc.co.uk - Student Loans Company
- Careers Wales also has access to a range of alternative funding sources, such as grants and bursaries
- Your chosen university or college may also have their own grants and bursaries available to their students
If this is all a bit information-overload then remember that Meic are just one click, text (84001) or call (080880 23456) away.
Finally if you've had great results, why not share your joy with WalesOnline?
Info » Money » Money while you learn
Info » Education » Study Skills » Exams
Info » Education » Higher Education » Clearing
Related Articles:
- To Uni Or Not To Uni?
- How To Survive Sixth Form
- Going Through UCAS This Year?
- How To Survive Your Freshers Year
- Halls Stink: My First Horrible Term At University
Photo Credit: Turinboy via Compfight cc
1 Comment – Postiwch sylw
GoThinkBig
Rhoddwyd sylw 33 mis yn ôl - 22nd August 2013 - 09:56am
Tokunbo Ajasa-Oluwa, Managing Director of work experience initiative founded by O2 and Bauer, GoThinkBig.co.uk said:
“As the nation’s 16 year olds receive their GCSE results today, there will undoubtedly be discussion on the current state of exams and the education system. What is often mentioned, and then quickly forgotten as the next academic year begins, is the need for qualifications to be matched with skills and experience.
“School leavers will now be making important decisions when it comes to their future, be it taking on an apprenticeship, higher education, or heading straight out into the working world. At such an impressionable and confusing age it’s a miracle anyone gets it right with their first choice, which is why work experience and skills are so important to establish personal passions and an idea of the many different industries.
“The good news is that more businesses are now committing to help fund work experiences and internships. Since our launch in 2012, GoThinkBig, a work experience initiative founded by O2 and Bauer, has alone seen an increase in businesses signing up and offering more work experience, internships and skills days to young people. To put this in perspective, currently GoThinkBig now have over 8,000 opportunities with 24,000 active users, both figures which are growing every day.
“With initiatives such as these, the younger generation will be heading out to the working world with more informed and educated career aspirations”