A-level results day is almost upon us!
Next month thousands of A-level students will be clustered in groups outside their school
nervously awaiting the results of their exams.
It’s a big day.
All those hours of investment pouring over textbooks, compiling revision notes, and
completing practice papers comes down to a single moment that will dictate the next
stage of a students’ life.
This blog talks about how you can best prepare for this momentous occasion.
Develop your mindfulness
Mindfulness is about recognising and enjoying the everyday. Absorbing yourself in
what’s going on in your environment and understanding how you feel when doing day-
to-day activities like walking to school or spending time with friends.
Reflecting on the simple things in life can help you feel calm and relaxed and will put you
in the best possible position to receive and process your exam results.
Scenario planning
The most probable outcome is that you get the exam results you expect and you can put
plan A into practice. But considering less likely outcomes and coming up with alternative
plans can help manage your emotions and the reaction to any unexpected result.
You may want to consider better or worse scenarios that might lead you to think about
different courses or universities, resits, a gap year or employment. Work through each
one and consider the benefits and how you might react emotionally to each.
You may find that there are alternative routes to your goal such as a different
qualification in the same field. A different route may take longer but may cost less or
involve getting to do more varied and richer life experiences.
Open up to your emotions
Getting your exam results is an emotional time. Fact.
It’s normal to have heightened emotions and you might feel anxious. You might not
sleep well or be snappy with your friends and family. Sometimes there may outbursts of
emotions and sometimes shedding some tears can be a healthy release. It’s completely
normal.
You might find it helpful to be honest with yourself and your close family and friends
about how you’re feeling. Speak to your parents or a close friend about what you’re
worried about and the various what if scenarios playing on your mind. Verbalising your
anxieties with others can be reassuring and help you come up with further coping
mechanisms.
Look after your friends
You may get the results you need or be resilient to an unexpected outcome, but your
friends might not be.
Find moments to check in with your friends to see how they are feeling, stay in
listening mode until they seek your views and opinions as a friendly ear maybe all they
need.
Results day is likely to involve some fantastic celebrations but again a time to be
sensitive to the impact of others’ results. Make time to celebrate with others and support
people who might be upset.
If your results mean you will be going to university this year, you’ll need to find your
university accommodation. Mezzino provide high quality student accommodation in
locations across the UK with brilliant facilities and simple pricing that includes all utility
bills. It’s easy to book a visit in person or virtually to see for yourself what is on offer.
