Not getting the grades you’ve been hoping for is a real bummer.
It can be a disappointment and it might end up altering your path.
That said, it’s worth realising it’s merely a bump in the road and not a dead end.
Natalie, now 24, was predicted all A-Cs before taking her exams but when results day came around, she got a D in Maths.
Although a D isn’t technically a fail, a lot of sixth forms and colleges require a C or above in core subjects.
Natalie told Metro.co.uk: ‘Getting a D made me feel like I was incapable of getting any better.’
With a little help – in the form of a calming chat with her teacher – Natalie quickly realised it wasn’t a big deal.
She added: ‘I spoke to one of my teachers (not my maths teacher) about resitting and they put me in touch with a local college where I resat and then got a B.
‘Grades are not final. Even if you don’t get what you want first time you can go back and try again when you’ve realised how important they are or when you’re a bit more mature.’
It’s important to remember that your options are always open. Here are a few practical things you can do to figure out a plan:
If your grade is only just below the required criteria, you can ask for your paper to be remarked.
This can be organised through your school, though be warned – if the paper comes back without a grade improvement the remarking fee will not be reimbursed.
Your school can also help you organise a resit, should that be necessary.
It’s also worth speaking to the college or sixth form you’ve applied to.
The same thing happens to thousands of teens every year and education centres do show wiggle room.
Niki McKenna, who is Deputy Head of Leeds City College Apprentice Academy told Metro.co.uk: ’The best advice I can give to any student who doesn’t receive the results they’re expecting is not to panic.
‘It may seem like the end of the world but it really isn’t. If ‘plan A’ is no longer an option, investigate the different options you now have. Call and visit other schools, colleges and education providers.
‘Speak with your teachers. The internet is a powerful tool, research different courses that appeal to your interests and needs. You never know, you might end up with something even better than you had originally planned for.
‘But most of all, remember that results alone do not define who you are. Fight through this barrier and keep working hard. You can get to where you want to be.’
Pupils could also apply to another sixth form or college, as they have a varied range of specific requirements.
It’s worth keeping in mind that you have a few weeks to figure out what you’re going to do – so if you’re not sure whether to move on to A-levels, a B-Tec, an apprenticeship or employment, you have time to mull it over.
The Department for Education funded Exam Results Helpline (ERH), which is managed by UCAS, will be open and waiting for calls from the thousands of young people – and their parents – who will open their have GCSE results and need advice on next step.
Call the Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000 to speak to a specially-formed team of expert UK careers advisors who come together at the UCAS head office for the sole purpose of helping young people who receive unexpected exam results.
The helpline is open on Thursday morning from 7.30am and remains open until Thursday August 31st.
Find the Exam Results Helpline on Twitter or Facebook.
Nick Hynes, a careers adviser who has worked for the service for more than 25 years said: ‘We are here for everyone who has questions but, in particular, for those people who want to find out all of the options available to them as well as sixth form.
‘There are so many choices now and apprenticeships are growing in popularity as well as professional options and going to local colleges.
‘Often it’s parents who want to help their children – this is an incredibly stressful time for some young people and it’s really important they don’t panic and call us as soon as they need to and we can work things out together.’
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