Top tips for coping on A Level results day

Tomorrow is A Level results day, and if you are anything like me on my results day, you will be panicking and worrying about what to do. Results days can be the best and the worst days all wrapped up into one, with the added distraction of the sceptical media questioning whether exams are getting easier as pass rates get higher and higher.

After working with a number of academy schools helping them to improve their communications and a quick Google search I thought I would compile a quick list of top tips for post-16 students to help you get through your exam day. I found loads of information online, but not one that amalgamated everything together into one place. It might also give schools some ideas on how they can improve their results day communication offering with students at this stressful time of year. Schools could consider producing leaflets, web pages, or even Twitter #hash-tag discussions with students to disseminate this information.

I have gathered these pieces of information from my own experience and from other online resources such as The Student Room and UCAS. Where possible I have also tried to provide direct links to useful online resources to save you from hunting around the web looking for them.

Top tips for A Level results day

1. Get a good night's sleep - Ok, this is technically the day before results day and it is easy for me to say this, but try to get a good night's sleep. Fatigue and stress are never a good combination
2. Be in the country - exam results are revealed in the middle of the British holiday season, but make sure you are around to get your results. If you need advice from your tutors, you need to be able to get to your school to get the best advice
3. Have your UCAS Track details ready by your computer - for those of you who are applying for university, get your details ready in advance of the big morning. Stress + fatigue + frustration at not knowing your log-in details is an even worse start to the day
4. Check your UCAS Track before you leave to collect your results - if your status is up online before you collect your results, whatever the decision you will be prepared to discuss them with your tutor upon arrival
5. Don't worry if your UCAS Track status doesn't update straight away - it is linked to a database system that has thousands of contacts it can take a while to process all of the information
6. Understand your UCAS Track status - there are a number of status options that UCAS Track will display. Make sure you understand all of them and their required steps beforehand. This will help you plan your next move
7. If you have been accepted read this for more advice on what you need to do next
8. If you haven't been accepted read this for more advice about what you need to do next
9. Arrive early to collect your results - try and avoid the queues and the likelihood of prolonging your period of worry and stress. Open your results at the school and do not panic if you haven't got the grades you need. Speak to your tutors who will have the information and advice you need. Missing out on an A Level grade does not necessarily mean missing out on university
10. If you have been accepted into your first choice, make sure you have completed all of your next steps before celebrating too much - get the important tasks done now while it is fresh and exciting before you forget and miss a deadline - then make sure you celebrate your success
11. Getting into uni or another career is the start of a new beginning - no matter what your results are, you are about to embark on a new beginning so always try to look forward and not look back. As long as you have tried your hardest, you should be proud of your achievements
12. It is normal to be nervous! - whatever your results, good or bad, it is certainly not the end of the world, nor is it the end of the hard work you will have to put in. To share a secret, I was disappointed with my A Level results, but I managed to graduate with a First Class Honours degree and now work in my desired field of work
13. If you aren't sure, ask your tutors for some advice - your tutors have been through this every year since the day they started teaching, and experienced it first hand many years before that. Do not be afraid to ask for help from them - they will be preparing information and will already know your situation before you arrive. They are there to help you through every possible process

Whatever happens on that big day day, always remember that your friends and family will always be proud of you and your achievements. Ignore the media criticising the exam process - you have worked very hard for your qualifications - and a couple of journalists I work with regularly recently sat a current GCSE paper and found that the difficulty and stress were similar to the levels they experienced many years ago.

Finally, if you really don't want to talk to a teacher or a parent then please visit this useful online Guardian web chat with a selection of online advisors and other people in similar positions. You might find out that your answer is a simple couple of clicks away.

I hope that this post has given students and teachers alike some food for thought and I look forward to reading comments, and seeing this put into action in the near future.

If schools would like advice on how to improve their communication with any of their key audiences and stakeholders then please visit www.athene-education.co.uk or contact ryan@athene-communications.co.uk

Ryan Hyman (23)
Senior Account Executive
Athene Communications