I taught A Level Geography for 17 years and here's my top 5 tips ahead of results day
After 17 years teaching A Level and GCSE Geography, results days are always a nervy time for pupils - and of course teachers.
But the important message, whatever your results, is not to panic.
Easier said than done, as hundreds of Sunderland teenagers will on Thursday (August 13) head to their schools and colleges filled with trepidation as to what those letters will say when they prise open their envelopes.
Speaking from experience, it’s also a nervous time for heads of department and senior leaders as you quickly scan your student lists to see which students have hit or exceeded their target grades and hoping none of your students have missed out.
There’s always lots of cheers, and inevitably also some tears, but whatever your results - though not wanting play down their significance - it’s important to understand the grades on that piece of paper will not set your future in stone.
At the end of the day it’s a set of letters being applied to someone’s name at the tender age of 18 and there is scope to take a different path or rectify the situation.
Here’s my top 5 tips for A Level results day.
1 Don’t panic and communicate
While it’s natural for people to panic if they don’t get the results they hoped for or stipulated by their first choice university, it’s vital not to panic and to think clearly about your options.
Just because you may not have got the grades stipulated on your university place offer, don’t just assume you have not secured that place. Communicate with your teachers and the university to see if you will still be offered a place at your first choice.
If you didn’t get the stipulated grades, some universities also offer the chance to study a Foundation Year either alongside your degree or as an additional year.
If you don’t get into your university or course of choice then speak with your teachers about other course options, apprenticeships and the clearing process.
2 Remarks
If you have missed your university offer by single grades then it’s important to look at the breakdown of your marks on each component of the course to see how close you are to the marking boundaries to move into the next grade up.
If you are particularly close to a grade boundary then there is always the chance to apply for a remark and many universities will hold a place open until this process has taken place. When I was running geography or humanities departments we would generally look at the possibility of remarks if a student was one to three marks away from the next grade boundary as national research shows beyond this, it is unlikely to change.
It’s important to sit down with your teacher and look at whether to get all components of your course remarked or just one paper. Your teachers will be able to speak with universities and explain how close a student is to a grade boundary and most establishments are often willing to wait.
It’s important to note that a remark can also result in your marks going down, although due to how close you are likely to be to the next grade up it is unlikely your overall grade will go down.
Applications for a remark are generally done on results day and the marks tend to be back within three to five days.
While schools and colleges are charged a fee for a remark, it is refunded if the outcome is changed to a higher mark.
3 Impartial Advice
If you don’t get the grades you hoped for or to get on the courses of your choice then it can often be useful to speak with an advisor from an external outlet, who doesn’t have a vested interest or emotional involvement and can help to provide clarity on a situation.
This could include a careers advisor from National Careers Service who have a specialist team operating on results days. Your teachers should be able to point you in the direction of where to contact your nearest advisors.
4 Stay positive and sleep
Whilst hopefully everything will go as planned, if you don’t get the grades you hoped for then results day and the ensuing period are often a time to research other courses, discuss remarks and to make decisions - and so it’s important to have a clear head which means trying to get good nights of sleep and remaining positive.
Your examinations have been done and not sleeping or worrying is not going to change the outcome. Stay positive as there will always be options for you to pursue.
5 Go out and celebrate
Your A Level results day generally represents the culmination of your time in school with your friends and even if you don’t get the grades you were hoping for it’s important to celebrate your time at school and let your hair down and enjoy yourself.
It’s also important keep perspective and to remember academic attainment is only one route to succeed in life.
Good luck to all youngsters in Sunderland collecting their results on Thursday.