We would like to wish all A-Level pupils the best of luck on results day and hope that you get all that you wish for. Remember though, the journey can sometimes be a little trickier, unexpectedly so, but there is always a path that can be taken.
Remember, if things take an unexpected turn, take a deep breath, perhaps have a cup of tea, and then speak to the people at your school. There are always options and perhaps they may even work out for the better!
An unexpected results day was experienced by Eva last year. Whilst understandably nervous leading up to results day, she knew how hard she had studied, felt confident the exams had gone as well as they could, and she would get everything she needed to head to her first choice university (Southampton) to study Psychology.
As she opened her results, to her dismay, she saw she had achieved a B in Business instead of her predicted and needed A. All of a sudden, her plans had been thrown into turmoil. She had not met her offer requirements for Southampton and she was at a loss as to what to do next. This was compounded by the immediate realisation that she did not want to go to University of Brighton, her insurance choice, even though she had met their grade requirements.
At WGS, one of our core strengths is that we get to know and understand our pupils and her Business Teacher instinctively knew that something didn’t seem right with the Business result when the individual paper marks were analysed. . After settling down from the initial shock, Eva met with her Form Tutor, Subject Teacher, Head of Sixth Form, and Assistant Head (UCAS and careers) to talk through her options which included:
· Arranging a remark of the Business paper.
· Appealing to her first choice university.
· Looking at alternative university options through the clearing process.
· Calling potential alternate universities directly to discuss their course options in detail.
· Declining the insurance choice place which had been automatically awarded.
There was a period of immediate action in which Eva was able to meet with those around her who knew her as a person and her capabilities as a student, and were experienced with the University system. By midday Eva had a clear plan of what to do next and had all the support she needed. The immediate shock of not making her first choice had receded and reassured that they were supported she worked through the clearing process to find out what the options were.
Eva was able to use the School’s Sixth Form Centre to look at courses and make some calls, with further conversations interspersed with staff who could share their insights. By 3pm had Eva accepted a place to read Sports and Exercise Psychology at the University of Chichester. A smaller campus university with self-catering halls, an excellent Sports Faculty and a tutorial approach to studying – all things that she realised she valued.
Later in August, Eva received the news that her Business paper had been remarked and she was awarded the Grade A that she had worked so hard for. This meant that she was offered a place at Southampton, but opted to stick with Chichester with no regrets.
Eva has just completed a hugely successful first year at Chichester, playing Netball for the University and achieving a First in her modules. She is currently spending her university vacation in Bermuda , as her passion for sailing has enabled her to find a job working as a sailing and windsurfing instructor. She can’t wait to start back in September and is enjoying her university life to the full, even though it was not quite the journey she had expected to take!
Sometimes the path can be tricky, but there is always a way and we are here to help and support to open new doors.
You are not alone.