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Your support makes all the difference.As around 300,000 students from across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland begin receiving their all-important A-level results, it has been revealed the pass rate has returned to the record level set two years ago.
Figures show the overall pass rate had risen to 98.1 per cent – up by 0.1 per cent on 2014 – which was the first year it has slumped after more than two decades of rises.
For those who are just receiving the news and feeling nervous or anxious, three experts have provided their opinions to calm students’ nerves:
1) Tips from the teacher
Pete Langley – BHASVIC / The Student Room:
Your results can be quite hard to understand
You may get your results straight from the exam board or your school and college may provide their own version. Either way you’ll want to see your overall result straight away but it may not be that simple – you may see the individual scores for each module or for coursework before your eyes focus on the Holy Grail – your actual results.
Be patient, they are there. If you’re not sure what something on the statement means, check with your school or college.
Be ready for displays of emotion
It’s been a long wait since June. Tensions have been building for weeks so expect screaming, shouting, whooping, and mass hugs.
But spare a thought for those in the corner looking crestfallen and tearful. Like thousands of others, they may have missed the grades they wanted but there’s no need for despair – there are still masses of amazing opportunities out there. Go over and reassure them.
If you don’t fancy all this drama, just pick up your results and slip away quietly – then see if you can resist social media for the rest of the day.
Don’t forget: Results matter to teachers too
Teachers’ reputations, self-esteem – and possibly even their pay – depend on their students’ results. They’ll be almost as nervous as you. Good results mean a confident stride into the staffroom at the beginning of September and a cheery ‘Hello’ to one and all.
Poor results mean demotivated classes, difficult conversations with the headteacher, and a rethink of teaching methods – before many take the obvious option and blame their students.
Whatever results you get, there are masses of help available – from your teachers, advisors, and online from sites like The Student Room. I hope your hard work pays off. Good luck!
2) Tips from the ex-student
Paul Anderson – University of Sussex:
When everyone gets their results, there is going to be a total mix of emotions in the room: shock, joy, disappointment, worry, surprise – pretty much everything. You're inevitably going to feel one of these when you open your own results but honestly: the best thing to do is to try and avoid the emotional side of things entirely – at least at first.
Don’t celebrate or despair with your friends until you’re certain of your next steps and you know exactly who you’re calling and what you’re doing next. It’s a big day so of course you’re going to have a lot on your mind besides checking Ucas or thinking about Clearing.
But if you really want to get ahead of the game, sort out your university plans first, and go out to celebrate/mourn later.
But most important of all: don’t panic. Stress will just make things a lot more difficult for you. If you miss your entry grades, you still have a thousand other options ahead of you for getting into university, so don't accept defeat. Avoid thinking negatively as much as you can if you don’t get the results you were hoping for – the next couple of days will go by a lot more smoothly. Best of luck!
3) Tips from the social media expert
Jack Wallington – Community director, The Student Room:
Social media will make #resultsday 2015
In recent years, social media has played a pivotal role in results day. From the wits-end, self-deprecating dark humour of students ‘awaiting their doom’ publicly, to the emotion explosion of a jump-in-the-air celebratory selfie.
But it’s the amazing community and contact that social media allows that will really make results day this year.
On The Student Room Twitter and Facebook, students can have immediate one-to-one conversations with hundreds of universities, the students already studying the courses they’re poring over, and gain support from their peers all in one place. It’s the best way to research a university course quickly.
Social interaction online is changing the face of education, and no more so than on the most important date in the entire academic year.
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