tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/a-level-results-day-30366/articlesA-level results day – The Conversation2023-08-16T15:04:22Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2116282023-08-16T15:04:22Z2023-08-16T15:04:22ZA-level results 2023: what to do if your grades aren’t what you hoped<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543015/original/file-20230816-27-r0c5o2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5176%2C3445&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/side-view-close-young-woman-wearing-629040722">macondo/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s likely that the <a href="https://feweek.co.uk/the-great-2023-grade-deflation-7-things-you-need-to-know/">proportion of top A-level grades</a> awarded in England this year will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/07/a-level-grades-results-students-england-uk">go down</a> this year. The government wants to combat “grade inflation” and align results with those handed out in 2019, before the pandemic. </p>
<p>COVID-19 disruption, cancelled exams and teacher assessment meant that more high grades were given out in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, fewer top grades were awarded than in the two previous years, but still <a href="https://schoolsweek.co.uk/the-great-2023-grade-deflation-7-things-you-need-to-know/">significantly more</a> than in 2019. </p>
<p>All this means that if you are a student receiving your results the grades you get may be not be what you hoped. Perhaps they are lower than the offer you received from a university. Perhaps you don’t feel they reflect the hard work you’ve put in. So – what should you do?</p>
<p>You’ve probably be advised to stay calm and not panic. But back when I was in a similar situation I can recall how difficult it was to feel anything positive about the future, so my first piece of advice is this: allow yourself to be upset. </p>
<p>Not getting the results you want is disappointing and you should feel free to express that fury, sadness and frustration. Have a shout, cry, write down how you feel, whatever works for you. If you feel that you can’t cope, <a href="https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/exam-stress/#Gethelpnow">please ask for help</a>. </p>
<h2>What to do</h2>
<p>Once you’ve had a chance to vent, get ready to act – because you have options. </p>
<p><strong>Talk to your teachers:</strong> Go into school or college and ask for a meeting with them. Your teachers know you better than you think and they certainly understand you as a learner. They know what you are capable of and they can give you objective advice that you can trust. This might include looking for a university course <a href="https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/06/26/what-is-clearing-and-when-does-it-open-in-2023/">through clearing</a>. </p>
<p><strong>Talk to your prospective university:</strong> If you held a conditional offer for a university place and didn’t get the required grades, give the admissions office a call. They may still be able to accept you on to the course, or offer you a place on another course. </p>
<p><strong>Get your grades checked:</strong> If you really think that one or more of your grades are wrong, you can ask for your scripts to be checked. Firstly, talk to your school - you will have an examinations officer who can advise you on how to go about checking your results. If you (or your parents) want to know more, you can contact the exam boards - all of the contact details you need are <a href="https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Post-Results-Service_June23_FINAL.pdf">here</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Avoid doom scrolling:</strong> Remember that social media is not reality. Scrolling to see groups of students literally jumping for joy, posts about getting in to university, or celebrities promising that they failed everything and still did alright, is <a href="https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/final-choice/results-day-stress-and-mental-health">unlikely to be positive</a> for your mental health. </p>
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<img alt="Group of friends seen from behind in park" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543022/original/file-20230816-25-wzrt55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543022/original/file-20230816-25-wzrt55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543022/original/file-20230816-25-wzrt55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543022/original/file-20230816-25-wzrt55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543022/original/file-20230816-25-wzrt55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543022/original/file-20230816-25-wzrt55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543022/original/file-20230816-25-wzrt55.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Look to friends, family and teachers for support.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-young-friends-park-sunset-hugging-1680442021">loreanto/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Ask yourself - “how will this help me today?” If you can, stay off social media on results day and seek solace with family and friends who know you and can support you in genuine ways. </p>
<h2>Looking forward</h2>
<p>You might have been focused on a dream course at a dream university, and feel that if you can’t go there, everything is ruined. Well, there are other dream courses and universities, and your grades today might point you in a direction that you have never considered before. </p>
<p>What’s more – you don’t have to go to university right now. The truth is that challenges and failures also provide opportunities in life. Maybe it’s the time to take stock, give yourself a year out, get some <a href="https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/">careers advice</a>, volunteer, or try some different types of employment. </p>
<p>And, if you are still interested after a year (or two), it’s important to know that universities are also interested in students with some life events beyond school under their belts, as well as those with top grades. Trust me, this was my experience. </p>
<p>You are not the grades you received this year. You never have been and you never will be, because those grades only represent a tiny point in time relating to the creative, brilliant, thinking, knowing and complex individuals we all are at different points in our lives. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-level-and-gcse-cancellation-a-missed-opportunity-to-rethink-assessment-152846">A-level and GCSE cancellation: a missed opportunity to rethink assessment</a>
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<p>The focus on qualifications has reduced that rich experience of school education into a means of dividing young people into spurious groups which can never fully define you. </p>
<p>Take your courage in both hands and try to see it like this: not better or worse, just different.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211628/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mary Richardson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>You are not the grades you received this year.Mary Richardson, Professor of Educational Assessment, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1659162021-08-10T19:38:37Z2021-08-10T19:38:37ZGCSE and A-level results have seen record grade inflation – here’s why that doesn’t matter<p>Exam results are upon us. After <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/education-51980831">the 2020 debacle</a> which saw exams cancelled due to COVID and the first set of algorithm-generated results <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/17/21372045/uk-a-level-results-algorithm-biased-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-university-applications">quickly overturned</a> following complaints of unfairness, what teachers and young people really needed in 2021 was confidence in the grading system. </p>
<p>The process for awarding marks was duly announced in March. And this time, as Education Secretary Gavin Williamson <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/live/2021/aug/10/a-level-results-day-2021-live-hundreds-of-thousands-await-teacher-assessed-grades">has reiterated</a>, for one year only there would be no algorithm. Instead students would receive marks based on teacher estimates.</p>
<p>Now, results day just wouldn’t be the same without the perennial discussion of <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/grade-inflation-a-level-results-2021-what-meaning-grades-explained-1143916">grade inflation</a>, with <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/education/a-level-results-day-2021-grade-inflation-uk-record-a-grades-1143816">commentators</a> comparing the proportion of top grades being awarded. In pre-COVID times, this is seen to undermine the value of the qualifications in the long term. In 2021, though, concerns about grade inflation are misplaced, for three reasons.</p>
<p>The method by which grades have been determined this year differs fundamentally from previous years. Further, as we attempt to make an economic and societal recovery from the pandemic, seeing more young people get the grades they need to get into universities and colleges is to be celebrated, as the guarantee of a well-qualified future workforce. </p>
<p>Finally, and most importantly, given the stress and disruption young people have experienced since COVID hit our shores in March 2020, their achievements should be celebrated, not questioned. </p>
<h2>Talk of grade inflation inaccurate and unhelpful</h2>
<p>In December 2020 Williamson <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/dec/03/gavin-williamson-vows-a-levels-and-gcses-will-not-be-cancelled-in-england-covid">confirmed</a> that, contrary to the first year of the pandemic, exams in England would not be cancelled in 2021. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2021">Guidance subsequently issued</a> by the government’s office of qualifications and examinations regulation (Ofqual) and the department for education detailed the range of evidence from students that would be used to determine their grades. This included school-based exams, coursework and portfolios. </p>
<p>The guidance specified that this range of work was to be marked against criteria provided by exam boards, and that the marking would then checked by the school, with exam boards carrying out quality-assurance checks on that marking. This is the system schools have followed.</p>
<p>Students have been awarded the grade their work deserves and teacher judgements have been checked for quality. This is called criterion-based assessment because the assessment is based on work meeting criteria. </p>
<p>By contrast, GCSEs and A-levels in previous years, including the first round of results <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/education/a-level-results-2020-grades-lower-ofqual-algorithm-579209">that were retracted</a> in 2020, were norm-referenced: the results were compared to other students. In this system, students’ result depends on their ranking within the cohort, rather than their ability to meet the assessment criteria. This aligns this year’s A-levels with BTecs, which have always been <a href="https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/949201/assessment-in-action-a-study-of-lecturers-and-students-constructions-of-btec-national-assessment-practice-in-a-college-engineering-programme-area">criterion-referenced</a>.</p>
<p>Each system, of course, has advantages and disadvantages but the outcomes should not be compared. Student marks this year have been awarded under an approach that is different but no less robust. </p>
<p>There is therefore no reason to suggest that they are less valid than in previous years or that there is a long-term problem with grade inflation. As with so many aspects of life during the pandemic, things are just different this year. </p>
<h2>Student success is good for everyone</h2>
<p>Record levels of success <a href="https://www.tes.com/news/levels-2021-results-glance">have been reported</a>, with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/live/2021/aug/10/a-level-results-day-2021-live-hundreds-of-thousands-await-teacher-assessed-grades">as many as 45%</a> more students getting top A* grades at A-level according to some reports, and a smaller rise in the number of students achieving A*-C grades too. </p>
<p>Given these results, it seems likely many students will be able to take their places at universities and colleges. This is a good thing for the economy, especially when youth unemployment is at such <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05871/">worryingly high levels</a>. </p>
<p>Places on medicine courses have been <a href="https://www.themedicportal.com/blog/record-number-of-medicine-applicants-for-2021-entry/">in particular demand</a> and the government has already had to offer <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/extra-places-on-medical-and-dentistry-courses-for-2021">9,000 extra places</a> for the coming year. Given the pressure our health service is currently under, it is hard to view more medical students as a problem. </p>
<p>Teacher training has also seen strong growth in numbers. It is inspiring that so many young people are choosing to train for careers in public service. In this way, universities and colleges will play a vital role in pandemic recovery by ensuring young people can be successful. This, surely, is a win-win situation?</p>
<h2>Young people deserve praise for their achievements</h2>
<p>Despite the best efforts of teachers, schools and support groups, there have been many barriers to success for the class of 2021. Pupils studying for their BTecs and A-levels this year have been uniquely disadvantaged. They have done at least seven of the 20 months of their two-year courses online during lockdown.</p>
<p>Often in their bedrooms and at kitchen tables, away from their usual support network, many found this strange and isolating during what is a crucial period in their education. </p>
<p>Students from disadvantaged backgrounds have been particularly badly affected by this. Some have struggled with <a href="https://www.theaccessproject.org.uk/blog/posts/helping-chriso-stay-connected-during-the-lockdowns">poor access</a> to technology and spaces to learn. </p>
<p>Student mental health has been badly affected by the increased isolation, <a href="https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/blogs/weathering-the-storm-the-pandemics-impact-on-young-peoples-wellbeing">enduring uncertainty</a> and severely restricted access to help <a href="https://www.youngminds.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/urgent-action-needed-to-tackle-long-term-mental-health-impact-of-the-pandemic/">during lockdown</a>. We can only hope that this this set of circumstances will never be repeated. </p>
<p>It is even more important to celebrate the achievements of young people this week. We need to congratulate them and support them on their way, as the future healthcare workers, teachers and business leaders we will all be depending on for years to come.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165916/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Helena Gillespie has received funding from HEFCE, Advance HE, Wellcome and the European Union. She is also a school governor.</span></em></p>The way students have been marked has changed, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve their grades.Helena Gillespie, Professor of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and Academic Director of Inclusive Education, University of East AngliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1216712019-08-14T12:10:11Z2019-08-14T12:10:11ZA-level results: a minority of students achieve predicted marks, so yes the system should be reformed<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288002/original/file-20190814-136230-rwl5kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/two-girls-celebrating-exam-results-school-735915199?src=vCuSgjnf8sFlXDwu_4Ax9g-1-0">shutterstock/Monkey Business Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>With <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-north-south-divide-in-a-levels-explained-64317">A-level results day</a> come the countless pictures of jubilant students leaping in the air. But despite those jumping for joy, results day can also be a nerve-wracking time for those waiting to see if they got the grades needed to get into their first choice university. </p>
<p>It’s generally accepted that going to university plays a significant part in shaping lives, and the skills gained there help to sustain a thriving society. So it seems odd that at the heart of this process is guesswork – with the <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-students-apply-to-university-after-they-receive-their-a-level-results-110333">bulk of university offers based on predicted grades</a>. </p>
<p>Indeed, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/aug/13/labour-wants-universities-to-offer-places-after-exam-results">Labour has announced</a> plans to replace offers based on predicted grades with a new “fairer” system of post-qualification admissions. Under Labour’s plans, students would apply for their higher education place after receiving their results instead of the current system of predicted grades – which the party says penalises <a href="https://theconversation.com/bright-poor-students-less-likely-to-get-into-elite-universities-28560">disadvantaged students</a> and those from minority backgrounds. </p>
<p>The plans also look to curb the rise in unconditional offers and bring an end to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/going-through-university-clearing-then-make-sure-you-do-these-four-things-82460">clearing process</a> – which <a href="https://labour.org.uk/press/labour-announces-radical-shake-higher-education-admissions-system/">the party says</a> can be an “incredibly stressful and worrying time for students”.</p>
<h2>The problem with predicted grades</h2>
<p>Care has to be taken to not create a crisis where there isn’t one. After all, most university applicants find a place to study and UCAS provides for “adjustment” allowing students who have “overachieved” to reconsider where to study. </p>
<p>But, according to a 2016 report from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2016/dec/call-university-applications-overhaul-report-reveals-just-16-predicted-level-results-are-correct">University College London’s</a> (UCL) Institute of Education, only 16% of predicted grades are accurate. And less than one in five students gains the grades their university offers are based upon. Of the others, 75% are over-predicted and 9% of students are under-predicted. These figures show that this is not a marginal issue. The process of predicted grades is inaccurate for most applicants. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/should-universities-lower-entry-grades-for-disadvantaged-students-97142">Should universities lower entry grades for disadvantaged students?</a>
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<p>It would seem at first glance that the 75% of students with over-predicted grades have just been “lucky”, but it’s not that simple. The admissions process is designed to match academic potential and courses to maximise the chance of applicants thriving while studying. Over-predicting may place students “out of their depth”. So rather than benefiting from this “advantage” it may put students under academic stress that limits their potential. </p>
<p>Even if these students thrive, they act as place blockers for other students who may have been better suited to the course. Although there are <a href="https://theconversation.com/now-universities-can-accept-as-many-students-as-they-want-will-there-be-a-free-for-all-in-clearing-45633">no longer student number controls</a> and universities can, in theory, take as many students as they wish, real estate, student accommodation, and staffing mean that practically places are limited. So every extra student on a course who technically didn’t get the grades to be there, is taking up a spot.</p>
<h2>Massive disadvantage</h2>
<p>For the 9% of students whose projected grades were lower than their actual grades, this disparity tempers aspirations. These students’ true abilities would place them at higher ranking universities, but they may not be made offers – even if they do apply – because of their inaccurate projected grades. <a href="https://theconversation.com/ten-pieces-of-advice-on-clearing-from-an-admissions-tutor-30297">Going through Clearing</a> could be a way out of this, but emotionally these students may not want to make a late change to their place of study – and places at their ideal universities may already be filled by students whose grades were inflated.</p>
<p>UCL’s report also noted that the students most likely to be under-predicted on grades are those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Over the course of the study, 3,000 high performing students – those getting AABs or better – from disadvantaged backgrounds were under-predicted. This meant they applied to universities they were overqualified for.</p>
<p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32412/11-1043-investigating-accuracy-predicted-a-level-grades.pdf">According to analysis</a> carried out by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, black students were the most likely to have their grades under-predicted. <a href="https://www.suttontrust.com/newsarchive/admissions-process-barrier-poor-students/">The Sutton Trust</a> has also warned that poorer students are more likely to have their grades under-predicted – making them less likely to apply to the most selective institutions. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288003/original/file-20190814-136190-17y7jad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288003/original/file-20190814-136190-17y7jad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288003/original/file-20190814-136190-17y7jad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288003/original/file-20190814-136190-17y7jad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288003/original/file-20190814-136190-17y7jad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288003/original/file-20190814-136190-17y7jad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288003/original/file-20190814-136190-17y7jad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">England is the only country with over a million students where a pre-qualifications admissions system is used.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/belgrade-serbia-circa-june-2014-adults-198917669?src=DwH3LqIiaVdX2I5201gXRw-1-0">Shutterstock/bibiphoto</a></span>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/university-clearing-a-view-for-and-against-64081">University clearing: a view for and against</a>
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<p>All of which makes Labour’s most recent suggestions of reforming the system a step in the right direction. Indeed, a <a href="https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/10041/Post-qualification-application-a-student-centred-model---Jan-2019/pdf/PQA_report_Jan19.pdf">2019 report from The University and College Union</a> revealed that post-qualification admissions were the global norm, and that countries the UK often benchmarks against – such as Germany, Singapore, Australia and the US – all use this system.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cnedu.pt/content/noticias/internacional/Education_at_a_glance_2018.pdf">The OECD’s top five countries</a> with the highest performing graduates also use post-qualification admissions – so it’s possible that students in those countries are being better matched to institutions and thriving accordingly. </p>
<p>The UK’s approach was designed in the 1980s and is becoming less fit for purpose. The system allows disadvantage to be compounded and the merits of a notable group of students to not be fully recognised. To move to a new system will not be easy but international examples show this is possible. And if we are to have a system of education that values, recognises and rewards merit it is an essential step. </p>
<p>A system where qualifications are assessed on what has been achieved and not what has been unreliably predicted would also help to move higher education access nearer to a transparent merit-based approach and at the very least would remove the clairvoyance that compounds disadvantage.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121671/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Iain Garner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Only 16% of predicted grades are accurate and the current system penalises disadvantaged students and those from minority backgrounds.Iain Garner, Head of the Department of Education, Childhood & Inclusion, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/824602017-08-16T08:40:26Z2017-08-16T08:40:26ZGoing through university clearing? Then make sure you do these four things<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181961/original/file-20170814-28487-rr9o07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every year, in August, thousands of students in the UK receive their A-level results and discover whether or not they have got the marks needed to take up a place at their chosen university. </p>
<p>If they fail to make the grade – or exceed them – students telephone university clearing centres, to try and find a more suitable course. Twenty years ago, getting a place through “clearing” was seen as something of a failure. Now it is not. Not only are grades often higher in clearing than the original prospectus listing, but students can “adjust” their offer to secure a better place. </p>
<p>For the students making these calls, it can often be a nerve wracking time, filled with unknowns and uncertain outcomes. So to try and find out what makes these calls a success, we transcribed and <a href="https://www.ulster.ac.uk/ipra/conference-details/plenary-speakers">analysed 300 calls</a> at a clearing contact centre last summer. We looked at how people spoke on these calls, as well as what they said. We were able to identify common patterns in the way the calls unfolded and what made a difference to the final outcome.</p>
<p>So to try and make things a little easier if you are going through clearing, we’ve put together some <a href="https://twitter.com/LizStokoe?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">tips based on our analysis</a>.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G4UZDdHp4F0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<h2>1. Do your research</h2>
<p>Clearing may seem like a mad dash to the finish, but while there is an element of time pressure in trying to get on a course at a university of your choice, it’s still worth taking time to research which universities or courses to apply for. </p>
<p>It was revealed in our research that university websites are updated more rapidly than <a href="https://www.ucas.com/">UCAS’s</a>, so prepare for your call by checking the grade requirements and spaces beforehand. </p>
<p>If you have your heart set on a particular university, make a list of all the available courses you would be willing to study at that institution. Flexibility will help you, but make sure it’s a course you actually want to do as it’s a big commitment.</p>
<h2>2. Know who’s who</h2>
<p>It’s also worth having a look at who the key members of staff are in your relevant department or subject area. Our research showed that when students’ grades did not meet the requirements, they sometimes asked to be transferred to the relevant department – but for these students, just asking to be transferred did not always work. </p>
<p>We found that having the name of the programme director or admissions tutor for the course was more likely to result in a transfer. So make sure you look these up ahead of phoning, and have these names to hand throughout the call.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181962/original/file-20170814-28430-19vzy8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181962/original/file-20170814-28430-19vzy8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181962/original/file-20170814-28430-19vzy8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181962/original/file-20170814-28430-19vzy8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181962/original/file-20170814-28430-19vzy8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181962/original/file-20170814-28430-19vzy8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181962/original/file-20170814-28430-19vzy8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Don’t be clueless when it comes to clearing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pexels.</span></span>
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<h2>3. Have all your information ready</h2>
<p>When you phone a clearing centre, make sure you are in a quiet place where you can concentrate. Have your laptop, tablet or computer in front of you, and pen and paper by your side to scribble down any last minute notes. Make sure you have all your grades clearly written out so you can refer back to them at a moment’s glance. </p>
<p>As well as doing this, make sure you have any other relevant information to hand from the offset. This could include details of extenuating circumstances surrounding your A-level performance – as this might change what universities will offer. </p>
<p>Our research showed that call takers at clearing lines don’t know about these circumstances, and don’t ask about them either. So if you don’t mention them, the call will close without you maximising your chances of an offer. And remember that unless you have nominated them on your UCAS form, your parents cannot call on your behalf.</p>
<h2>4. Don’t waste time</h2>
<p>In our research, we saw a number of instances where students made repeat calls – presumably to try and speak to a different call taker – to see if they could get a place that way. But our analysis showed that repeat calling simply wasted everyone’s time – slowing down call takers and other callers. In the calls we analysed, there wasn’t one case where repeat calling produced an offer when the original call did not. </p>
<p>The take home lesson here is to understand that you only get one chance to call a university clearing helpline – so make sure it counts. It’s also worth knowing that many university clearing lines are open well into the evening, and even the week following results day so don’t feel disheartened if you can’t get through when you first call – lines are likely to be busy. Be patient but persistent and you’ll get through eventually.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/82460/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The research was funded by Loughborough University.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elliott Hoey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Clearing advice from the experts.Elizabeth Stokoe, Professor of Social Interaction, Loughborough UniversityElliott Hoey, Doctoral student in linguistics, Max Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/805582017-08-14T11:34:11Z2017-08-14T11:34:11ZGCSE and A-level results: it’s not just the grades that matter<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181690/original/file-20170810-27655-1a279l5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Why GCSE and A Level subject choices matter.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-what-to-do-if-youre-disappointed-with-your-a-level-results-64035">A-level results</a> will soon be out, with more than 300,000 students eagerly waiting to find out if they’ve made the grade. Then come GCSE results, with even more students keen to find out how they’ve done.</p>
<p>Whether students are heading to university, into an apprenticeship or straight into employment, chances are they will all be wishing and hoping and dreaming and praying of a set of grades that will reflect their level of academic accomplishment.</p>
<p>For would-be university applicants, there is often a requirement that students take a particular set of subjects at A-level – and achieve a certain grade – to be in with a chance of getting a place on a degree course. To study medicine, for example it’s often required that an applicant has taken chemistry and biology at A-level. </p>
<p>In this way, the subjects a student chooses to study at school can have <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2013.816031">long term consequences</a>. In England, young people start making decisions on <a href="https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/education-and-training-14-19/book232408">subject choice at the age of 14</a> when they pick GCSE options. For many pupils this may seem far too early to be thinking about what they want to do with the rest of their life. So given the fact that many students may not have decided what career path they want to take, are there subjects that are “better” to study than others?</p>
<h2>The current advice</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://russellgroup.ac.uk/">Russell Group</a> – which is made up of 24 leading UK universities – publishes an annual guide to A-level subject choice for 16-year-olds known as “<a href="http://russellgroup.ac.uk/policy/publications/informed-choices/">informed choices</a>”. This suggests A-levels in science, maths, languages, history and geography are good choices for students to take if they want to keep their options open. </p>
<p>This is also in part why the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) – which aims to give students a wide background in a variety of subjects at GCSE level – was introduced in 2010. According to the schools minister, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/nick-gibb-to-the-specialist-schools-and-academies-trust">Nick Gibb</a>, it includes subjects the Russell Group identifies as “key for university study”. To count towards the EBacc, a pupil must achieve GCSE grade C or above in English, maths, history or geography, two sciences and a language. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181691/original/file-20170810-27628-1rea7u5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181691/original/file-20170810-27628-1rea7u5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181691/original/file-20170810-27628-1rea7u5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181691/original/file-20170810-27628-1rea7u5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181691/original/file-20170810-27628-1rea7u5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181691/original/file-20170810-27628-1rea7u5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181691/original/file-20170810-27628-1rea7u5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Keeping career options open.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>With this in mind, <a href="https://www.jakeanders.uk/#subchoice">our research</a> set out to understand the <a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/shared/get-file.ashx?itemtype=document&id=3328">implications of subject choice</a> and if <a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/news.aspx?itemid=4641&itemTitle=Vocational+GCSEs+may+be+holding+girls+back%2c+research+suggests&sitesectionid=27&sitesectiontitle=News">these choices then play a part</a> in whether students go to university – and where they end up studying. </p>
<p>We looked at the subjects chosen by young people at the age of 14 and 16 and found that pupils who study the full set of EBacc subjects are slightly more likely to go to university than those who don’t. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/news.aspx?itemid=4641&itemTitle=Vocational+GCSEs+may+be+holding+girls+back%2c+research+suggests&sitesectionid=27&sitesectiontitle=News">Our research</a> also revealed that studying certain A-level subjects often leads to a place at a <a href="https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings">better ranked university</a>. So a student who studies some combination of science, maths, languages, history and geography is more likely to attend a <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/university-guide-2017/top-by-subject-mgbnm672r">higher ranked university</a>, than a student who chooses A-levels outside of these subjects.</p>
<h2>Vocational vs traditional</h2>
<p>Our research also revealed that studying more vocational subjects at both GCSE and A-level may be less helpful in terms of getting into a higher ranked university. We found that those who studied applied GCSE subjects (which are more vocational) were less likely to attend university.</p>
<p>These vocational style GCSEs were <a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110908033912/https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DfES0809200MIG1065.pdf">introduced in 2002</a> and include subjects such as applied business and applied home economics. But their introduction has since been criticised, as many of the qualifications have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/jan/31/vocational-qualifications-stripped-league-tables">downgraded in performance tables</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181693/original/file-20170810-20984-18hye52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181693/original/file-20170810-20984-18hye52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181693/original/file-20170810-20984-18hye52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181693/original/file-20170810-20984-18hye52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181693/original/file-20170810-20984-18hye52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181693/original/file-20170810-20984-18hye52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181693/original/file-20170810-20984-18hye52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Making the most of your A-levels?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>There was found to be a similar picture at A-level. Students who studied the more vocational study subjects – such as accounting or business – were more likely to go to a lower ranked university.</p>
<p>The most striking results were in law. Consistent with anecdotal evidence that <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/university-guide-2017/top-by-subject-mgbnm672r">higher ranking universities</a> “don’t like” law A-level, our research shows that studying law at A-level is associated with attending a lower ranked university. So although a 16-year-old who aspires to have a career in law, accounting or business might think that an A-level directly related to the profession would help them take their chosen path, this may not actually be the case. But whether this is because law A-level is perceived by universities to be an <a href="http://www.cem.org/attachments/SCORE2008report.pdf">easier A-level</a>, or because those with law A-level are applying to lower ranked universities is unclear.</p>
<p>Either way, what all this shows is that while the subjects young people study in school are important for next steps in education, there are some subjects that can be more important than others in helping to further horizons. </p>
<p>Although that said, it’s important to emphasise that the differences are not large. Ultimately, it’s far more important to perform well in whatever subject studied. But still, when it comes to students deciding what subjects to choose at A-level or GCSE, it might be worth them trying to keep their options open, where possible.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80558/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jake Anders received funding for this research from the Nuffield Foundation. It was conducted with colleagues who received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. Jake has also received funding from the Education Endowment Foundation, the Sutton Trust, and the Department for Education.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Dilnot receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.</span></em></p>New research shows what subjects you study at school make a big difference to the type of university you end up attending.Jake Anders, Associate Professor of Educational and Social Statistics, UCLCatherine Dilnot, Senior Lecturer, Oxford Brookes UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/640702016-08-18T16:18:26Z2016-08-18T16:18:26ZThe slow death of the AS-Level<p>A <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/a-level-results-day">record number</a> of 420,000 students had already secured a place at university on August 18, the day the A-Level results came out. But amid the joy and disappointment on display, the results show how a short-lived stalwart of the examination landscape is slowly fading away. The number of students taking AS-Levels – a one-year qualification that used to count towards 50% of a full A-Level – has fallen sharply by 13.7% between 2015 and 2016. </p>
<p>AS-Levels allowed students, teachers and universities to get an insight into eventual A-Level performance. Students could also indulge in broadening their post-16 diet, taking, say mathematics, biology, chemistry and French. And they had something to show for their first year’s efforts. Those options are now closing to young people.</p>
<h2>Teething problems</h2>
<p>The backdrop to this is an exam system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that has been under seemingly continual reform in the first decade of the 21st century. It began with a set of reforms to school-leaving exams called <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2003/dec/24/schools.uk">Curriculum 2000</a>, introduced by the then-Labour government in 2000-2002. The aim was to encourage more 16- to 19-year-olds to study more subjects, shifting from an average of two A-Levels to three, and adding a fourth subject by way of an additional exam taken in their penultimate year of school – the AS-level. </p>
<p>This was part of a plan to encourage more students to aim for higher education as well as to discourage 17-year-olds from dropping out at the end of the first year of sixth form. But if they did drop out, at least they would leave with some meaningful qualifications, because AS-Levels were one-year courses – a qualification in their own right. AS and A-Levels also became fully modular, with assessments done at the end of individual units, rather than all or nothing in the last year of school. </p>
<p>Once Curriculum 2000 was in place, a majority of students took at least four AS subjects. At first, some teachers were unsure of what the AS standard was since exams at the end of the first year were new. Teaching time seemed truncated because schools concentrated on exam preparation after only two terms and the introduction of units meant that students could be sitting as many as 12 exams during their first year. </p>
<p>Soon teachers felt more confident about the AS – in a 2003 survey (which is no longer accessible) run by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, 81% of teachers said they were confident that they knew the standard required for the AS, although many of them remained concerned by the amount of external assessment. New AS and A-Levels introduced in 2008 largely fixed that problem as the A-Level qualification now had only four units (and the AS two).</p>
<h2>AS-Levels on the decline</h2>
<p>Now, in the summer of 2016 and we are witnessing all of those things changing. The Coalition and Conservative governments <a href="https://theconversation.com/abolishing-as-levels-will-make-it-harder-to-get-into-university-30547">have abolished</a> qualifications examined in units in what they claim to be an effort to increase rigour and raise standards. New, reformed A-Levels <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-gove-generation-first-pupils-to-live-through-a-level-reforms-wait-for-results-45532">are being phased in</a>, and some will be examined for the first time in 2017. </p>
<p>Although AS levels will still exist and are also being phased in – some were taught and examined this academic year – they will no longer count towards the overall A-Level, which will be examined only at the end of the second year. The reformed AS is an entirely separate qualification and fewer students are taking it, as we see by this summer’s results and the graph below shows. </p>
<iframe id="datawrapper-chart-Ule9k" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Ule9k/1/" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" oallowfullscreen="oallowfullscreen" msallowfullscreen="msallowfullscreen" width="100%" height="300"></iframe>
<p>Overall entries for biology have decreased by almost 17%, while English is down by 23%. The decreases are even higher among those 17 years of age and under (excluding older learners who are taking AS-Levels), with a 30% decrease in entries for English for this cohort. </p>
<p>While we may not have a definitive answer as to why the decreases have happened, I would venture to guess that if AS outcomes no longer count toward A-Level outcomes, offering these qualifications becomes a luxury for schools and colleges, who have to concentrate their efforts on preparing students for the full A-Level.</p>
<p>I would not be surprised if a few years down the line the AS disappears almost entirely along with insight into how students are progressing with their studies, a broader curriculum and, yes, a fallback if things don’t work out at the end of year one.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/64070/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tina Isaacs is a member of the Ofqual Standards Advisory Committee. </span></em></p>Why we should lament the sharp drop in the number of teenagers taking the one-year qualifications.Tina Isaacs, Programme Leader, MA in Educational Assessment, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/640352016-08-18T10:26:51Z2016-08-18T10:26:51ZHere’s what to do if you’re disappointed with your A-level results<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134448/original/image-20160817-3592-cyrnt4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'OMG, I've failed'.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ana Ado/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The saying goes “<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-true-that-what-doesnt-kill-us-makes-us-stronger-63376">what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger</a>”, and while that may well be the case, you still need to have the right mindset to turn failure into success – especially on exam results day. </p>
<p>This means rather than being overwhelmed by a challenge, you need to find a way to overcome it and learn from the experience so you can succeed in the future. This builds what psychologists call “<a href="https://theconversation.com/winning-a-penalty-shootout-takes-mental-toughness-luckily-that-can-be-taught-24553">mental toughness</a>”, which basically means that you are able to deal with challenges, pressure, and competition irrespective of prevailing circumstances. </p>
<p>People with mental toughness bounce back after a disappointment and see failure as a challenge and a learning opportunity, rather than a setback. The good news is <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17509840802705938">mental toughness can be learned</a> through experience, so there’s no better time to start than on exam results day – when mental toughness will help you get through the day and help you to assess your future options if you haven’t done as well as you expected.</p>
<h2>Time for self reflection</h2>
<p>You first need to reflect on why you missed the grades. Look at what went wrong and how you might learn from that. <a href="http://qz.com/757875/mo-farahs-third-gold-medal-is-a-win-for-multicultural-britain/">Think about Mo Farah in the Olympics 10,000 metre final</a>. He fell badly and it could have cost him the gold medal. But he got back up, put it behind him and carried on – eventually winning the race. </p>
<p>Don’t dwell on the “failure”. Work out what went wrong, put it to one side, and then start to look forwards. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134449/original/image-20160817-3602-120daw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134449/original/image-20160817-3602-120daw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134449/original/image-20160817-3602-120daw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134449/original/image-20160817-3602-120daw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=489&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134449/original/image-20160817-3602-120daw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=614&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134449/original/image-20160817-3602-120daw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=614&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134449/original/image-20160817-3602-120daw7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=614&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">I have so much to do today, I will need to meditate for twice as long – so said Gandhi.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Almeida_Júnior_-_Moça_com_Livro.jpg">Jose Ferraz de Almeida Júnior//wikimedia commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>It’s good to talk</h2>
<p>However, the worst thing you can do is sweep a bad result under the carpet. Once you’ve worked out where you think you went wrong, it’s important to discuss what’s happened and why. </p>
<p>It’s natural to feel nervous about the future, especially if things haven’t quite worked out how you imagined, and chatting these thoughts and fears through with someone close to you can really help to take a some of the weight off your mind. </p>
<p>Parents, this is where you can step in and encourage your child to open up and let them know you are still there for them.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134454/original/image-20160817-3573-10hi8p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134454/original/image-20160817-3573-10hi8p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134454/original/image-20160817-3573-10hi8p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134454/original/image-20160817-3573-10hi8p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134454/original/image-20160817-3573-10hi8p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134454/original/image-20160817-3573-10hi8p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134454/original/image-20160817-3573-10hi8p0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trusted opinions can give invaluable support.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/127107506@N02/15106281058/in/photolist-p1TD4G-aq8ayp-mYdYma-7mK27x-FpYRb-7Huo5b-56xAhe-qNgikS-4DPdh2-b5vRDr-gCTts-BpQFk-4srdeK-6mPLZn-DREYB-58oHyn-eWqsUR-6Novsn-ftkikH-aW3ZF2-eyoUtV-FT4GQK-eysk6G-6TAeQ7-eysiV1-eyrZ9C-eys2oN-eyoRek-eyp35e-eypdir-eyoYhx-eyoVJR-eyoMTa-eys79m-eyp1LR-eyp6x2-eypfAt-eyrVEY-5Qp6zP-eypc8v-eys3w9-eyp5jx-eyoLPz-eys9L9-eyrTmq-eyp8xX-eypeDP-5nA6NP-eysoeG-eypf5V">Moiggi Interactive//Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Don’t be overwhelmed by emotion</h2>
<p>It’s hard not to panic when your social media feeds are full of excited friends off to their first choice of uni. Results day is a big deal, but wallowing in emotion will affect your ability to make all those important decisions yet to come. </p>
<p>Speak to sensible people around you for practical advice and try to think positively. It might feel like everything rests on your grades but actually many universities look at the whole person. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134463/original/image-20160817-3597-5c1yyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134463/original/image-20160817-3597-5c1yyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134463/original/image-20160817-3597-5c1yyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134463/original/image-20160817-3597-5c1yyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134463/original/image-20160817-3597-5c1yyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134463/original/image-20160817-3597-5c1yyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134463/original/image-20160817-3597-5c1yyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">At times it pays to ditch social media.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_calm_moment_at_lake.jpg">Patrik Jones//Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>But don’t trivialise</h2>
<p>This might be the first major failure you’ve experienced and with emotions running high it is easy to feel like this is the end of the world. Parents can help here by remembering the importance of taking the experience seriously without making things worse. </p>
<p>At this point it might be good to talk about how far you’ve come and how much there is still left to achieve. Not only is this good for confidence all round, but it could also help formulate some interview answers when you speak to universities. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134468/original/image-20160817-3583-5mwnz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134468/original/image-20160817-3583-5mwnz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134468/original/image-20160817-3583-5mwnz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134468/original/image-20160817-3583-5mwnz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134468/original/image-20160817-3583-5mwnz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134468/original/image-20160817-3583-5mwnz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134468/original/image-20160817-3583-5mwnz4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The right path might not be immediately obvious.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardleonard/104835400/in/photolist-agiUU-3b2oHR-bz1VLS-a7BCA4-q3Qptb-4vmBfp-5CqLzF-eDg1NS-aF11rB-4ZFQDd-DoS3-iRLcB-6oyCaL-8bEnwt-gwjmB-5tnnY-oFPUQw-6PR9BQ-a6hu9C-5CqLLn-nuarvw-29Pqiu-4B7PTE-bVL95E-dBG7v-biqqB-dBbhvV-7YX3ZD-5hjGS1-5CwTuj-aAk6Ef-aNzUv-dDqjkZ-HkV91-kqYiT-pv7nEe-91pcVH-nKNmpE-72U3aV-7YZL2B-w2E7u-8obtZc-HF1k-7aioFT-ozz6Rf-6oVqJY-6ousMe-6U5Tu6-ecXPrv-iRLeF">Richard Leonard//flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Work out your strengths</h2>
<p>Think about other achievements which show commitment and success, such as playing an instrument, being in a sports team, having a part-time job. Write them down and use them when you speak to universities. </p>
<p>If you’d been predicted high grades but were crippled by nerves on exam day, you’ve obviously got some academic ability and exams only provide a snapshot. Figure out what your strengths are and what makes you stand out against your peers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134472/original/image-20160817-3602-hr9eb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134472/original/image-20160817-3602-hr9eb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134472/original/image-20160817-3602-hr9eb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134472/original/image-20160817-3602-hr9eb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134472/original/image-20160817-3602-hr9eb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134472/original/image-20160817-3602-hr9eb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134472/original/image-20160817-3602-hr9eb8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Achievement, focus and dedication have diverse sources.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hernanpc/23218164373/in/photolist-BnHamR-6x6CnY-ebNcEu-8kLvG5-doD1h2-s6r267-qaW2ab-8vw2Hj-frjSPF-tfNyzr-71d9vB-8vsCQR-dZ1K3a-qSRMd6-99VR7k-pfbnAB-8vwHnS-saT4m2-5qLiGA-9YpM12-et2ViJ-dd7MEk-jReTdF-cSCK9m-pbHKSD-8woHHf-bZiYqj-9xtoe3-oLPrGG-ef8B82-6rknAX-cegLH-sraQGW-eNQ2vu-47ks3X-hmii6e-4p4sUA-hsGCHD-8vtyRx-sdGQ6j-4UJwMq-jWRiVC-k5JM9b-qaqXgK-n5KB9K-wbbG1g-cfyXGq-m796hX-G7GHzo-bUj2u8">Hernán Piñera//flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Think outside the box</h2>
<p>You may feel helpless but it’s important to use your time wisely and try and figure out some alternative options. If you’ve fixated on one particular university, does it offer other courses, or is there another university which has a similar feel? </p>
<p>If it’s all about the course, where else offers that programme or can you explore alternative routes like foundation degrees? The process of school, exams and results can feel like a treadmill and clearing can be an opportunity to step off and change direction. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134459/original/image-20160817-3611-1ce58x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134459/original/image-20160817-3611-1ce58x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134459/original/image-20160817-3611-1ce58x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134459/original/image-20160817-3611-1ce58x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134459/original/image-20160817-3611-1ce58x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134459/original/image-20160817-3611-1ce58x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134459/original/image-20160817-3611-1ce58x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lateral thinking often holds the key.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/m0php/2321945037/in/photolist-4xbzn8-3fCzD8-afck5b-rozGfx-b8yAsK-GwkSXN-sATrK-hBXwSj-bSsKV6-q6Y2eP-oKwmZF-nFA2Z9-q4H5KA-546YSJ-71o1ZB-7RWaZ3-4LDadR-dxwaRr-dU4BRD-bPEMQc-qkSpGL-dgLNXi-pWrdqA-mVTyN-ggc3Pt-pW8qre-8QJjwj-cAgfZd-9YvBgo-axenEm-6v3fPX-rr7qQ5-pZauL1-axCR8j-cnhaJ7-6eKrFM-bDWKtm-9LWYEY-5AgXGH-nu1BCq-cykc15-d1NSAd-8f9dzb-6fZL7K-nDqCbS-TpVod-9yDDPg-9z12oJ-ax2qse-3jUG5Z">Craig Roday//Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Do lunch …</h2>
<p>Or dinner, or a film. Don’t stew at home alone all day as your friends post happy pictures on social media. Plan something low key but positive for the day like a meal at a favourite restaurant with your family – that way you can still have a nice time regardless of the results. </p>
<p>This will also give you a chance to take your mind off things and unwind a bit after the stress of the last few days.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134464/original/image-20160817-3578-ndl3o6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/134464/original/image-20160817-3578-ndl3o6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134464/original/image-20160817-3578-ndl3o6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134464/original/image-20160817-3578-ndl3o6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134464/original/image-20160817-3578-ndl3o6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134464/original/image-20160817-3578-ndl3o6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/134464/original/image-20160817-3578-ndl3o6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/streetmatt/15774169310/in/photolist-q2UJYo-8saPSr-a8zYco-9pmBT3-iQi928-71n9nG-GTnDjV-a8x6Sp-obkM9p-95LTxK-4NFf3c-uxoiUH-7DzYjT-vmauK-6yAm22-rBARi7-8vHxAq-8EPNNU-mQ1SY8-cXbGhs-aKL9x-9gwbj6-4AT5Np-p18huE-fj84n7-49MD7D-pbLprR-fiPTYv-6HNRj7-5zQeaX-oXoM7E-mizYr-5Wd4Wo-51WSzy-6Jcese-4G1m2v-kW4Xjv-4iaPHz-rrPjMw-jb65e-dUVchc-jhz8BU-8DvGqm-296eqv-5GRLYo-no5Pyn-2n4TYS-fKWK3J-bagPnt-kKWpV1">Matthew G//flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Realise how far you’ve come</h2>
<p>If you’re struggling to get past your disappointment, think back to when you were doing your GCSEs – maybe even read an essay you wrote back then. See how far you have come. I get my students to keep one of their first year essays then re-read it in class in their final year. They cannot believe how much they’ve improved. </p>
<p>Your A-levels are a big leap from GCSEs and your degree is another step further. As hard as it feels now, once you are at university and having an amazing time this day won’t feel nearly as painful. Just make sure you learn from the experience and build that mental toughness.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/64035/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Myfanwy Bugler does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Not everyone will be celebrating this results day, so here’s a few words of advice for both students and parents, to help put things into perspective.Myfanwy Bugler, Lecturer of Psychology, University of HullLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.