First, take a moment – You made it! Results Day can be nerve-wracking but be proud you got to this point.
No matter what your results are, this is just a day in the grand scheme of things, one step closer to what you want to do. It’s important for knowing WHAT your next step is, but there are many paths in life and people go at many different paces. This is an exciting time!
1. Preparing for Results Day
Got Results Day nerves? It’d be weird if you weren’t a bit nervous! Conquering nerves is a lot about accepting there’s nothing more you can do. Accept that fretting won’t help make the time go faster or change what your results are.
Having plans can help settle worries, so start thinking what you’ll need to practically do on Results Day, like travel plans. (Reading this is a great start!)
AND, what you might do if you don’t get what you want (Read on below!).
Then STOP once you have a plan! Distract yourself with something you enjoy or you might get wound up from overthinking.
Simple ways to help manage your stress for the night before and morning of Results Day:
- Talk it out with close people
- Plan when you’re going in on the day
- Research some backup options if you don’t get what you want
- Ask family or friends to come as support
Then, when that’s done…
- Eat well and sleep well
- Take a tech break to avoid reminders about results
- Keep busy with something you love to help distract and stay positive
2. What to do on Results Day at SCCB
You can collect your results from:
10am-12pm (midday) on Thursday 17th August, at our Longbridge and Digbeth campuses.
You will need your Student ID Card on the day to confirm your identity and get your results as quickly as possible.
We will also be emailing them from 8am onwards.
Certificates will come later in the year from October onwards.
3. If you don’t get the results you want…
It’s definitely wise to give some thought to what you might do, as there’s lots of options that can lead to exciting results.
Retakes
If you were close to the results you wanted, you might be able to retake some exams to reach the grade. It will definitely be a wait that might go into next year, depending on your course and on when other exams are happening. If you are set on your course and university, this would be a choice to consider.
Retakes are much more common than they seems – 29% of A Level entries in 2019 were for retakes.
Clearing.
If you are set on to going to uni this year but are more open to where or what course, consider Clearing. Clearing is how universities fill empty spaces on their courses by picking up students who did not get their offers. In 2022, 12,000 applicants found a place through Clearing. It can lead to some exciting decisions you might not have considered!
And if it doesn’t work, you can still try another option like retakes.
Access to HE.
This is a 1-year course that will prepare you for university and get you a qualification to progress on to higher education if you complete it. It can be hard work but 98% of students on South & City College Birmingham Access courses go onto university. Read how it changed Matt’s life as he went from no GCSEs to studying an Astrophysics degree.
Other Courses. At SCCB we have a wealth of over a hundred courses in vocational, T Levels, A levels and Apprenticeships. If you want to change direction or are keen to start work, there might be a course that’ll help.
Start Work. It might be time to gain some work experience while you rethink your options, which will look amazing on your CV down the line.
Contact South & City College Birmingham for guidance on your next step and career goals.