As A-level results approach I’m sure many of you are trying to cram your days with activities and holidays to distract you from the looming results day. It’s a terrifying time, that envelope has the potential to have a significant impact on your life. I’ve gone through this process twice, once in 2011 and then again in 2015. Though there were slight differences each time.

2011

I had attended Ashlyns sixth form and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. A miracle had occurred and I had been fortunate enough to be offered a place off of the reserve list at Anglia Ruskin University Chelmsford to study BSc Midwifery. On results day, sitting in the car park I was shaking, my mother had spent the last year telling me I would regret my party lifestyle and I was beginning to wonder if she was right, had I studied hard enough?

Due to my place at the university originally being on the reserve list, before becoming official, unlike all of my friends I was unable to tell via UCAS that morning whether or not I had met my conditional offer. So whilst my friends were celebrating, I was biting my nails.

I can remember peeling back the envelope seeing that I had met my offer and running back to the car yelling “I’m going to be a midwife.” After taking several moments to collect myself and calm down I phoned the university to have my place confirmed. After that it was all official, I was part of the September 2011 cohort. Now I may have only completed one year due to becoming incurably ill, but it was the best year of my life.

2015

After leaving ARU it took a few years and training in a variety of trades before I decided I wanted to return to university life. Eventually I settled on publishing; having always been an avid reader and writer and it seemed a logical option, one that I am now thrilled to have chosen. University entry grades had climbed dramatically since I had first applied four years ago, so I returned to college to study an A level in Creative Writing.

At the end of my AS year I attended the Oxford Brookes June 2015 open day.  The uni, course, and city captured me. I managed to grab hold of one of the lecturers and explained why I had left my previous uni and my experience in publishing (I am very lucky to have had several freelancing opportunities for magazines such as Cosmopolitan), just like that I had an unconditional offer.

Having an unconditional offer took a huge amount of pressure off of my results, however naturally I still wanted to achieve well for myself. So when results day came around my stress levels were lower the previously but I was far from relaxed despite knowing that no matter the result my place here was secure. It transpired that my grade was fantastic and I had no need to worry.

 

How could you not fall in love when your have lectures in this building?!

Results day is never going to be stress free, you may do exactly as your school predicted, exceed by miles, or be disappointed. No matter what your results are don’t be afraid to phone your university/college/employer and see if they will still be willing to take you on. This happens far more often than is openly talked about!