Lifestyle | How to deal with your exam results

Whether you've already received your exam results or you're still yet to receive them, this period of Summer can be the most nerve-racking and suspenseful few weeks. Will I pass and get onto my desired course? Will I get the grades my family wants? Will I disappoint my family? Will I do well enough to do what I want in the future? These are just some of the questions that are going through your mind as you wait patiently for the email or brown envelope containing your fate.

Exams are important, of course they are, but in reality exams only count for a tiny amount of your knowledge and CV or Resumé. Exams aren't tests of knowledge, they're tests of memory. Exams are the keys to getting where you want to be in life but the strain that's put upon students to pass first time is quite simply too much for some to handle. I personally believe that exams are a good measure of memory and if you remember all or the majority, well done, that's great! But if you don't happen to remember everything you was taught, then there's always another opportunity to have another go the following academic year.

This September I was supposed to be heading off to University like all of my other friends of the same age, but as I had health issues in year 10 and 11 of High School, I sadly had to miss my GCSEs which meant I had to take them when I was 17 at college. This time last year I collected my GCSE results from my college, which was in fact a very nerve-racking day for me as getting a certain amount of grades meant I could enrol on my Media course. Luckily I got the exact requirements but failed Science, which isn't needed in my career path anyway, so I wasn't too disheartened. Maths however, has never been my strong point which meant in my first year of college I took a functional skills maths qualification instead of GCSE, I passed. This meant I done my GCSE maths exam in May/June, like some of you probably did. I am absolutely hopeless at maths and although I revised like a mad woman for the weeks running up to it, I still think I'm going to fail.

As the days are nearing your results day, you're probably really nervous, especially if something depends on a certain grade or amount of grades. It's easy to say and easier to dismiss, but please try not to worry too much. You need to look at the worst case scenario to realise it's not that bad. So, you don't get what you expected, you failed the subjects which you needed a pass for and now you don't know what to do? That's easy. Re-take them at college. Yeah, it can be disheartening after months of revising, weeks of stressing out about the exam itself and then you miss a C by just a few marks, but the extra year may mean you make new friends, get an A instead of the C you originally aimed for or even decide you want to change your career path. There is always an option if things don't go right the way you planned.

Things to remember on results day

• The envelope isn't as scary as you think, you've probably done more than enough to get your desired grades!
• If your grades aren't what you needed or wanted, there's always the option of re-taking them, it's not the end of the world.
• Your family's opinions of your grades are important, of course they are, but they're not that important. If they start making you feel bad for not getting a grade that they wanted you to, it's not your fault and it's not that much of a big deal that you didn't get it. 
• Be optimistic, whether your grades are what you wanted or not. Exams and qualifications aren't the be all and end all.
• Don't let your family or friends cause you to feel low and upset if you didn't get the grade(s), it's your life and as long as you have high hopes, big dreams and aspirations of a great future and career and you're willing to work hard, then that is all that really matters. 

I'm not saying that exams and qualifications aren't useful or worth it, because I believe them to be some of the best things you can achieve in this world. We are all so blessed to be able to attend school, college and university and I truly believe we should all grab as much education as we can whilst we can. I will definitely be applying for University in September and I will definitely aim to get a degree as I believe it will help me get into my desired career path. Education is such a blessing, such a privilege and such a fabulous thing to receive. I adore college and I adore learning. I adore working hard and I can't wait until all of my hard work pays off in the future. Just remember that if you don't succeed for the first, second or tenth time, you can still try and try again - there's no limit on hard work and there's no limit on your personal desires.

I really hope that you get the results you're looking for and I really hope you get onto the courses you want. But if by some chance you have to retake one subject, a few subjects or even all of them, it really isn't the end of the world. As long as you have desires, aspirations, dreams and goals, the drive to work hard and achieve big and the ability to get knocked down but to stand back up again; you'll honestly be more than fine.

I really hope you get the grade(s) you desire and I really hope I pass maths, haha. If I don't pass, I know I can retake it and I will put in more than a million percent effort, because maths is an important subject, even though I detest it greatly.

Good luck for results day and well done for all of the revision, hard work, getting through the exam and also for whatever your grade may be. I know and you know that you worked hard and I also know that you'll be fine, whatever the outcome.