A level Results Day!

The day that the majority of A level students throughout the country have been anticipating has arrived. For many this will be the first time that they have been able to relax in months, and for others the time has come for them to pull their heads back out from under the sand.

It isn’t however just students that face the undeniable pressure and apprehension that this day brings- results day is equally as daunting of a day for teachers and parents! That fact is widely forgotten.

For most students, the moment of finding out their results is life changing in some way. That small bit of paper holds possible answers to their future, answers to their next step in life and potentially to the next path that they will take. Speaking from previous experience, this moment is overwhelmingly nerve-racking. How can this one moment, based on one set of exams, mean so much? That complete desire for something that you want so much. Something that relies solely on the information that one bit of paper holds.

It is not only the insane amount of pressure that students put on themselves that creates that feeling of utter disappointment if they do not get the results they were aiming for so difficult to accept, but also that overcoming concern of ‘what will my parents think?’

Those very apparent doubts and ‘what if’ thoughts that fill the heads of those students that open that envelope and haven’t got what they wanted, often despite trying their very hardest, are such a struggle to deal with. We all want to feel proud of ourselves but also make others proud of us!

From students that just miss out on that ‘A’ they needed to get in to the university of their choice to those that completely messed up an exam and haven’t got in to university at all- does everything really happen for a reason? How can getting in to university be so black and white? Students must be proud of what they did achieve and realise that this isn’t the end. I hope that today support and reassurance is being provided all over the country to help manage that indescribable disappointment which is so difficult to know how to deal with.

Hard work should be recognised whether they got that result they were looking for or not. These exams ARE important, but students shouldn’t be made to feel like this is the end. Opportunity is still there! Lets make students feel proud. Let’s provide them with the support that they need today. Never underestimate what can be achieved through sheer encouragement to keep going! They must remember that results alone cannot determine a future and there is so much further success that is yet to be achieved.

Those who haven’t got in to the university of their choice- the process of clearing is another stress to add to this pressure filled day. Along with disappointment, the rush of ‘where else can I go’ takes over. The opportunity of clearing creates many happy endings, but actually in a lot of cases can increase apprehension. It often means being accepted somewhere they haven’t had the chance to visit or somewhere that is maybe so far from home but yet they haven’t began considering leaving their family. This means the step from college/sixth form to university is even more dramatic than perhaps anticipated.

Even for those A level students that are filled instantly with sheer relief when finding out their results, it doesn’t end there! Today the pressure and apprehension is not only on those who failed to reach their target, but also those who succeeded to. It is time for these students to consider how to prepare for the unknown. Some will be ready and some will not be.

This day is truly life changing but i believe that positivity should be taken whatever the outcome. It is important to spot the signs of students who are struggling; those who need extra support on this very significant day. The ones most in need of your help aren’t always the most obvious. That struggle may vary from accepting that they missed out on a grade to dealing with the idea of moving away.

The point is, it isn’t just about what results they get, it is about providing encouragement, motivation and mind-set for that next step – whatever that may be!

For now, make the most of the summer and I wish you all a fantastic start to the new academic year!

Holly Chandler

Presenter Coordinator

Forget Paxman – The Real University Challenge

More young people than ever are applying to university, with 495,600 getting a place in higher education in 2013.  That’s a lot of teenagers applying for the same courses.  I found out recently that the most popular of these can have up to 18 applicants per available place – what?!

I know what you’re thinking.  Not another student complaining how hard their life is, how difficult applying to university is, bla bla bla.  But give me a chance – I promise I won’t moan too much…actually don’t hold me to that one!

A lot of changes concerning higher education have happened during my time at secondary school, notably the rise in tuition fees.  The pantomime villain responsible for this, according to most students, is Nick Clegg.  After Clegg (boo hiss) promised the National Union of Students that he would oppose any rise in fees, the coalition government proceeded to increase the cap on the amount to be charged to £9000 a year.  Hmmm.

My main memories from this time are of the student marches in London and the auto-tuned YouTube parody of Nick Clegg’s apology (if you haven’t already seen it you’re missing out).  However, now that it’s time for me to start the university application process myself, I’m realising how much of an impact changes such as this are going to have on the choices I make.

It could be argued that the rise in tuition fees has had some positive effects.   After a dip in applications in 2012, numbers have continued to rise.  The difference is that teenagers have to think much more carefully about university – it’s no longer an option if you aren’t sure about any aspect of university life, or your course.  Interestingly, despite the increasing price of attending university, the numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education have never been larger – the reasons for this welcomed change are not yet clear.

Since higher fees have encouraged teenagers to look into other ways of gaining further education, it could be argued that this has prevented many young people from making the wrong decision.  Unfortunately, I know of a few students who have taken up a course and realised that it wasn’t what they wanted a few years in.  Now that tuition is so high, dropping out or switching courses is a huge decision to make; £9000 is a lot of money to ‘waste’.  As a result, it seems to some students that once you begin at university, there really is no going back.

The main thing that I have noticed since starting to consider higher education is the increased pressure to guarantee employment after your course ends.  Again, this is largely down to the amount of money you are investing – it makes sense to want to get something back!  The continued popularity of medicine, education and law courses support this idea, but what about those of us who don’t want this sort of job?

It seems to me that more and more people are choosing a subject because of its employability levels rather than how passionate they are about it.  Three years is a long time to study something you hate, even if you do get a ridiculously well paid job out of it.  This is one of the main issues with increasing the price of going to university; I’d like to think we should at least partly be motivated by doing something that we love.  Maybe that’s a little naïve.  Perhaps the opportunity to study for pleasure is one only available to a privileged few, with everyone else having to think in more practical terms.

I’ve faced issues frequently since deciding that I want to study English at undergraduate level.  Even though I love the subject, many people seem to see it as a waste of time.  When I tell people about my plans, a common reaction is a kind of strained smile followed by: “So do you want to be a teacher then?”  As well intentioned as this comment is, I often feel like screaming: ‘NO.  NO I DO NOT WANT TO BE A TEACHER’ (don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate teachers – I just don’t fancy it as a career).  The other frequent reaction is a look of surprise and a comment about me being ‘a clever girl’ – why don’t I want to study law or ‘something sciencey’ instead?

The answer?  I love literature and I always have done.  I’m not put off by the very small amount of contact hours for arts degrees and I want to do something that I’m good at.  I’ll confess:  I don’t yet know exactly what career path I want to take upon the completion of my degree (shock horror).  I’m sorry if at the age of 17 I don’t know how I want to spend my entire future – I’m certainly not the only one.

My last year of A-levels is going to be packed with decisions and applications.  The most pressing concern upon my return to college is writing my personal statement, something which seems to involve a whole military style procession of checks, redrafts, more checks and rewording.  Who would have thought that 4000 characters could be so intimidating!  The fact is that competition for courses at some universities is so fierce that a good personal statement is more valuable to a student than an iPhone.  Well, I say that…

But what about those who might not have had as much help with their personal statement?  There is still a heated debate over whether success depends primarily on preparation or natural talent.  Many people are complaining that a system which favours pupils who have been ‘trained’ during their A- levels reflects unfairly on those who attend less affluent schools or colleges.  Are university applications still affected by issues of class?

Essentially the UCAS application process seems to me like one big competition (I’m thinking a Crufts style arena and everything) where only the students with the best grades, the best work experience and the best interview technique  get to go where they really want.  No pressure then.

I know that there are options other than university, some of which are absolutely brilliant.  But for me personally, I feel this is the right choice – unfortunately this means A LOT of work for me over the next twelve months, as well as for the other estimated 500,000 – 600,000 people applying through UCAS this year.  Despite this I’m still excited about (hopefully) starting university in 2015.   I’m telling you, it had better be worth it!