A-Level Results Day is coming up, and so it's understandable that many of you reading this will be super nervous right now! Saida, a First Year English student at Oxford, is here to tell you what to do when your Results Day doesn't go quite to plan.
To hear that you did not meet your offer for Oxford can be crushing. I thought it was something difficult that happened to ‘other people’, that you hear about through friends and people who are completely distant to yourself. To have it happen to you feels like the end of the world, but I can promise you that it is not. Below are some tips for getting through the day and what action you can take:
As hard as it can be, it is very helpful to speak to your teachers and try to identify what might have gone wrong.
Ring up the University to ask them for advice and whether there are any conditions they have in place for restoring your place.
Getting exams remarked can be a big financial strain, but if it is at all possible or if your school can assist you, I would urge you to get any relevant papers remarked. I was 6 marks off my required grade and thought that it would never go up by that much in the remark. In the end, it went up by 14 and got me the grade I needed for Oxford to accept me.
Congratulations if you got accepted from your insurance choice as getting a place at any university is a huge achievement in itself! If not, Clearing is always an option, or you may want to take this time to consider taking a gap year for either retaking exams and reapplying or looking into alternative further education routes.
Before Results Day, it can also be really helpful to make a list of universities offering your course through Clearing, and make a list of phone numbers and emails to contact them on the day.
Unfortunately, none of these tips above are a guarantee, so in case Oxford is not your destination in the end, give yourself time to take a step back and clear your head. The feeling of disappointment will not last forever! Get excited about your alternative university place or any other decisions you made for the upcoming year. I can promise that you will go on to do amazing things wherever you are!