By Tilly Rose
To all of you who received your A Level results today, I know it must have been the most stressful few months.
A Level exams, uni offers, revision, waiting for results is always a highly pressured time but this year, Covid-19 came along and took it to a whole new level. Your exams were cancelled, teaching stopped and then you found out that a complicated system was going to be used to decide what grades you would be awarded today.
There was uproar in Scotland as so many students didn't receive the results they deserved and you knew your big day was just around the corner.
And now it's here...you've opened your results.
From the messages I've been receiving some of you have met your university offers and are on top of the world and I am SO happy for you! All that hard work over the last few years has paid off and you have been rewarded with the grades you deserve, you should be so proud!!!
If today didn't go as you hoped then you are certainly not alone; 36% of students in England have been downgraded and you know what it's just NOT FAIR! On Results Day usually, you could sit back, relfect on the exams and say to yourself, 'well, I did my best' but this year you weren't given the opportunity to 'do your best', you weren't given any opportunity at all. Instead teachers and people you've never even met were deciding your grades. You didn't get a chance to show yourself and prove what you could do. My mocks and predicted grades were never reflective of what I achieved in the real exams, so I really do feel your pain.
The Sixth Form Colleges Association has called the system for calculating A Level grades 'flawed and unreliable'.
If you have found yourself in this horrible situation today, then be sure to check out Cassie's post on how clearing ended up being the best thing that ever happened to her.
Also, remember there is the opportunity to retake. Yes, that's rubbish if it means you've missed out on your uni offer but it does give YOU an opportunity to prove what you think you can achieve in those final exams.
Thinking of you all today - whatever happens you have done AMAZINGLY to get through the last few months in such challenging circumstances.
Sometimes it just helps to RANT, so whatever your result today, tell your mum, dad, sister, brother, friend, teachers or TELL ME. Sometimes it's good to just get it off your chest!
Sending you loads of good vibes,
Tilly x