Results day was easily one of the most nerve-wracking days of my life. The pressure to get into my first choice uni was immense, and I didn’t want to let anyone down. Every year there are stories of students who missed their grades and didn’t get into their top choice. Unfortunately, I was one of those. Ultimately, everything worked out great for me at my insurance choice, but things would have been very different had I acted differently on results day.
Take your time making decisions
It feels like everything needs to happen very quickly on results day. Everyone else knows where they are going, and you just want to know too. This can lead to you jumping to decisions that you didn’t necessarily want to make. My initial thought on results day was ‘if I’m not going to my first choice uni, I’m not going anywhere,’ and if I had finalised that decision I’m sure I would have majorly regretted it! You don’t have to make your final decision on results day – you have time! If you’re going through clearing, it lasts for up to a week after results, so take time to think things through.
Talk to people
Your school will have plans in place for students who didn’t get their first choice so make the most of them! Your teachers have seen people go through the same thing in previous years, and will know exactly what to do. Ask them your questions; see if they can put you in contact with people who were in a similar position. Talk to your friends and family and tell them what you are worried about. They want what is best for you, so they will be more than willing to listen.
Visit the uni
You’ve been planning your future in one city, and now suddenly you’re going to be moving to another. If you’ve gone through clearing, you likely haven’t even seen the uni or city, so it’s definitely a good idea to visit. Nottingham was my insurance choice so I had already been, but it was worth going back for a second visit because I got to explore the city and uni. This made me feel a lot better about going there.
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