How to Keep Calm on A-Level Results Day
A-level results day is nearly here, and if you’re waiting on a conditional offer to find out whether you’ve got into your firm or insurance choice, it’s normal for nerves to climb in the final stretch.
It’s a nerve-racking time for most young people fresh out of sixth form or college. The good news is there’s plenty you can do to keep your anxiety in check.
We’ve already covered everything you need to know for A-level results day. This guide focuses on staying calm and looking after your wellbeing in the run-up to it.
Keep Yourself Busy
In the days before results day, it’s easy to feel your stress levels creep up.
That’s natural, but a good way to manage it is to keep yourself distracted and busy. Whether that’s seeing friends and family, picking up a hobby, reading, trying something new, or watching a new show, filling your time helps stop the overthinking spiral.
Try not to dwell on it. You’ve done what you can, and that’s what matters, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now.
Meeting up with friends the day before results come out can help too. You’re all going through the same thing, so it’s a good chance to keep each other calm. It’s still your summer holiday, so try to enjoy it.
Focus On Yourself
In the run-up to results day, make time to look after yourself. Practise self-care and mindfulness, whether that’s eating and sleeping well, breathing exercises, or writing your feelings down in a journal.
It’s easy to lose sight of this when it can feel like the day you’ve been building towards for years. But letting stress take over won’t help you.
If you’re struggling with your emotions, whether that’s anxiety or low mood, support is available. NHS guidance covers stress symptoms and how to manage them, and Young Minds has specific advice for coping with results day.
Get A Good Night’s Sleep
Sleep can feel impossible the night before, but it’s worth trying to get some proper rest.
Staying up late scrolling or watching TV back to back will likely leave you feeling worse in the morning. Going to bed earlier instead means you’re more likely to wake up refreshed and ready for the day ahead.
If you think you’ll struggle to drop off, a lavender pillow spray can help calm your nerves and set a more relaxing mood.
Talk To People
Waiting for your results is nerve-racking. It’s a moment that can shape your next few years, so it makes sense that it weighs on you.
If you’re finding it hard to cope, talk to someone, whether that’s friends, family, a partner, or a college tutor. Talking things through, and getting a bit of support in return, usually helps more than people expect.
Remember that plenty of other students are feeling the same way right now. Bottling it up rarely helps, so it’s worth having people around you can lean on. Online student forums are another option if you’d rather talk to people going through the same thing anonymously.
Be Prepared
Planning is one of the simplest ways to cut stress on the day itself. Think about what time you’ll pick up your results, how you’re getting to school or college, and how you’ll check things online.
It’s worth knowing the grade requirements for your firm and insurance offers in advance. You can check these by logging into UCAS Hub and reviewing your application, so make sure you know your login details before the day arrives.
Keep a pen and paper handy for jotting down important information, and make sure your phone is charged in case you need to call any universities or colleges. If you want to be extra prepared, look up the relevant contact details beforehand too.
Decide How To Receive Your Results
It’s worth thinking ahead about how you want to receive your results, whether that’s going into school or college to open them, or checking a digital platform instead.
If you’re picking them up in person, consider taking a parent, guardian, or friend along. That way, you’ll have support on hand if you need it, or someone to celebrate with if things go well.
Equally, if you’d rather open your results alone, or wait until you’re home without an audience, that’s just as valid. Do whatever works best for you.
Try Not To Panic
Try not to panic if results day doesn’t go to plan. There are still plenty of options if you don’t get the grades you were hoping for, or don’t get into your firm or insurance choice.
UCAS Clearing matches applicants to university places that haven’t yet been filled, so it’s worth looking into if you need it. Applying for full-time or part-time work, or an apprenticeship, is another route if university doesn’t feel right after all.
Taking a gap year to think through your options is also worth considering. Not getting into university this time round doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
The same goes if you do better than expected and want to swap course or university. There’s likely to be some extra planning involved, especially if you end up moving somewhere new, but there’s no need to rush it. You’ll have time to sort the details out, so take a few hours to think it through properly before deciding anything.
Stay Active
If you’re feeling low in the run-up to results day, exercise is a useful way to manage stress and anxiety.
Whether it’s walking, yoga, jogging, dancing, or playing a sport, moving your body releases endorphins that lift your mood. Running in particular is widely recommended for clearing your head and easing anxiety.
Put a playlist or podcast on and get outside. Whatever form of exercise suits you, aiming for two to three sessions a week can genuinely help both your physical and mental wellbeing.
Don’t Compare Yourself To Others
Comparing yourself to others is something almost everyone does, but it rarely helps. Constantly measuring your results against other people’s can affect your mental health and leave you feeling more stressed and anxious than you need to be.
On results day, try to focus on your own progress rather than anyone else’s. Being proud of what you’ve achieved matters more than how it stacks up against others.
You’re also under no obligation to share your grades with anyone, even close friends, if you’d rather keep them to yourself. Tell people only if and when you feel comfortable doing so.
Remember Whatever Happens, Happens
At this stage, the outcome is out of your hands. You’ve sat your exams, finished your coursework, and completed your A-level studies, so whatever happens next isn’t something you can change now.
Chances are you’ve worked hard over the last two years, so try to let the result be what it is. If everything goes to plan, that’s great. If it doesn’t, that’s manageable too. It isn’t the end of the world, and there are plenty of paths forward if things don’t go the way you hoped.
If you’re unhappy with your results, you can appeal to the exam board to see whether anything can be done.
We hope this has helped you feel a little calmer ahead of the day. Whatever your results turn out to be, take care of yourself in the weeks leading up to it, and remember that what helps one person cope might not work for someone else. Find whatever works for you.
If you still need to sort accommodation for the next academic year, browse Homes for Students’ collection of student accommodation options across the UK and Ireland today.