August 17, 2017, by Chloe

Results Day Emotions

The whole university experience is different for everybody, from applying on UCAS until Graduation Day. Results Day is no different…

I think everybody in the lead up to starting university has an idea of how Results Day will go. Inspired by the news stories we will have all seen, students seem to fall into two categories:

• The celebratory student: This student has got the grades they needed, or better, to get into their top university. This type of student on the news probably achieved at least 3A* grades and is being celebrated by their school.
  

  Happy puppy knows he’s en route to uni

• The defeated student: This student missed the grades they needed and have given up all hope. Probably trying not to cry on live television or in front of the whole school.
  

  Puppy trying to find where his new options will take him

But I think these preconceptions can be quite damaging. Of course, students do broadly fall into categories of happy or sad with their results, but it’s not that simple. Everybody has the right to celebrate their hard work and be happy and confident in their choices. Likewise, students at any end of the results spectrum can feel disappointed in their results, whether they have narrowly missed out or not. But there are so many options are available for those who are unhappy: clearing, adjustment, resits, remarks, apprenticeships, jobs etc…

One thing I wish I’d known before Results Day is that even if you do well or better than expected, you might still feel a bit deflated by the whole experience. My offer for Nottingham was unconditional, so I had known since around March that I was definitely coming to Nottingham. I didn’t feel the same Results Day excitement as some of my friends but I still felt the nerves about getting decent grades. For most people, Results Day is the day you find out if you are definitely in or not, which increases the anticipation for freshers. Instead, I found my anticipation building when I started buying stuff for my new room in halls and packing. So if on Results Day you find yourself feeling flat, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve made the wrong decision – you might just be a bit overwhelmed.

Results Day is exciting and nerve wracking but the real excitement is yet to come!

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