Today is probably going to feel like the longest of your life so far. Waiting to find out what your future holds, where you will be going next, or whether you will be staying where you are (for now, at least).
It’s a little different than it was in my day, you’ll be able to log on to UCAS (from 8am in case you were wondering) in the comfort of your own home to find our whether your university place has been accepted. When you come into school you will know if you’re in before seeing your results. We had to wait for a little piece of paper and when your teacher hands it you saying, “they’re not that bad” it’s not a good sign.
In those moments, waiting for the computer screen to load, your stomach will be churning, your mouth will be dry. Your parents will probably be pacing the floor in the living room waiting to hear your news. In a moment you will either be overjoyed or heartbroken. You won’t need to say anything to your mum and dad, your face will say it all.
Congratulations if you get into your first choice. This is the most exciting time of your life and what will come next will be amazing.
And if you don’t, trust me when I say, it will all work out for the best. This is the most exciting time of your life and what will come next will be amazing.
I’m not going to lie, it’s going to hurt. Not getting what you wanted hurts, and you will have a few more choices to make, but all of this will make you into a stronger person.
Maybe you take your back up option or go through clearing. Your might want to take a year out, work for a while, travel. Or you might want to resit your exams and improve on the results you have. All of these are great options, and you need to decide what is right for you. Not what your parents want, what YOU want.
That doesn’t mean ignore their advice or that of your teachers. Your parents know you better than anyone and only ever want the best for you so please talk to them but ultimately it is your life. In the past 13 years I have seen a lot of tears on a Thursday in the middle of August. I’ve seen 18 years olds distraught and the future they saw for themselves seems to unravel.
And I have seen them a few months later. When they have had time to get over the disappointment, time to think about a plan and what to do next. And not one of them has been unhappy. For some it has given them time they didn’t think they had and after resitting a module or two, or working they have gone and travelled the world for a few months and popped back with tales of their adventures. Would that have happened had they got into their first choice of uni, probably not.
Today will be long and tomorrow will be emotional, but everything will work out for the best, I promise.
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
Disclaimer: I know what I’m talking about, I didn’t get into my first choice uni and I did okay!
I wrote a post just like this one – I didn’t finish college, or even have the chance to go to uni – but I did okay too 🙂 x