An A-Level and GCSE Results Survival Guide.

It’s that time of year again today, when students across the country receive their A-Level results and next week it’s the GCSE students turn.

It’s also the annual turn of obnoxious people in the public eye (you know who they are at this point) to proclaim, “exam results don’t matter and they are currently sitting on a private yacht in an exotic location.”

Yeah, yeah, Jez.

Having spent over a decade researching #GenZ and now #GenA, I’ve spent a LOT of time, talking about exams, exam results and how they fit into the wider future of the individual and a generation and I understand how exciting, wonderful but also harrowing and deflating these monumental days can be – for both the student AND their parents, carers and teachers.

So, I’ve devised a nifty survival guide I know works because it’s been road-tested over a decade and actually works for those who got the results they wanted, and for those who have found the day a disappointment.

Please feel free to share with whoever you think this might help.

1.)   CELEBRATE GOOD RESULTS – these are the culmination of years of hard work, Sunday night homework tears and angst about ‘not being good enough.’ Give them their due, and make sure you mark them within whatever is in your budget whether it’s taking your kid for a celebratory milkshake or going for a slap-up meal.

2.)   DON’T MITIGATE ACHIEVEMENT – If great results were achieved, there is nothing more crushing than the relative that says ‘oh, it’s a shame those A’s weren’t A*’s’ – DON’T DO IT!

3.)   COMMISERATE DISAPPOINTING RESULTS – if they weren’t up to expectation, be kind (a big hug is a must) but be honest. Say, “OK, these weren’t quite what we wanted and that’s disappointing for you’ – but IT’S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. Because….

4.)   CLEARING IS YOUR FRIEND – there are loads of brilliant options on clearing, and as university increasingly becomes not the only path for young people, the places and opportunities in clearing are better than ever.

(AND)

5.)   THERE ARE REAL ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS – Whilst not entertaining the Jeremy Clarkson-esque opinion that exam results and university don’t matter, in the year of our lord that is 2024, there are increasingly interesting options for young people that doesn’t involve university including apprenticeships and straight to work schemes. If you want to discuss some of these, I’ve done a lot of research into them – get in touch.

6.)   ACCEPT IT’S A DIFFERENT WORLD NOW – Look, the ‘90’s were thirty years ago. The 80’s were forty years ago. Yes, once upon a time, a young person might have been able to wander into the BBC or a merchant bank and say ‘give me a job’ and end up the CEO in twenty years time. It is that world no more. The world is a ferociously Darwinian race to the top and this is exponentially more the case for young people – them needing the tools not just to survive but actually thrive, is not to be undermined and yes, exam results can be a major part of that.

7.)   NOT EVERYONE HAS TO DO CODING OR ENGINEERING – Kids have been terrorised by people who should know better into believing that doing the humanities, the Arts or any social science degree will lead to a life of destitution and misery. This is to put a not to fine point on it, absolute bollocks. Having spoken to several top firms about this, one of their top areas of graduate specialism at the moment is languages (go linguists) and those who are great communicators – so, don’t bully your child into doing a subject they have zero interest or talent in!

8.)   FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA – It doesn’t matter how brilliantly your child has done, there will be someone on TikTok who has done better (#Blessed) and this will instantly make your child feel demoralised and inadequate in comparison. Put down the phone, go for a walk, go for an ice-cream, touch the grass. But for the love of god, stay off social media.

9.)   DON’T COMPARE SIBLINGS – If you have more than one child, don’t ever, ever, ever say ‘oh you did much better/worse than your sister or brother.’ This instantly creates resentment between siblings, demoralises both parties and is bad parenting. Treat each child’s exam achievements as totally unique from their brother or sister.  

10.)  IT WILL BE OK!!– life is long (hopefully) and as important as exam results actually are, your child will have an interesting and successful life full of highs and lows. Exam results if you like are a fork in the road that can take you to one place or another, but they are not the only route to success, so whatever that envelope holds, it really will be OK!