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GCSE Results Day Dos & Don’ts
source: guardian.com edit: Yero Timi-Biu
Ergh, results day is nearing. Here are some of the things you should and shouldn’t be doing when you go and pick up your GCSE results.
Results day is nerve-wracking, joyful, exciting, horrendous, and it’s inevitable if you’ve sat exams. It’s frustrating when years of work amounts to only a few weeks of exams to determine your future. On top of that, it all comes down to one day – results day. And breathe. What’s done is done.
It’s results day and it’s completely normal (and good) to be nervous about your results because it shows that you care. Young people all over the country are going through what you’re going through, so you’re not alone.
Today is the day you should be focusing on yourself, but if you’re in mainstream education, you’re most likely going to take on some the feelings of others around you. It’s an odd combination of being selfish enough to put your own grades first, but also take in to account the feelings of others around you.
DO
Have a good breakfast. Eating a healthy balanced breakfast is a must. You might be too nervous to eat, or have no appetite, but the amount of adrenaline you’re going to use up by midday means you need some nutrients in your system. A green smoothie or porridge are quick and easy options.
DO
Be happy for yourself if you’re really happy with your results. Although it may look like a bunch of letters on a piece of paper – congratulations. Pat yourself on the back and acknowledge your accomplishment.
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DON’T
Say, ‘I got really good grades because I revised, obviously’. Don’t celebrate your success to the point of bragging. Other people may have dedicated even more time to revising then you did and big headedness will make you lose friends quickly.
source: reactiongifs.tumblr.com
DO
Tell your parents/carers/guardians your results ASAP, if they’re not with you. They will be nervously awaiting your results too. Try to do this before you post your results on social media.
DON’T
Post all of your results on social media, making your aunt who liked your status have to text your dad to congratulate them before you’ve told them yourself.
source: reactiongifs.tumblr.com
DO
Understand that this is the start of your life. A lot more is going to be thrown at you on the journey to adulthood. GCSEs don’t often come back to haunt you in forty years time.
DON’T
Think it’s the end of the world if you don’t get your expected grades. You can always query your marks and do a re-sit if you want to (this is time sensitive, so speak to a teacher or school advisor ASAP). There are other further education options equivalent to AS/A Levels and vocational courses that will let you work and study too.
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DON’T
Ask ‘So, what did you get?’ right after you’ve just opened your own results. It can seem nosey and untactful. Even if the person you’re asking is your friend and you’re curious and care about them, how about saying ‘Are you happy with your results?’ Sometimes people want privacy and will tell you their results without you having to ask.
source: reactiongifs.tumblr.com
DO
Support your friends by just being there for them. Not everyone is going to be thrilled with their results, especially if they were expecting higher marks. Try not to say things like “At least you tried”, because telling them what they know won’t help them in that moment. Even hanging around with them while they wait to speak to teachers is helpful enough.
How are you feeling about picking up your results on Thursday 20th August? Do you think we’ve missed any crucial dos and don’ts out? – Let us know @rifemag
Related links:
You can talk to telephone counsellors at Childline about your GCSE results
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About the author
Yero Timi-Biu
Yero is a 22-year-old writer-director for TV and film and former (self-professed) serial intern. She took a detour through fashion when at aged 16, she took part in a documented internship with BBC Blast, where 10 teenagers had 6 months to create and showcase a fashion label. Subsequently, she then went on to study a Fashion Communication degree in London and graduated in 2013. Yero has recently returned to the UK after 3 months in New York, where she attended a Screenwriting workshop. With a keen interest in broadcast, Yero has always been interested in using writing, film and audio as a form of creating conversations, tackling the stigma of talking about social issues, as well as documenting and promoting underrepresented people in society. She is especially interested in raising awareness of mental health issues, long-term illnesses and encouraging well being, (especially within young people who may want to pursue a creative career).
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