With results day looming, I took the time to reflect on my journey into university. Like many students, my path wasn’t completely conventional. As a student who transferred universities after a year, I know first-hand that your pathway to university might not be linear, or look how you expect it to.
My experience
When I finished my A-Levels, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to study. Although I had an offer for Law, I found myself considering other subjects that I enjoyed, and envisioning what they might be like to study. Having passed my exams – and performed better than I anticipated – I went through the clearing hotline, and changed my offer to Psychology at a new university. While I felt better about this decision, my choices for universities were limited, as most courses were filled.
I completed my first year of study at this university, but I had a lingering feeling that it wasn’t right. After a long period of consideration, I resubmitted a UCAS application to transfer to Durham University. It took around 4 months for a decision to come back, and thankfully, it was an offer!
I was excited though unsure about the move, given it was such a significant change. Looking back, I wish I could tell myself it was the best decision I’ve made so far. It can be frightening when your results day or experience at university isn’t what you anticipate, but there are solutions and options to make it work.
What should you do on results day if it doesn’t go as planned?
Results day is always nerve-wracking. It’s important to remember all the hard work you put in, and that your best is all you can give – you should be proud of yourself, regardless of your grades. When you open your results, make sure you give yourself the time to process the grades, and to enjoy the moment with your friends and family!
Understandably, you’ll likely want to check if you’ve met your offer. If it doesn’t go as you expect, don’t panic – there are options to deal with this situation. Firstly, you may want to chat with a careers advisor to evaluate your choices. Perhaps you could investigate which courses still have availability, and at which universities. It can be frightening to reevaluate your plan, but it is possible.
If you narrowly miss your grades, you might want to consider a remark of your papers. It is likely you’ll have to pay for a remark, however, if your grade does as a result of the review, the fee is returned.
Foundation year
If you miss your offer, some universities will automatically change your offer to include a foundation year, an additional year in your degree to refine academic skills and confidence. In other circumstances, you may have to call the admissions team to inquire if there is any availability. Foundation years are designed to support students, so don’t feel put off by this choice!
Re-evaluate
In light of all of this, results day can be a really tricky and confusing time. If you aren’t certain on the path you’d like to take, there’s no shame in waiting. Many students pursue a gap year, allowing time to travel, work and build skills ahead of committing to a degree. This can be a great option to prevent you rushing into anything, and to consider what your interests are outside of academic time constraints. With your grades already established, you can research universities and courses within your reach and apply with confidence.
Summary
Regardless of the outcome, results day does not define your future. If things don’t go exactly as planned, try to remember that being redirected is not the same as being rejected. Stay positive, explore your choices and be proud of your hard work!
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