Exam results days are never easy, whether you’re getting A-level results or uni exam results it can be pretty stressful, but the trick is learning how to relax.
After weeks of waiting and anticipation the stress builds and getting the results – whether they turn out to be what you wanted or expected (or not) – all the emotions can be a lot to take, so we’ve thought of a few ways to help you relax after exam results day.
Prep for exam results day
On the evening before and the morning of collecting your exam results, try to do something relaxing and enjoyable. It can be easy to sit and overthink how you think your exams went, and imagine different outcomes for results day. The bottom line is you don’t know how it went until you get your results back.
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If the went better than expected, then that’s great. If they didn’t go as you had hoped, that is ok too. There are solutions and your grades do not define you. So, try not to dwell too much in the lead-up to results day, and wait until you get your results to plan what you need to do next.
Getting your results
You may find that you are surrounded by other people when you receive your exam results. If that is overwhelming to you, you have every right to go somewhere private and open them by yourself.
On the other hand, if you need emotional support and comfort when opening your results, ask someone who you trust and feel comfortable with to sit with you while you open them.
Most importantly, look at them in your own time. After all, these results are yours. You can open them wherever and whenever you like. You can also tell whoever you like what you got, and you don’t owe it to anybody to tell them how you did if you don’t want to.
After getting your results, it may be a good idea to have something planned in case things don’t go the way you wanted them to. This could be doing something fun with friends or family or going on a walk somewhere peaceful to recollect your thoughts.
If things don’t go as planned on exam results day
It can be extremely disappointing to not receive the exam results we had hoped for. We all have standards for ourselves at the end of the day, so not achieving what you had set out to achieve is going to be upsetting, and that is ok. You reserve the right to feel disappointed if your results day goes worse than you had hoped.
Depending on what exam results you are receiving, you may have to come up with a new next steps plan. Most schools and universities have dedicated teachers and advisers to help you out if things don’t go as planned on results day. It may be helpful to formulate a rough plan beforehand if you’re certain you will have to go through UCAS clearing, for example, but try to remain optimistic until it comes to that.
Celebrate your achievements, no matter what
Even if you don’t do as well as you had hoped, you still deserve to celebrate the achievement of completing exams in the first place.
It is no secret that these past couple of years have been tumultuous for students, with exams being cancelled altogether, then everything placed online, and then the rocky return to in-person exams. It hasn’t been easy, and students deserve to recognise their strength and resilience for making it through exams during such a stressful time.
Moving on after results day has passed
Once results day is over and you have had time to reflect on your results, don’t dwell on them for the rest of the summer. If you need some time to feel disappointed, that is ok, but try not to let them ruin your entire summer. Exam results don’t define you, and you deserve to celebrate and have fun after results day, even if they didn’t go as planned.
It might be a good idea to plan some fun things to do during the summer so that you have them to look forward to after results day. Whether that’s something for yourself, like buying yourself something, or making a day trip with friends, having summer plans gives you something to be excited about once the results day is over. This will help you relax after results day, knowing that you can now focus your energy on looking forward to fun summer things instead!
The takeaway message
Exam results days are stressful, and it’s normal to feel nervous about how it’s going to go. The most important thing to remember is that there is always a solution if things don’t go as you had hoped, and just completing the exams during such an uncertain time is an achievement and something worth celebrating in itself. I wish you all the luck on your exam results day, and I’m proud of you no matter what you get.