With A-Level results day swiftly approaching, nerves will be kicking in and it can feel like the most important thing ever. While it’s a great achievement to get good A-Level grades, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t.
We’ve compiled a list of successful people who didn’t get the A Level grades that they wanted and still went on to do great things. This might just convince you that everything will be okay regardless of what grades you get.
Jeremy Clarkson
I couldn’t write this piece without firstly mentioning Jeremy Clarkson. The Top Gear presenter isn’t shy about telling people his results, which were famously a C and two U’s.
He tweets out about it almost every year, so look out for that one. Who knows what message he will grace the internet with this year?
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Cumberbatch is open about the fact he did really well in GCSEs, which led to a lot of pressure for him to get good A Level grades.
Speaking to Metro UK, the Sherlock star said: “I did sort of blow my GCSEs out of the water. I couldn’t believe it and neither could my teachers. And then there was a lot of pressure on me to achieve an Oxbridge level of brilliance at A-levels. But then adolescence came late and I discovered girls, pot and all sorts of other things, so I got a bit lazy. That stagnated my growth a bit as far as being academic.”
Despite not getting the grades he hoped for, Cumberbatch has won an endless list of awards throughout his acting career, including the lead role of Sherlock Holmes for the BBC, and Doctor Strange in the Marvel Universe.
JK Rowling
While JK Rowling actually got really amazing grades, two A’s and a B, she was still rejected from her dream university which was Oxford. We included her in this list because even if you still get what are classed as good grades, you’re entitled to feel upset about not getting the university you wanted.
Rowling didn’t get hers and, after attending the University of Exeter, she still ended up writing one of the most successful book series in the world. When you’re talking about success, the Harry Potter author’s is immeasurable. Regardless of grades, this could be you in five years.
Deborah Meaden
Dragon’s Den star Deborah Meaden didn’t even take her A Levels. She left school beforehand and opted to study business at college instead. A Levels aren’t for everyone and not taking them doesn’t mean you won’t have a successful life.
Deborah now has a net worth of $60million and has even been awarded three honorary degrees.
Lord Alan Sugar
If you gain the title of Lord without taking A Levels, you really can do anything. Finishing school with just one O Level (equivalent to a GCSE|), Lord Sugar didn’t go to college and instead got a job in a greengrocer and built his own global trading money. He’s worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
Now he can fire anyone with the point of a finger. To top it off, his singular O Level wasn’t even in Business Studies! So not to worry if you didn’t do amazingly in your favourite subject.
So, it might seem like the world is ending if you open the envelope and aren’t overjoyed at what you see, but A Levels do not define your future. No one will care what A Level grades you got in ten years, so deep breaths, and remember these people when you start to stress.