Five top tips for de-stressing your results day

Hi I’m Lizzie, a current editorial intern at GTI Media (the parent company of TARGETjobs). The big day that thousands of students across the UK have been anxiously waiting for is nearly upon us, A Level results day! Everyone knows that getting your exam results can be a pretty terrifying experience – but there are steps you can take to prepare for any outcome, and make results day far less stressful! Here are our five top tips for de-stressing your results day. 

1. Get distracted and stress-free.

Make yourself a cup of tea: everyone in Britain knows this is the number one way to deal with any situation, ever. Other good ways of relieving stress include: having a mini dance party to yourself, doing something fitness-related, or watching something funny – particularly stand-up comedy as the jokes are regular and continuous. The more you smile the less stressed you’ll feel.

2. Try to get a good night’s sleep.

Falling asleep can be a very hard thing to manage if you’re stressed out over exam results. But, if you stay up all night worrying, you’re going to be overly tired and maybe a little more emotional the next day – which is not a good idea! Try to get to bed early and fall asleep before you get caught up in your thoughts and worries. Listening to relaxing music can help you do this.

3. Back-ups are OK!

It’s really hard to gauge how exams go and what sort of marks to expect. Chances are, you will have prepared properly for your exams, and so are in with a good chance of getting the results you want. However, if the worst comes to the worst, retakes or going through clearing are not the end of the world! If you think that you might have to go through clearing, research before your results come out which courses different universities offer for this; remember that you are not limited to only the subject you originally applied for. Also, always phone universities yourself – they’ll want to speak to you, not your parents!

4. Your options are wide open.

No matter what grades you get, you will find employment after graduation in your field if you do your research and gain enough of the right skills from work experience or internships. A part-time job can help you long-term too. Even if you don’t walk away with high marks, you can still take the necessary steps to make yourself employable in every other way possible, so you’ll be OK.

5. Accept that worrying won’t change anything.

This one is probably the hardest to do, but it’s also the most important. The fact is, your exams have already been taken, and your essays have already been handed in. There’s nothing you can do at this point to change the marks that you’re going to be given, so stressing yourself out over them is pointless. Just know that you did the best you could at the time, regardless of any outside circumstances. If it comes to it, there are loads of different ways of making up for lost marks to employers. But try to keep your chin up, because you’re going to be absolutely fine.

Good luck!

Article written by Lizzie Akass, TARGETjobs Editorial Intern. Connect with Lizzie on LinkedIn.