‘If things don’t go to plan for you this results day, stay positive; it may all work out in the end’
Results day. Let’s face it, no matter how confident you are about your grades, those two words still send a chill down your spine. My experience began as a tale of woe; I missed my offer by a grade. It was not entirely unexpected, but regardless; seeing that ‘B’ next to ‘history’ was probably one of the worst moments of my life.
Nottingham was my first choice university. I, like many of you, had fallen in love with the campus, the course, the city, the reputation, the atmosphere – absolutely everything. I had got the grades for my insurance but, although it was great university, I knew deep down that I had my heart set on Nottingham and didn’t want to go anywhere else.
So what did I do? I rang over 20 times until I got through, only to be told a decision had not yet been made. I tried to take this as positive news – I hadn’t been rejected outright. I rang again an hour later. And again. And again.
I cannot stress this enough: Ensure you have the phone numbers and email addresses of the admissions offices of your first and second choice universities (and possibly even the names and direct line numbers of the entrance tutors for your course) to hand. Just in case.
My friends and I were due to go out that night to celebrate and, although I still had no answer, I joined the festivities as best I could. Then, at 9:30pm, I received an email.
Something has changed on your Ucas application. And there it was; just as seeing the ‘B’ in my results envelope was one of the worst moments of my life, seeing that ‘Unconditional’ next to ‘The University of Nottingham’ was easily one of the best.
Results day was a true rollercoaster of emotion, but when you see that all important ‘Unconditional’ and you realise those endless hours of revision, those sleepless nights and all the stress was worth it; it is a feeling absolutely second to none.
My results day isn’t the typical experience (and hopefully yours will be a great deal better), but even if things don’t all go to plan for you this results day, stay positive; it may all work out in the end.
