Hundreds of students celebrated their exam results at Nottingham College - but for teenager Shakirah Jelley it was an occasion that was extra special as she battled a rare disorder to achieve her A-level success.
The 19-year-old, of Bulwell, has a passion for film and is looking forward to studying media production at Nottingham Trent University.
Speaking after receiving her results on Thursday (August 15), she said she was "really pleased" and admitted the exams had been "really challenging".
Her achievements were all the more remarkable as she suffers with a condition called depersonalisation, which affects her concentration.
"Depersonalisation is sometimes referred to as a dissociative disorder," she said.
"It's not a bad thing and I'm coming to terms with it.
"It's your brain trying to protect you from anything that's traumatic or harmful or stressful.
"You will disconnect from your body.
"You don't feel like you're authentic or real or you don't have control over your actions. You feel like you're looking at yourself in the third person.
"I just feel like I'm watching myself as in a film, which is ironic, or in a video game - it feels like that a lot of the time.
"I've had it for as long as I remember. It got really bad I'd say once I started secondary school."
Shakirah, who also suffers from anxiety, achieved an A and B in a subject called extended project and film studies.
She runs a YouTube account documenting her life, saying: "It's a horrible condition to live with and especially to study with.
"I've been trying to document that through YouTube and it seems to be working so far.
"I just wish that people know that, no matter what you have going on in your life, you can succeed."
Another college student will be the first person in his family to go to university after achieving three Cs and a B.
Kain Robinson, 19, of Bulwell, said: "I got Cs in media studies, film studies and art, plus a B in the extended project. I’m the first person in my family to go to uni and I’m going to Nottingham Trent University to study architecture.
“I’m really happy and it’s nice to know my hard work paid off. My family are all happy for me.
"My dad is really proud and my mum was in tears when I told her."
Twins Jessica and Heather Daniels, 18, of St Albans Road, Bulwell, will both study at Nottingham Trent after passing their A-levels with flying colours.
Relieved Jessica achieved three As in psychology, English language and English literature and will study criminology.
"I did not think I was going to pass psychology - I thought I did really badly in one of the exams," she said.
"I am relieved and just happy."
Heather, who achieved two As and a B in English literature, maths and biology, will study biomedical science.
She hopes to research and find cures for cancer.
All the hard work paid off for Peter James, 19, of Nuthall, who achieved an A* in maths, an A in further maths and Bs in business and English language.
He will study maths at the University of Leeds, saying: "For me, I had lessons at college and then alongside that I was at the library - my parents can attest to that. I wasn't coming home and they were messaging me saying 'where are you?'
"I was at the library for hours on end as I was studying. Just because I feel that's what's necessary if you want to get the top grades.
"You have to put the hard work in. There's no shortcuts or any way around it."
Tom Dick, executive director for curriculum at Nottingham College, said he was delighted with the results, adding there had been at least a 100 percent pass-rate in 13 courses.
