Here at LLC, we want all learners and parents to have a helpful guide on tips for managing results day worries! Now, it’s no surprise that results day is stressful for most learners. What grades will I get? Will I be able to go to my chosen college? Will I get a good job?
And it is also difficult for parents too!
How can I support my child if they don’t get the grades they hoped for? Am I a bad parent? Should I have made them revise more?
Learners, it is okay. No matter what grades you get, good or bad, the exams are done. There is no point in stressing yourself out over something that is now out of your control. So, the best thing for you to do is take a deep breath and let all the negative thoughts float away.
Here are some activities you can do to put your mind at rest before results day:
- Read a book.
- Have a relaxing bath.
- Play your favourite sport.
- Have quality time with your family.
- Try a new hobby.
- Have a movie night.
- Get a colouring book for adults.
Now we all know that results day can be quite intimidating and most of the time the stress is more around the fear of the unknown. Once you do know your results here are some tips to cope with managing the anxiety of what to do next.
- Set a plan – Regardless of if your results are good or bad, set yourself a plan. The end goal is where you want to be. Then work backwards, thinking of the steps it will take to get there based on your current results.
- Create a backup plan – Does your plan A require you to wait for an Apprenticeship opportunity? Create a backup plan in the meantime of what else you can do. Why not see if you can get a part-time job in the meantime before your apprenticeship becomes available? Or set yourself aside time each week to do some free online courses to make the best use of your time and be proactive towards your end goal.
- Ask for advice – Asking your friends and family for advice is a great way to get another opinion. They may even think of something that you haven’t even considered.
- Speak to a Careers Adviser – Another option is to seek advice or help from a careers adviser. You can even use the free tool on the gov.uk website to assess your skills and what job you would be good at. Find out more here.
If you are a parent struggling with how best to help your child who is undergoing their exams or awaiting results, here are a few things that you can do to help your child:
- Ensure balance – Ensuring that your child’s life has a balance of their social life, homework, diet and resting time is vital to making sure your child doesn’t feel overwhelmed with their exams.
- Don’t add pressure – It may be difficult to even realise you are adding pressure to your child. Try having an open conversation about how your child thinks they have done and try to reassure them that everything will be ok no matter the result.
- Take time to listen – Sometimes, like us all… we just need someone to listen. To not speak from their experience or tell us what we should and shouldn’t do, but to simply listen to what is troubling us. Your child feels the same. Encourage your child to speak to you about things that are important to them, good or bad. It will help them a lot in the future too.
- Allow your child to feel – On results day, your child may want to cry or be full of excitement. It is important to let them feel these emotions and not discourage them. Allow them to cry if they are sad or to talk a lot if they are hyperactive. They may not be able to regulate their emotions like us adults and for many young people exams in school are the first type of exams they have had.
- Use visual aids – You and your child may find it easier to manage emotions through visual aids and resources. In our busy day-to-day life, it can become difficult for us to acknowledge others’ feelings. Why not try the Anxiety thermometer with your child? You can find it here.
Here at London Learning Consortium, we want all learners and parents to know that you’re not alone. You may feel scared and worried about the unknown and that is okay.
At LLC, we believe in giving everyone an opportunity to learn. This is why you don’t have to have perfect grades to join our Study Programmes. You could come to LLC without your English or Maths and we wouldn’t judge you. Instead, we help you. We will give you the confidence to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. We will provide you with a safe environment to make mistakes in, to cry in, but more importantly to develop in. We believe that everyone’s journey in life is different, but we make sure everyone leaves LLC the same. Happy and excited about the next stage of their life, with us by their side.
If you or your child needs advice around results day or just in general then please feel free to reach out to us. We offer Study Programmes and Apprenticeships for those aged 16 and over, so come and explore your options with us today!
We see youth.
