A LEVEL results day has always been a day of anticipation and tension for teenagers across the UK. It works a lot like a dentist appointment – you start off feeling confident that no emergency intervention is going to be needed, but the closer you get to the big day, the more frequently you get a nagging feeling that something isn’t right. While plenty has changed in quarantine, this time-old tradition certainly has not.
The week leading up to A Level results day was filled with unexpected twists and turns from the Government. Having received my results, I can understand the stress and anxiety many students have been feeling around this time.
It is always difficult to tell how an exam has gone, but waiting for results based on a series of impersonal calculations and estimations gave me a new found appreciation for exams. Some of us need grades to get into university, others of us have plans to take on internships or jobs and for most of us it is the day we graduate into a world of self-organisation and independence.
While there have always been students who have had obstacles thrown their way on results day, this year has left students unsure what options they really have.
After years of hard work and anticipation it felt harsh to have so many grades lowered because of events beyond our control. The government announcement that results would be awarded on the basis of teacher assessed grades alone reassured many. But there are still those who have missed out on university places because the intervention came too little too late.
However, despite the stress surrounding results day, these testing times have proved how adaptable and resilient our generation can be. The experience we have all shared over the past few months is unique and the lessons we have learned in this time will be invaluable in the years to come. As the dust starts to settle on A level results day, we are more prepared than ever for any uncertainty to come in the future.
Abbie Salkeld is off to study social work at Lancaster University
