Everything you've been working for for two years comes down to this one day, and from experience it will either make you or break you. Theres a lot of things that occur during results day, one of which is finding out if you have or haven't got into your firm or your insurance university as well as finding out what you actually got in your A-Levels. Today I'm talking you through the ins and outs of results day as well as what happens when it doesn't all go to plan...
My results day was on the 14th August 2014. To be honest I had really been that nervous for it until probably a couple of days beforehand as I had done everything I could've done and what would be would be (from experience this is the best mindset to have). So basically what happens is that UCAS Track (which is where you've kept up to date with your offers and where you made your firm and insurance choices) goes down pretty much a week before results day but you are still able to log into your account. 24 hours before the results get announced track closes down all together and, for me anyway, you couldn't access the portal until 8am on the morning of results. This was torture, I didn't sleep pretty much for the entirety of the night before and so just waiting for this information to be released and so late on in the morning was such a pain. However, I could access a portal which is ran by our school which we could check our exam results on usually from 6am in the morning (this is what they always do so I've been able to access it when getting my GCSEs and A-Levels), from what I know a lot of schools have this. I personally don't know if this is a good or a bad thing. It did mean I knew what my results were before hearing if I had gotten into my university but for me that was a good thing as I instantly knew I wouldn't be getting into my firm choice but it also meant I was extremely emotional and disappointed with myself before finding out if I had gotten into my insurance choice. I personally paid too much attention to my grades rather than that I had gotten into university. So if you do have the opportunity to check your results beforehand, seriously think whether its going to be a good thing to do or not.
As I have said Track opens at 8am usually, however, they do sometimes get it up and running beforehand. I was able to log in just after half 7 so remember to keep checking. When you log in it will tell you whether or not you got into your firm university if it does it will say you were successful. If you were successful your offer will change from a conditional offer to an unconditional offer and you are off to your firm university. If it says this is unsuccessful honestly do not worry as most people don't get into their firm choice and thats what your insurance choice is there for. You will then scroll down if you weren't successful and it will then inform you if you got into your insurance choice. If it was successful similarly to before your conditional offer will change to an unconditional offer as well as it automatically changes to your firm choice. However, if you got rejected from both your insurance and firm university choices you can then go through a process of clearing if you wish to still go to university.
I personally did not have to go through clearing so I'm not entirely sure how the process works. But I know some people who did and they said it was quite a stressful experience. But don't let this put you off! Lots of universities release their clearing list a couple of days before results day and you can sign up for a call back on results day if you are sure you did not receive the grades for your university choices or if you got rejected from all of your offers earlier on in the UCAS process. As far as I can tell if you don't get into your universities you can ring up any university through their own clearing line and ask if you meet their entry requirements for the course you wish to do. Usually you get a response quite quickly and can make a verbal agreement. From 5pm on the day of results day you can then add a clearing option which you would have already been accepted into verbally. And then as far as I can tell the university confirms this and then this becomes your firm university. This may not be true as I didn't have to go through this process.
Alongside clearing you can also go through a process of Adjustment if your results exceeded the entry requirements for your firm university. Its a similar process to clearing I believe but you can apply to universities with higher entry requirements. I don't know anyone who went through this process so you'd have to research it further.
After all this is said and down and you've gotten into a university, whether it was your firm or not, it's now time to officially celebrate! Obviously make sure you are over 18 years of age when buying or drinking alcoholic beverages and stay safe but have fun!
The next Off To Uni post will be all about getting ready to go and going about buying all of your university essentials for starting your new future!
