The exam period is incredibly stressful, but what they don’t tell you is how waiting for your results is also stressful, as is actually receiving them. Emma, Member of Somerset Youth Parliament gives us the lowdown on her experience picking up her GCSEs.
Throughout the long-awaited summer holiday this year, there was always something in the back of my mind which caught me in bouts of worry and anxiety – Results Day. The results which dictate for many whether they can continue studying at sixth form or college.
With results day this year being automated, everyone received their results first via email. I woke up very early wondering what numbers would pop up in my inbox at 8.00am. The time crept closer and closer. We finally had our results! It was a weird sensation, which almost finalised the five years we had spent in education leading up to GCSEs. It also seemed rather informal as I sat in my lounge with a cup of tea and suddenly I had these important results in front of me.
Later on in the day, motivated by interest, happiness and confusion I went into school to collect the paper results and to meet friends and teachers. For many this was a day of surprise, shock, happiness and relief – I’m sure many year 11s can agree the sense of relief was huge after weeks and weeks of scrutinising over the questions and potential answers that you did or didn’t write. The one day (21 August) had finally come and gone.
With the grade boundaries this year being as varied as ever many scrutinised over marks and answers while all being taken back to the month and a bit where every day we were sat in a hall in front of an exam paper.
Results day is often very hard to navigate but I want to end with a very important message – your grades don’t define you. There is so much more to life than grades, and while your path in life may have been changed because of them, they certainly don’t make up who you are.
Thanks once again.
Emma
Nominations are open for the next Somerset Members of Youth Parliament!
Nominations are now open for the 2025 Youth Parliament Elections, where young people aged 11-18 years who live, go to school or college in Somerset can self-nominate for the chance to represent their peers, campaign on issues that matter to young people and represent Somerset on the national stage.
For more information about the elections and to self-nominate, visit https://somersetyouthparliament.org.uk/elections/
