How to Deal With Exam Results Day

As exam results day nears, it’s natural to feel a little anxious, maybe even a little stressed. But, no matter how you do, there are amazing options for your future, so there’s no need to be overly worried. To ease your mind, we’ve put together some simple tips to help your exam results day go more smoothly, in this 5-minute read.

Managing exam results day in a healthy way

1. Talk it out

You don’t have to bottle up your feelings. Get out all the stress and nervous energy by chatting with family or friends; anyone you know that has your back. Talk about your hopes and fears, what you’ve got planned and how you’re feeling about it all.

2. Keep your routine

Don’t just sit around all day waiting for your exam results. Do everything you normally would do like hobbies and keep the plans you’ve already made. This can be a great distraction while you wait.

3. Have a plan

No matter what results you get, have a plan in place for best-case and worst-case scenarios. If you know what you’ll do in both situations, there’ll be less to worry about. And if you need support, we’re always here to help.

4. Stay off social

Even if you get amazing exam results, keep them off social media. Don’t post them and don’t look at posts of results. You don’t want to make your peers feel bad if they don’t get the same scores as you and you don’t want to steal your own joy if others performed better.

5. Don’t go abroad

If you leave for a holiday on exam day or even for a few days after, it can make it really hard for advisors to get in touch with you. And if you’re looking at going to University, you’ll want to have those conversations right away so you can secure your place.

6. Keep it private

You don’t have to share your results or open them with your mates if you don’t want to. In fact, it’s probably better for your mental health if you open them at home with just your family present. See if there’s a text service or online way to get your scores to take even more of the stress out of exam results day.

7. Have someone there

No matter what results you see, you’ll want someone to celebrate with or bounce alternative ideas off of. We recommend having either your mum or dad, sibling or your closest friend there with you when you open your results.

What if you need mental health support?

If you’re still not feeling quite right, talk to your GP or self-refer for talking therapy. It can really help you work through any residual stress. If you’re going to be a student at Bolton University, we can also help you with counselling and other mental health services. It’s just part of what makes Bolton #UniAsItShouldBe. Or you could get support from an organisation that specialises in student mental health like Students Against Depression. Just make sure that you do seek support if you need it.

Good luck and believe and achieve!