We all knew that Results Day this year would be completely different to previous years. After all, we were collecting results for exams that we didn’t even get to sit thanks to coronavirus.
For the first year ever, we had no control over how well we did. The unpredictable nature of the situation mixed with the government changing their decision on how grades would be calculated just days before the results were released, it truly was a rollercoaster of emotions. Here’s how I found the experience.
In the weeks leading up to results day I felt surprisingly calm. Of course, there were rumours here and there about how the grades would be calculated which were unnerving at times.
But like all the other year eleven students, I knew that our teachers knew us well, and would ensure our results were as accurate as possible. Results Day was actually something I was really looking forward to. That is, until A-Level Results Day.
Reading story after story of students not getting the grades they deserved and worked for, and losing out on university places because of this was an awful experience. I felt so bad for these students, and so angry that this had happened.
Of course, I also began to feel extremely worried that the same would happen on GCSE Results Day. The thought of my peers and other year eleven students around the country feeling disappointed with their results and even losing out on college course places was horrible.
Shortly after information began circulating around social media, saying that GCSE grades would be given using the same algorithm which had caused so many A-Level students to be disappointed and upset with their results. ‘It was the most nervous and worried I’ve ever felt’ said Summer, one of my peers. That certainly summed up my feelings too.
The relief felt by a whole generation of students was unimaginable when the government announced their ‘U-Turn’. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I felt so much more confident and optimistic about Results Day.
It was evidently the right decision to make. When Results Day finally came, after a whirlwind week, the media was filled with many more positive stories, much different to the stories seen on A-Level Results Day just a week before. Although I was extremely disappointed that I couldn’t go into school for my results and got them via email instead, it was still a day to remember. I was really happy with my results, as were so many other students in the same position as me. It was the best feeling ever knowing the results weren’t dictated by an algorithm; they were dictated by us, and all the hard work we’ve done throughout our high school journey.
