A brief overview of what I've learnt from getting grades and living with them.
I recently completed work experience at Imperial College London (I know, very impressive indeed) where the common question to ask people when you first meet them is “What are your predicted grades?” Quite a horrible first conversation to have with someone, although less awkward than “Why don’t you have a partner?” which, believe it or not, someone actually asked me.
I began to feel completely inept once I figured out I had the lowest predicted grades in the entire group. The never ending sequence of A*s seemed quite the buzzkill.
So, what is the point of predicted grades if it just creates social indifference and puts a massive amount of stress on people who are already under a lot of stress? That, my friends, is a question only UCAS can answer. Predicted grades are meant to make applications a lot easier for universities with a high number of applications – basically, so that people can finish work at 5 pm.
A survey conducted by the University of Durham in 2016 showed that only 16% of A Level predictions were accurate. For my biologists and further mathematicians out there, if we did a chi-squared analysis of this data, we would probably arrive at a conclusion along the lines of “Get predicted grades out of here!”
Unfortunately, we all know how the English government love to keep their traditions, so they are not going to be scrapping predicted grades anytime soon. So why not learn to embrace them in a happier manner?
The week after exams, I found out one of my grades and let’s just say I wasn’t very happy. I later found myself crying to a DLR staff member. They had to see a lot of tears which they presumably did not want to see on a Tuesday afternoon. But she said something that quickly made me stop crying: “What’s done is done, maybe it wasn’t meant to be, but what you can’t achieve now does not mean you will not be able to achieve it in the future."
Do not limit yourself to your grades because a lot can change from now until the real exams. If you are thoroughly unhappy with your results and have no idea what to do...
DO A GAP YEAR!
“But that's only for rich people." Then get a job! There are loads of opportunities out there from working with charities abroad, to working in a surf shop in Morocco, to working in a language school in Spain. Do not think that by taking a “year off” you will limit yourself because on the contrary, businesses and universities love people with a diverse background. Opportunities are always positive.
Additionally, keep your options broad. Do not believe that one cannot succeed in life because one has not been to Oxford or Cambridge. These universities have their advantages and disadvantages like many others. Why not think about going to a European university?
To conclude, do not limit yourself to the grades on a piece of paper. Grades do not have a part to play in your identity or your intelligence. Do what you want to do. If you want to read Shakespeare, then read. If you want to research direct air carbon capture, then research! Grades are just there for universities to sort through applications quicker. Even so, try your very best as you should in all (well, most) scenarios in life. Except in American football. No one likes American football.
I hope this has made you a little less concerned and less worried. If you ever need to talk to anyone about this or anything else, please come and speak to me!
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