‘It took me a couple of weeks just to come to terms with it’

Jonaid Khan

Jonaid Khan, 34, took accounting (D), business studies (C) and computing (X) A-levels at Josiah Mason sixth-form college in Birmingham

I was expecting Bs and Cs, so on results day I was gutted: I knew I had blown my chance of going to university and felt like I’d let my family down. The X in computing was due to being disqualified from one exam because I’d arrived late and forgotten to leave my mobile phone at the front desk. I wasn’t given a chance to explain myself and I was devastated.

Seeing many of my friends get positive results only made me feel worse; few had done as badly as I did. I’d been deciding between going for a professional accounting qualification or an undergraduate degree, but with my results I felt as though it was the end of the road for me in an academic capacity. I was thrust into panic and depression.

Telling my family my results was difficult. But deep down I was hugely disappointed with myself as I knew I could and should have done much better.

I didn’t really talk to anyone about my results, and it took a couple of weeks just to come to terms with it. Then I began to look into my options, and decided to pursue an NVQ professional qualification in accounting.

After five years of work and more studies, I got a job at the University of Bradford, and ended up studying part-time for a degree in combined studies there, graduating with first-class honours in 2010.

I’m now halfway through an MBA and really happy with how things have worked out. To anyone facing a similar situation to me, I’d say that you will end up getting to where it is you feel you should be – it’s just the route may be completely different from what you’d envisaged.

‘My results taught me how to make the best of a bad situation’

‘I think my results were meant to test me and get me ready for adult life,’ says Kevin Bediouhoune, pictured at Hull University. Photograph: Lee Brown/The Guardian

Kevin Bediouhoune, 19, got an E in biology and D in English literature A-levels, and Cs in chemistry and English language AS-levels at St Mary’s Menston Catholic sixth form, near Ilkley, West Yorkshire. His grandmother died during the exam period

All summer I’d spent time guessing and trying to figure out what exam papers I did well in and which subjects I got a good grade in – then when I walked into school and opened my results I knew straight away I could have done better. My grandma’s death had affected my whole mentality, but I didn’t realise that until I got my grades; it dawned on me that my mind was somewhere else and I wasn’t as stable as I’d thought. I was gutted.

I didn’t feel failure – I hadn’t quit, I made it to the end, and just that was an accomplishment. But I had missed my first-choice course at Liverpool John Moores University. My mum wasn’t in the country at the time, she was in Cameroon, sorting out my grandmother’s funeral arrangements, so I didn’t tell her about my results until I’d figured out what to do. I decided to look at clearing.

After ringing The Ucas exam helpline, I went to see Hull, and I’m now here studying biomedical science – the same course I was planning to study at Liverpool John Moores. In the end, everything worked out for the better. I think my results were meant to test me and get me ready for the maturities of adult life; now I’ve learned how to handle – and make the best out of – bad situations.

‘I felt like the world was telling me that I was stupid’

Leah Jacobs

Leah Jacobs, 31, did A-levels in geography (C), maths (E) and physics (U) at JFS school in Harrow, north London

Results day was the hardest day of my life. I remember queuing up with my mates, and when I was handed my envelope the head of sixth form gave me a look … I knew then that it was bad, but when I saw the results I basically lost it – I remember screaming and shouting and crying. I thought it was the end of the world, and had no idea what my next step was. I felt like the world was telling me that I was stupid.

I wasn’t expecting the results – I had worked really hard that year, and had extra tutors in maths and physics. I had put everything else in my life on hold to ensure I did the best I could. I genuinely thought I had done quite well.

It took me a long time to get over my feelings of failure from results day, but in the process I found out I had undiagnosed dyslexia, which affects the way I deal with exam situations. I’ve realised that I am smart, but the A-level system was never going to reflect my true ability.

My head of sixth form advised me not to do retakes. I took a gap year and worked at a civil engineering firm, then I found a university – Nottingham Trent – that would take me with the results I had because of my work experience. In my third year I found tunnelling engineering and knew I wanted it to be my career. Since then, I’ve worked on large tunnel boring machines for Crossrail, two London Underground station upgrades and had an amazing experience working in New Zealand. The industry pays really well, which has allowed me to buy my own property, which a few of my peers who did well at A-levels have struggled to do.

‘I ran to the toilet, locked myself in a cubicle and cried’

Hannah Jones





Hannah Jones, 23, got two Ds and an E in history, English literature and psychology A-levels at Birchwood sixth-form college, Warrington, plus a distinction in a drama BTec

My A-level results were the last hurdle between me moving to Liverpool to start a new life studying drama at uni, and, after doing well at GCSE, I was quietly confident walking into college to pick up my results. My parents had high expectations too.

Then I opened the envelope and my eyes scanned over the letters that I definitely didn’t want to see. Without saying a word to anyone, I ran to the toilet, locked myself in a cubicle and cried. I was so embarrassed. I thought my future was completely over.

Friends who hadn’t revised as hard as I had did amazingly well and were getting places in top universities. It felt like everyone except me was celebrating that day.

I’d always been such a high achiever; I didn’t feel like myself any more. I wished I’d prepared better for my results – I should have had a back-up plan for a worst-case scenario. It sounds gloomy but to others facing results day this year, I say prepare yourself for the worst and then anything else is a massive bonus.

Thanks to my coursework-based BTec, I managed to get into university – just – to study drama. But after six weeks I dropped out, having realised the course wasn’t for me. I moved back home and secured an apprenticeship at my local council and ended up in its PR department. All executive-level roles required a degree, so I went back to uni and last week graduated with a first-class degree in PR and marketing from Manchester Metropolitan University. I was the top performing student on my course, and now have a job as an account executive.

I’ve realised A-level results don’t define you. No employer has even asked for my A-level results and I’ve never thought about them since that day. Just because your forte isn’t being able to remember dates or formulae and write them all down in an hour, doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Work hard, be grateful, put yourself out there and you never know where your career might take you.

‘We stuck a pencil randomly in the clearing list; it fell on Brighton’

Sally Bunkham

Sally Bunkham, 36, scored a C, E and U in English, home economics and art at Stamford high school for girls, Lincolnshire

I remember staring at my results and thinking: “I’ve stuffed that right up.” I had my heart set on going to Sheffield University, but that wasn’t an option any more. I sat on the concrete floor and listened to my friend’s voices celebrating around me, pretending I wasn’t bothered. In fact I was. I knew it was my own fault – I was just too interested in boys, drinking and going out socialising at the time.

One of my friends came to my house and persuaded me to look at the clearing list. We literally stuck a pencil on the list randomly and it landed on the University of Brighton, on a course about historical and cultural studies. I rang up and got in. I didn’t know a thing about Brighton and arrived that September having never even visited. But I enjoyed three fabulous years at university, made my best friends and later found my husband, and dad to my two kids – and we still live in Brighton.

I got a job straight after university in sales, then moved into events, and this year launched my own business, Mum’s Back, selling hamper gifts for new mums. It’s going really well and I’ve been on TV and radio talking about it.

A-levels are a world away. I asked my mum today if she could remember what I got and she had no idea. But the experience did have a lasting effect on me – even now, when I’m stressed, I have the same dream of being in that sports hall in an exam with no clue what any of the questions are about.

• Lucy Tobin’s book, A Guide to Uni Life, is out now