Expert's six top tips for Scots pupils if exam results DIDN'T go your way – you could end up better off
GRADE EXPECTATIONS Expert's six top tips for Scots pupils if exam results DIDN'T go your way – you could end up better off
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AS Scots across the country look at how to make the most of their exam results, one education leader is urging them to see their grades as a springboard to success.
After enjoying the summer holidays, 147,000 students learned their grades for Nationals, Highers and Advanced Highers.
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Six top tips were given to kids getting their results today
Credit: PA
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Robin Ashton, Vice Principal of Curriculum and Quality at Glasgow Kelvin College gave his top tips for youngsters getting their exam results today
Credit: Supplied
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School drop out Liv Conlon, from Bothwell, became a millionaire and is now running two seven-figure businesses after moving to Marbella in Spain
Credit: Liv Conlon
It can be an incredibly stressful time for those who didn't get the marks they wanted, and National Opportunity Day — launched by Glasgow Kelvin College in 2023 to celebrate the chances open to everybody — reminds young people that there are plenty of exciting routes into work, training and further studies.
Whether you're buzzing with results or unsure of your next step, Robin Ashton, Vice Principal of Curriculum and Quality, wants youngsters to be reassured.
He said: 'Colleges are here to help every learner find their path. Exam results are important, but they're just one moment. What matters is using that moment to explore the possibilities and take the next step.'
It's advice that Liam, from North Lanarkshire, knows works. He left school at 16 to take up a construction apprenticeship — but quickly realised life on the tools wasn't for him.
Liam, 20, said: 'I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do but it just wasn't the right fit.
'Once I heard about Graduate Apprenticeships, I knew I had to get the right qualifications and experience and go for it.'
He enrolled in an HNC in Civil Engineering at Glasgow Kelvin College, before applying to Glasgow Caledonian University for a Graduate Apprenticeship in Quantity Surveying.
He beat 75 other applicants to land the role, and is now working with McTaggart Group four days a week while attending university one day.
Liam advises students to avoid making hasty decisions.
He said: 'Take your time, pick something that suits you, and if it doesn't work out, there is always another option.'
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If you don't get the results you are hoping for, don't panic — there is lots of support available.
Students can call the SQA's candidate advice line on 0345 279 1000 and appeal their grades via the SQA if they don't end up with the marks that they are expecting.
All appeals will then be subject to a marking review, and the appeal must be lodged before midnight on August 26, or August 29 if a teacher or school is doing it on a pupil's behalf.
If a place at university depends on a person's grade, then their appeal can be prioritised by August 12 — or, if a school or teacher is submitting it, then the deadline is August 21.
ROBIN'S 6 TOP TIPS TO MAKE YOUR RESULTS COUNT
Use your results wisely
LOOK at what your grades can do – not what they can't.
Your results might open doors to college, uni, an apprenticeship or training.
They're the start of something, not the end. Focus on the routes now available to you.
Earn while you learn
GRADUATE Apprentice-ships let you earn while you learn.
Get a degree and real work experience at the same time – without the student debt.
If you prefer learning on the job, this is a great option.
Work or degree?
COLLEGE is a powerful path. HNCs and HNDs can lead straight to work or let you join a degree in second or third year.
College is flexible, career-focused and gets results.
Build a career
APPRENTICESHIPS are not just for trades.
Modern Apprentice-ships now cover everything from IT and media to healthcare and finance.
You earn, learn, and build a career from day one.
Ask for help
USE the support that's out there. Talk to college advisers, visit Skills Development Scotland and check out open days and clearing events.
Help is there – you just need to ask.
Pick your route
DEFINE success on your own terms.
Full-time study isn't for everyone but neither is going straight into the world of work.
The best route is the one that works for you – your strengths, your goals, your pace.
But plenty of successful people have achieved great things without attending college or university.
School drop out Liv Conlon, 26, from Bothwell, became a millionaire and is now running two seven-figure businesses after moving to Marbella in Spain.
She said: 'It's been ten years since I sat my Highers in a school in South Lanarkshire and walked out the door knowing I wouldn't be going to university.
'I achieved four As and a B.
'One teacher, who had never even taught me before, looked me in the eye and said: 'You're making a big life decision, and you're calling it wrong.'
'Now I run two seven-figure companies. I've written two bestselling books. I've spoken on TEDx stages, dined with the Prime Minister, and launched a charity that helps young people build businesses.
'This all began because I challenged the traditional path recommended by school.
'I want more students to know they have options. Even if they have good grades, it doesn't mean they should go to university.'
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