Surviving The Lull Between Resits And Results

You will know what I mean when I say time flies. It probably seems only a couple of weeks ago that we were back in the lighter, sunnier days of early summer, and you had just sat your GCSE exams. Yet it was several months, and suddenly the time has come to resit them. Doing so is nothing to be ashamed of – you are just having another go in November – and hopefully the results, which won’t be published until early 2024, will be what you are wanting.

Don’t Reflect On Resits

For many, though, the period between these exams and results day can be painful. It’s a waiting game that you’d rather not be part of. One piece of advice I think is crucial is this: as soon as you have completed the resits, try to forget about them. Now, I know this is easier said than done – often, we dissect what we have written and talk to others about responses. We try to ascertain how many marks we might have got and hope, obviously, that a good pass is on the cards.

Adopting this retrospective approach, however, isn’t that helpful. It doesn’t change what has been done, what has been written in the examinations, so it is better to move on without dwelling too much on what you have written. You may, for example, over-think what you did with that work on algebra; or maybe you think your creative writing could have been more imaginative, or the spellings more ambitious. Again, the main thing to remember is that this won’t change anything. All it does is take up unnecessary brain space and make you tired and stressed. It is better to wait until exam results are released and deal with anything important then.

Compartmentalise

After the November resits, you may have a little more free time, depending on your own educational situation. Use this wisely. Perhaps you can invest time in studying for other subjects that might previously have been neglected. With the end of the year approaching, you will likely have other things on your mind, too, such as seasonal festivities. You don’t want to spoil any good times by worrying about examination results. Promise yourself you won’t deal with any results day anxiety until nearer the time. Put any doubt ‘to bed’, so to speak. Compartmentalising your thoughts in this way can be useful.

Results Day

Results day will likely be early-mid January. At least then you should be refreshed and ready for what that email or envelope says. If you’re inclined to over-worry about your resit results, just remember: having done well is great, but if not, it isn’t the end of the world. You can still resit in the summer – even though this might not be ideal, it is certainly possible. Concentrate on enjoying your life and hold on to the positive thought that you will get there eventually.