So maybe it was just never the plan. Maybe you’ve got your results and they didn’t turn out too great. Maybe you are going in a few years. Whatever the reason behind it, results day can be a difficult day to be one of those people not going to university in September. If you aren’t going, it can be easy to feel left out of the excitement and buzz around where everyone will be heading off to, and as people start to pack up their Mum’s cars and move, it can be a pretty crap time to be staying at home. That’s why we put together a list of things you can do to help you deal with staying at home next year.
1) Map out your future
Grab a journal and a cup of tea and sit down to make a plan. Try thinking about where you want to be this time next year and write that at the top of the page, and write down everything you can do to make that happen. Then, on the opposite page, try writing down the steps in order, and when you want them all to be done by.
You can do this not just for next year, but for five years’ time if you are still unsure if whether university is for you. This way, you can have a think about if an apprenticeship or other training courses are the best route to make it to your goal.
It might sound a bit like a crappy exercise they made you do in school, but it will probably save you a big load of stress in the long run, give you something to get excited about just like your pals, and you won’t be feeling crappy at the results night party when everyone is talking about where they are heading in a few weeks.
2) Research what you are doing
Get excited about your plans by putting some time aside over the next few weeks to research the hell out of whatever your plans are. If you are heading off backpacking around South East Asia, take a look at all the amazing photographs of your must-do sights on Instagram. If you are delaying uni by a year or two, research the city you will end up in and find some cool places to hang out in. Basically, research might not have been your thing when you were in school, but when you are thinking about the adventure of a lifetime, you might find it gets a bit easier.
[full-width-figure image=”https://dtl-staging.org/2020/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/jeremy-bishop-F3ObQKjvpsI-unsplash-compressor-e1565862379305.jpg”]
3) Set reminders to message friends
This one obviously depends on what you and your friends are usually like. But, setting reminders on your phone every other week to check in with your pals that have headed off to uni already is an easy way to remember to stay in touch.
Life has a bit of a crappy habit of getting in the way, and before you know it, four months might have gone by without so much as a meme on the group chat. This way, you are still being the best pal you can be, despite the fact that everyone has flown the nest.
4) Book in visits before your mates leave
Before everyone goes their separate ways, get something in the calendar for you all to get excited about. It can be super easy for you all to get wrapped up on whatever you are going to be doing over the next few months, but having something in the diary will take the stress out of having to organise it super last minute before you head off travelling and everyone has essay deadlines up to their eyeballs.
5) Celebrate your achievements
No matter what, enjoy yourself today. It doesn’t matter where you are going, or not going, the important thing to do is to take your time to celebrate what you have achieved this year and every year throughout school, sixth form or college. This day, whatever it holds, is the result of seven years of all the hard work and stress you’ve had through school. Even if you didn’t get the results you hoped for, or your plans have changed for next year, you deserve to have some fun.
If you are struggling with feeling left out or don’t what you are going to do next year, you can reach out to the Ditch the Label Community here, for one to one and peer support.
