We know that results time can be stressful. Whether it’s external pressures or expectations you put on yourself, there are many reasons you might find yourself nervous about your results.
If you didn’t get the grades you wanted, you might feel a range of emotions, from worry and fear, to sadness, guilt or feeling left out. All of these are normal emotions to feel and can be necessary for the healing process, but there are some things you can do help process this.
The most important thing to remember is that you don’t need to go through it alone – there are a range of Wellbeing Services available to you, and we recommend making the most of them.
Don’t panic and be kind to yourself
You aren’t the only one who didn’t receive the grade they wanted. It may feel like the end of the world now, but it’s important to be kind to yourself. It can be helpful to think of how you would respond to a friend who didn’t get the mark they wanted. Would you be hard on them? The answer is probably no. Try pretending you were that friend and think about what you would say to make them feel better. Now, say it to yourself.
Don’t underestimate how much it can help to talk to someone, whether that’s a friend, family member or a professional. It’s okay to need some extra help, especially during tough times. All La Trobe students can access free, caring and effective support through our counselling and mental health services.
Your grades don’t define your success
Success is not a straight line. Think of it as a squiggly line that goes up and down all over the place, but ultimately trends in a positive direction. Without some failure or hard times, it’s difficult to grow.
Your grades don’t define you
For some, grades are important. For others, grades are just a small part of their life. Regardless of your relationships with your grades, your grades don’t define you. There’s more to life than your grades, and there are so many other things about you that matter.
Think about all the other qualities you bring to the world: how much you care about your friends/family/partner, your kindness to others, your loyalty or passion, your hobbies and your sense of humour. Your achievements exist outside of academics – there are so many areas you can be successful in, and you deserve to recognise yourself for that.
Map out your options
If your results have changed your plans, you might feel like your options have been taken away from you. It can be helpful to sit down and write down all the potential paths you could take from here, whether that be talking to your course coordinators, choosing an alternative course, additional training or retaking your course.
Write your options down so that you can see them all in front of you and plan from there. You might find there are more options than you thought, and you can think your next steps through more clearly when it’s written down.
You don’t have to do it alone – get in touch with ASK La Trobe for one-on-one support looking into what options are available to you.
Learn from it (but do it with joy)
Try to look at the situation as something you can learn from and something that can help you grow and add to your repertoire of life experiences. Ask yourself:
- What can I learn from this?
- What could I do differently next time?
- Do I need to take proactive steps now to avoid it happening again?
Write down the answers and try to act based on what you have learned.
Remain ambitious
Don’t let disappointment hold you back from what you want to do. Take your courage, strength and ability to bounce back from disappointment and use these valuable assets to steer you into whatever you want to do in the future.