A fifteen-year-old’s Take on Exam Chaos

One of our regular bloggers, Aimee Collins, on her hopes and fears for the year ahead.

No one really knows how this year should have been handled. It began with few tragedies and a light of hope for those who needed a fresh start. However, this quickly turned into a worldwide tragedy with the human race needing to work together by staying apart, in order to fight the virus we were faced with.

Most people have written off this year without a second thought. They are just plowing on with their lives to make it through to the next year. But for some, it wasn’t that easy. Those still in education are faced with an exam situation that no one has ever experienced and a results day more feared than ever before. Students are worried about what their futures hold, while also having to worry about staying apart from those friends they love dearly. 

On the 20th of August, the GCSE students of 2020 were able to hold in their hands the results they got for their GCSEs, that they didn’t even take. They will look at the sheet of paper that tells them whether they made it where they want to go, or not, and think that they really had very little power in writing those numbers. 

The same feelings apply for those who got their A-level results just a few days before. A lot of those who received their A-level results were not happy with what they saw. A friend of mine told me that her brother was gutted when he found out that he wasn’t able to go to the university he had been dreaming of attending. The results he was given were not the results he needed and as a consequence he has had to accept a place somewhere he did not want to go. He believed that if he had been able to take the exams as normal then he would have been able to get the results he needed. 

Because of this, I did not like the way the government initially decided to source this year’s exam results. Many were left disappointed, upset and annoyed. Lots of those hopeful for good results were left in the dust and stranded with an option they didn’t want to take. A lot of those in this situation took that option and accepted their loss.

However, recently the government changed their minds. They allowed the results that teachers wanted to give their students, but, for most, it was already too late. So, the opportunity was lost and they were still stuck. 

This whole situation has made me fear my next year of school. When I return to school in September I will be year 11 with exams awaiting me. Currently, there are no permanent ideas for how the year will look and that thought worries not only me but many students across the country; from year 11’s to sixth form to university students.

As well as there being no certain exams, the world we will return to will be nothing like the one we knew before. The people we have been missing most and the side of school students crave will be extremely difficult to access. Those in lower years will most likely be stuck with seeing the same people in school for a long time.

 On the other hand, I completely understand that the government is doing their best to keep the country and all of those we love safe. Keeping away from one another as much as possible is extremely important, but we cannot forget to see those we love and to keep our hearts light with our heads held high. Make sure to keep your body and your mind safe from the virus.