Hey Sam, I just wanted to say that I failed my GCSE's and didn't get the grade I needed to in order to do what I wanted to, which was counselling. The reason I failed was because my depression had hit the lowest and I just could not concentrate on anything and I missed half of the questions out, I do not know what to do because I just really want to become a counsellor. What do you think I should do?
Sam
Hi there,
Getting exam results can be a very stressful time and it can be difficult to cope with if you don’t get the results you need to move forward with a course or career option. But there are always options.
If you haven’t got the results you need, there are things you can do to help yourself. You could speak to a teacher at school to find out what the options are for resitting the exams, or ask about other courses you could do. You could also talk about other ideas that you hadn’t thought about, like different kinds of courses or career options. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to a teacher, you could talk to an adult you trust to ask for help or contact a Childline counsellor to talk it through.
Some people know why they failed their exams or why they didn’t achieve the grades. This could be things like feeling unwell on the day, not working hard enough on revision or being confused about exam questions. Whatever the reason, it’s important to move forwards and to learn from the experience.
Sometimes people have underlying issues that might have affected things like coursework, revision and the exam. Things like anxiety, stress and depression can affect people’s performance and stop them achieving their best. If you think you have anything like this or any other mental health or medical issue that’s affecting you, then it’s important to get checked out by your doctor and get the help and support you need. Here’s some information about visiting the doctor.
Remember that exams are just one way of showing your ability and they aren’t right for everyone. We all learn in different ways and show that learning in different ways too. I’m really glad you sent me this letter.
Take care.
Sam
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