Working, volunteering and travelling

Predicted results: AAB
Acheived results: ABB

Sarah Ford writes...

"When results day arrived, I was pretty relaxed about the whole thing. I wasn't planning to go to university straightaway so didn't really feel the pressure to get certain grades. As far as exams are concerned, I've always had the attitude of whatever's going to happen, is going to happen so there's no point worrying about it.

I was predicted AAB although my aim was BBB which was my university offer. The plan from there was always to take a gap year and then to go to uni after that. On the day I went to school with a couple of friends, picked up my results and just felt relieved that I got my grades. I then went into town and spent the afternoon chilling out on the park and then went to the pub. All-in-all, it was pretty much a stress-free day.

I spent from September to December of my gap year taking a course at Brighton Film School. I also volunteered with an arts organisation in London called The Roundhouse. I then moved back home and worked full time in a childrens' nursery until April to earn some money for my upcoming placement.

On April 16th I went to Ghana for three months with GAP SPORTS where I volunteered as a teacher. I also worked for a local newspaper taking photographs and writing articles. The three months I spent in Ghana were definitely the highlight of my gap year. Travelling around the country was pretty amazing, seeing the elephants, crocodiles, hippos and using the really shocking public transport! Then there were the day-to-day things like teaching my class or just going to a market and chatting with a local person. Not to mention, hanging out with other volunteers.

The best advice I could give for results day is talk to your teachers; they'll help you to sort any queries about university such as whether you can get in with the grades you got. Also don't panic! If you have to take a gap year when you weren't planning to then look on it as a positive. There is simply too many options out there for it to be a bad thing. A levels are important but they?re not everything, just the next step."

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