One week to go. I've had myself a few worries over the last couple of weeks when I've seen the date, but I know I will never be as nervous as I will be next Wednesday night. I'll have tons of adrenaline keeping me awake for two or three hours longer than I should be, and I'll enter school with more nervous energy than the total energy I've used for over 18 years. Despite this, I'll still feel optimistic about the present, past and future, and I'm here to explain why optimism will always trump pessimism on these occasions.
My opinion is that whatever happens on results day, there is still plenty to look forward to in the future, whether that be something that you're doing the next day, or at the weekend, or the following week. Looking at the future as simply 'next year' is always going to be daunting, so be as open as you can to the possibilities that the next year could hold. For me, I'll look forward to a family meal on the evening and try to enjoy it irrespective of my result. I'll then go and play cricket at the weekend and will be able to put aside my results and get stuck into the many other parts of life I enjoy. My life doesn't, and never will, hinge on what happens on a single day because there are too many other factors to take into account that affect life. Therefore I encourage you to think positively about everything you've got and achieved until this point, and celebrate every success deservedly.
An approach that I thoroughly disagree with is the one of having low expectations. The main reason I have heard for this is that people like to 'be surprised' by getting the results they should've achieved anyway. Just think about what this attitude reflects of you and what sort of message you're sending to yourself and to those around you. If you have low expectations then...you didn't expect yourself to get into university (if that's where you wanted to go)? And you'll be surprised if you go? If your ambition is to get in then surely you would expect yourself to make the grades, or else what'd be the point in applying? At the odd chance that you'd make it? University means a lot to me, but I still expect myself to do well. If I don't, then of course I will be disappointed but I know that I have plenty more to achieve in life than what is reflected by one set of results.
My attitude is neither cocky nor arrogant, it is simply logical. I'm not building myself up, I just have confidence in my own ability and what I've done. You can easily become over-confident, but it takes actual mental fragility to be able to knock yourself down to a state where you're doubting yourself all the time. For once, people, back yourselves.
Oli
Twitter:
@Chowerz
