A-level students - does anyone find it weird

Today I just did my last exam.
It just hit me that my whole secondary school life is over. I'm not sad but I sort of feel empty> My whole school life, I was working towards smt. Whether it be mocks, GCSES, Alevel, homework, topic tests. I was continuously* working. Now I have 2 months left to do nothing. I feel so weird. I don't have to do any work and even if I did do work, it's not like its gonna affect me massively because i'll be starting a year in uni. The work I would do, would be work I like - my free will.

Like yeah the summer we had in GCSEs was good but I was still stressing bc I knew that I still had to go back to school, so that idea was always lurking in the back of my mind. But now, I will no longer have any ties to my school. I have left for good and I will start for the next chapter of my life.
I guess I feel empty bc I just feel blind - idk what to expect

Reply 1

Ghostlady

Original post by Anonymous

Today I just did my last exam.
It just hit me that my whole secondary school life is over. I'm not sad but I sort of feel empty> My whole school life, I was working towards smt. Whether it be mocks, GCSES, Alevel, homework, topic tests. I was continuously* working. Now I have 2 months left to do nothing. I feel so weird. I don't have to do any work and even if I did do work, it's not like its gonna affect me massively because i'll be starting a year in uni. The work I would do, would be work I like - my free will.
Like yeah the summer we had in GCSEs was good but I was still stressing bc I knew that I still had to go back to school, so that idea was always lurking in the back of my mind. But now, I will no longer have any ties to my school. I have left for good and I will start for the next chapter of my life.
I guess I feel empty bc I just feel blind - idk what to expect

Its been a long time since I been at school, but have two daughters and i saw how it affected them. Youngest shes on a gap year and working part time at the min. Shes starting in September. Eldest, it was covid year she finished. No exams in 2020. What she did was join freshers group page and got chatting on various means of social media. So could be worth doing that so you get to know people and also arrange to meet in freshers week. She did that and although it had restrictions, she still went on walks with her physics lot and it helped. A lot of first year for her was Alevel refresh, but by middle feb it changed up a gear. She looked at the modules for year one, and anything thats new, she googled a few things, watched a few videos so she understood a bit more about it and did a bit of that in the summer. Combined with netflix bingewatch, meeting up with friends, minecraft, occasional visit to get bits in for uni, she made it work.
Youngest Shes starting in september locally, but is still living out from us with her b/f. Her gap year comprised of temp work at tesco's until christmas, a month at her boyfriends in Jan (shes currently 3 hours on train from him at the moment). Then she job hunting and now works in a gadget shop since april. Trip to the outer hebrides in scotland couple of weeks back. Then eldest graduation trip, followed by trip to chester in august, and shes refreshing on her biology alevel, ready for her zoology degree.

What ever you do this summer, do what ever you want to do to. be it prepare for uni, see mates, take a trip, make freshers friends, and also chill for some well deserved time off 🙂

Reply 2

University of Strathclyde

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Today I just did my last exam.
It just hit me that my whole secondary school life is over. I'm not sad but I sort of feel empty> My whole school life, I was working towards smt. Whether it be mocks, GCSES, Alevel, homework, topic tests. I was continuously* working. Now I have 2 months left to do nothing. I feel so weird. I don't have to do any work and even if I did do work, it's not like its gonna affect me massively because i'll be starting a year in uni. The work I would do, would be work I like - my free will.
Like yeah the summer we had in GCSEs was good but I was still stressing bc I knew that I still had to go back to school, so that idea was always lurking in the back of my mind. But now, I will no longer have any ties to my school. I have left for good and I will start for the next chapter of my life.
I guess I feel empty bc I just feel blind - idk what to expect

Hey Anon! I'd say lots of people will feel very similar to you just now. It can feel strange going from such a structured life to a big change after leaving school.

Firstly, massive congrats on finishing your A Levels - that's such a big achievement 🙂 As @Ghostlady has said - take the time to recognise those achievements and enjoy the big win of finishing up. You've worked hard to have earned some time off!

In the run up to starting university you could try to focus your efforts on getting excited for your next chapter. Is there a way you can message current students (maybe in forums here/using something like Unibuddy) to ask them how they found settling in, and if they can give you any top tips for the summer? Speaking to students might help you feel more in control and give you a bit of an idea of what's expected and what uni is like for you. Don't put too much pressure on yourself this summer - take the rest before the next challenge begins 🙂

What is it you're going off to study? 📚️ Will you be moving far from home?

Caitlin 🎓️
Official University of Strathclyde Rep