It's D-Day for A Levels students; the day you nervously get your exam results! Congratulations to you, no matter your results. The most important thing is that you did your best and that's the one driving force that will keep you going in life.

Now that you've successfully completed pre-university, are you ready to take on the next step in your education journey?

Let's take a look at your next steps now that you have your A Levels results.

#1. Identify your strengths and weaknesses

Now that you have your results in hand, scan it quickly for the 3 or 4 As you're hoping to get. Are your grades a string of outstanding As or Bs? That's great news if it is! However, if you're staring at solid Cs or Ds, it's still good. You did your best and that's what matters in the end.

Once you've had your fair share of celebrations with friends and family, it's time to sit down and take a long, hard look at your grades. If you scored well in chemistry, biology and mathematics, you can confidently pursue a Degree in Medicine or Pharmacy. Didn't do too well in mathematics and physics? You might want to rethink your plan to study engineering.

#2. Need better grades? Consider alternative courses

Let's say your future really depends on your results. Getting an A in biology but a C in both chemistry and physics automatically puts you out of the running to pursue a Degree in Medicine, seeing as the general entry requirements are BBB, ABC or AAC in biology, chemistry and physics or mathematics.

In this case, you have 2 choices: Either choose another related course that you’re also interested in (one where you meet the entry requirements) or choose to re-mark or retake your A Levels exams instead.

Before getting your paper re-marked, talk with your teachers first. They will consider if your results do not tally with your usual academic performance, and then inform the school or the British Council. A letter of approval from your teacher and paying a re-marking fee will be your next step.

Set on retaking A Levels? Do remember that you can only retake the whole exam in May/June when all subjects are available. Choosing to retake will mean you would lose almost a year's worth of time. You'll also be delaying your degree studies, so think long and hard before opting to retake A Levels.

#3. Do your homework on university options

Now that your pre-u studies are done and dusted, it's time to experience the exciting life of a university student! But before you daydream of life as an undergraduate, you need to decide what field to study and which university to go to.

Do some soul searching and think of what excites you. Consider your strengths and what you find important. After you've pinpointed a few degrees and career paths you find yourself interested in, go ahead and start narrowing down university options. If this sounds awfully permanent, remember that every field of study will arm you with generally transferable skills!

#4. Take a gap year or work part-time

Need some time to think about which degree you want to pursue? Go on a gap year (or a few months) to learn more about yourself and see the world before you commit to your degree.

If you decide to take a break, try to do something that will improve your skillset or enrich your life in some way; this is not the time to play video games for 3 whole months! Working part-time is a good choice as you get to earn a little cash while building your soft skills and learning the ropes of employability. It will also give you an edge when it comes to dealing with various personalities and managing your time in university.

#5. Talk to an experienced education advisor

So you've weighed the pros and cons of a certain degree, but then backtracked after realising you might not fit it. Oh no, after all those days thinking about your future, does this mean you have to go back to square one to decide what to study? Before you throw in the towel and sign up for the first degree you can think of ⁠— take a deep breath and relax.

You can always talk in person to EduAdvisor's experienced education advisors! Our advisors will advise you for free, during the one-to-one sessions, at our office in Jaya One, Petaling Jaya.

This way, you can get clear, solid advice about the best degree to study. This priority counselling also includes campus discovery visits, scholarship search and accommodation help. In addition, all the hard work is done for you, as our advisor will match the best college based on your interests, budget and other requirements. After that, we'll even organise the university application for you!

Phew, who knew that you still had so much to decide after obtaining your A Levels results? No matter what you decide to do, it'll be the best choice. Congratulations again on surviving A Levels ⁠— and all the best for university!

It's time to think of your studies after A Levels! Speak to our friendly and professional education advisors for all the help you need.