Tips for Navigating Expectations and Emotions on Exam Results Day

Ahead of Leaving Cert results day, Dr Anne Kehoe, chartered member of the Psychological Society of Ireland, offers her top tips to help students navigate what can often be an emotionally challenging time.

Prepare your headspace

The days leading up to exam results can be tense you might see your sleep or appetite impacted by anxiety and overthinking. To be in the best possible headspace for results day, it’s important to look after yourself. Prioritise your sleep and eat well; dealing with anxiety feels much more manageable when you are rested and well fed. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember to listen to your body, your stress response namely the ‘fight-flight-freeze-fawn response’ may be activated. Knowing and responding to this with activity, exercise, movement or distraction can help such as a walk, the gym, or meeting friends. It’s also important to manage your expectations and have a backup plan. In case you don't get the results you’d hoped for, spending some time researching different options and alternative routes may help.

Focus on yourself

Results day can often bring a lot of pressure and expectation, whether from yourself, family, friends or the media. Try your best to tune out the noise. Don’t feel pressured into making choices - do what feels right for you. Avoid the temptation to compare your results with others; everyone’s circumstances, strengths, and goals are different. Define what success means to you personally and stay focused on your own path.

Feel what you are feeling

It’s completely normal to experience a mix of emotions after receiving your results. Some might feel relief that the wait is finally over, while others may feel a surge of pride, especially if the results align with their expectations. If that’s the case, take a moment to celebrate your hard work and achievements—those feelings are well deserved. However, it’s also common to feel disappointment, anxiety, or frustration, particularly if the results didn’t match what you hoped for. These feelings are absolutely valid, but keep in mind that your results do not define your future. There are many routes to reaching your goals.

Take Control

It’s completely normal to feel disappointed about a grade that is lower than you expected. However, dwelling on this disappointment or being overly hard on yourself isn’t helpful. Instead, focus on how you respond to the situation. You have control over your thoughts and actions, and how you choose to handle this moment is what truly matters. Embrace your results as a starting point, take stock of where you are, and begin to make a plan for moving forward. By taking ownership of your situation, you can start to shape your next steps and move ahead with confidence.

Lean on your support system

It's important to have a support network in place, whether that’s family, friends, a teacher, or a professional. You might want to speak openly about your results, your feelings, and what comes next. Sharing your thoughts and emotions with someone you trust can help lighten the emotional load. Remember, you don’t have figure this all out on your own; people you choose to talk to will be glad to give you space to think with them.

Look to the future

As you process your results, take some time to think about what comes next. Explore your options, talk to people you trust. Most importantly, don’t feel pressured to rush. Give yourself the time you need to make a decision that feels right for you. Nothing is set in stone, and you always have options. It’s perfectly okay if your goals evolve over time - life is full of changes, and your goals may shift as you get more experience and insights.

While navigating this period, keep in mind that these results are just one chapter in your life’s story. Whatever the outcome, trust in yourself to figure out and adapt to whatever comes next.

Blog post by Dr Anne Kehoe Past President The Psychological Society of Ireland