Results are not the end of the line, students told

DISAPPOINTED with your results? Upset that you won’t have enough points to do the course of your choice?

Help is at end for those under pressure and the important thing to remember is that there is life after the Leaving.

HeadsUp, Rehab’s mental health promotion project, is advising young people that exams represent just one avenue to reaching a career.

“Results time can be very stressful for young people as it is a day of mixed emotions,” says Collette Ryan, Rehab project manager for HeadsUp.

“Many feel powerless as there is nothing that they can do now to change their results. We want students to know that help is out there if things are getting on top of them.”

A range of tips and coping mechanisms are available on the Exams Corner section of HeadsUp.ie.

In addition to the online supports, the HeadsUp Text service provides details on a range of support services available nationwide. By texting the word HEADSUP to 50424, the texter gets a text reply with a list of different categories including student services, mental health, and crisis.

The texter replies with the category they require information on, and a list of helpline numbers and opening hours is sent back. Last year the number of people using the service doubled at exam results time.

The mental health charity ReachOut.com also advises students there are still many options available if they don’t get their chosen college course. “It’s also important to know that the Leaving Cert Results are not the end of the line for young people,” says a spokesperson.

ReachOut.com provides practical advice on how to cope with exam results time and provides information on options available to school leavers should they not get the results they hoped for, don’t want to attend college or university or simply can’t afford to.