A Level results: more to life!

Done better than expected? Grades fell short? Considering deferring your offer until next year?

For those of you collecting A Level results today, I wish you the best of luck.

It is a stressful day. It is probably the most nerve wracking day of one’s academic career thus far; the culmination of 14 years of study and seemingly endless exams. Not to mention the feeling that one’s success in life depends entirely on getting top grades. I was certainly made to feel this way.

If you missed out on the results you wanted, it is not the end of the world. I know you’ll probably hear that a thousand times today but honestly, you might no longer be on the path you planned, but you could be on a better one.

I was unexpectedly forced to take a gap year before university and in hindsight it changed my life, and the lives of many others I know.

There are many different routes to a fruitful future. A gap year to digest your results and re-evaluate what you want to do with your future could be the answer.

Don’t just take my word for it, there is an impressive list of successful people who got rubbish A Levels or worse still, got kicked out before their exams!

Sir Richard Branson, one of Britain’s most successful entrepreneurs and whose daughter did a course with Ski le Gap (I couldn’t resist mentioning that!), is a massive advocate of the fact that grades are not the be all and end all.

He encourages students to ‘get out in the world, travel, meet new people, enjoy experiences and try new things’ to find out what it is you want to do in life. A gap year is the perfect opportunity to do this.

As long as you make the most of your time, “recruiters look favourably upon graduates who have taken gap years”, explains Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters.

If you are thinking of taking some time out, we are the original provider of ski and snowboard courses specifically designed with gap years in mind. Established in 1994, our aim is to provide young people with the ultimate gap year experience, who are well prepared and ready to take on the world of work or further education.

Now to quote Steve Jobs: ‘your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do’. So, if you love skiing or snowboarding, you really should consider one of our constructive gap year courses that have been designed with stand out features to help enhance future career prospects in the snow sports industry or any field for that matter. As well as being great fun!

Perhaps you did better than expected, maybe you fell short – either way I encourage you to consider taking a gap year. Listen to Sir Richard Branson and Steve Jobs and do things you enjoy – explore the world, visit new places, experience new cultures, gain life experiences and above all have fun!

A well-planned, productive year out encompassing things you enjoy can help launch your career in the right direction. My suggestion: become a ski or snowboard pro!