The wait is over. Results day is here. No doubt that’ll mean wall-to-wall images of young folk in ties and blazers peeling open envelopes to find out how they’ve done.
You could be forgiven for thinking that learners in Scotland’s colleges haven’t also been waiting eagerly for their results, counting down the sleeps and thinking about their next steps. But many college students - myself included - have been.
More on this: What results day is like for a college principal
Live: SQA results day 2019
Long read: 3 things parents should remember on exam results day
No wrong path
Of course, it’s true that there is no wrong path in education. I keep reminding myself of that. But it’s also the case that the lead-up to results day is a stressful time for many learners. At the time of writing, I’m nervous. For me, it feels like a lot is riding on the results, as I’m hoping to get the grades to start a BM in midwifery next year.
I’ve spent the past two years at college studying for this, juggling my family life and my work commitments, which, let me tell you, hasn’t been easy! But I made it work - because I’ve had to.
I left school at 15 without a single qualification to my name. It took me hitting 30 and having three kids to realise that I was finally ready to continue my educational journey.
Whatever my grades are, I’ve been so grateful for the opportunities that college has brought to my life. I know I have the ability to learn, no matter what age I am. College has given me the confidence to progress with education in my life when I was ready, not when I was expected to.
Colleges provide chances
Life-changing opportunities are what’s on offer at Scotland’s colleges. Colleges provide the chance for learners of all ages to learn new skills, gain qualifications, retrain in a new field and progress on the career path of their choosing. Our colleges give people the opportunity to go back to study if they, for many different reasons, may not have been ready to do so when they finished school. In fact, most of my classmates over the past two years have also been adult returners.
If it hadn’t been for starting college and coming back into education then I also wouldn’t have had the opportunity to run for president of my students’ association and to be in a position to be the voice for all students here at Edinburgh College.
Our colleges can change lives - I’m evidence of that. And, for many college students, today is a big day. Keep us in mind.
Carla Ford is president of Edinburgh College Students’ Association
