.jpg)
At first glance, the news that summer exams were cancelled seemed one coronavirus update that would likely raise a smile from many a teenager. But, as students around the country were met with the news that their GCSEs and A-level exams had been called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic , they are now having to face up to the reality that they will be given grades based on assessments made by their teachers.
Read More: We Asked Three Health Professionals How To Cope With Coronavirus-Induced Anxiety
Here, 12 young women tell Miss Vogue how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted their day-to-day and their feelings towards a now-uncertain future.
“I found out that my exams were cancelled whilst I was at school. I didn’t want to believe it. It meant I only had two days of secondary school left to say goodbye to my friends, as many of them live quite far away and will go to different colleges. Knowing that I’ll get my predicted grades is extremely disappointing because I won’t be given the chance to get a better result. Since my mock exams at the beginning of the year, I’ve improved so much from revision and having extra sessions with my teachers. It’s also worrying to know that my first experience of public exams will be my A-Levels. I’ve always been told that the summer after your GCSEs is incredible and a rite of passage – almost three months off school, with no stress of exams. My friends and I had planned to go to concerts, trips and our prom together. Without these to look forward to, I feel like I’ve been robbed of life experiences.”
“I have a lot of sympathy for those who don’t have a secure home life, where attending school and seeing friends is their only escape. I am fortunate as I feel comfortable staying at home — with my mum, dad and two sisters — and I know I am able to contact my friends through social media. I know people whose parents are not together, and they have had the added pressure of deciding which parent to isolate with. But, since my mum works for the NHS, I am worried about who she is coming into contact with and, as my dad is self-employed, my family and I are worried he could lose his business. And as cafes are shut, I no longer have my weekend job, so the savings I hoped to take with me to university, I now won’t have. Still, I feel that this pandemic will reset people’s values as we realise that our health and family are most important.”
Read More: Prom Might Be Cancelled, But That Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Browse These 25 Gorgeous Dresses
“I was actually really happy when I found out school was going to close, just because it would mean more time for study leave. When they announced that exams were cancelled, however, I was really stressed and upset. This was only made worse by the fact that they said nothing about how we would be graded or if the exams were actually postponed. The 48 hours in-between hearing that exams were cancelled and the fact that we would be graded on other work were the weirdest school days of my life. I think, like many young people, that it is actually pretty unfair on us as a year group; we won’t get the chance to show what we can do with full practice, having finished the course and perfected our skills. My teachers have been so amazing and supportive recently, but I am really worried about my GCSE grades, because they may not reflect everything that I could do in an exam.”
“I definitely feel it was the right decision to close schools. The idea of social distancing seemed ridiculous when we were still going to college and mixing with thousands of other children who might’ve been unaware they were carrying the virus. Cancelling exams, however, is much trickier. I am concerned that my A-Level grades will not be treated and valued the same as someone who sat them in 2019. I keep trying to remind myself that my previous hard work will pay off and contribute to what my predicted grades will be, but it feels like the biggest anti-climax. I’m looking forward to being able to spend more time with my family, as well as hopefully finally finishing all the books I started reading over summer! I think it has taught a lot of people how precious life is and how we need to help those around us who aren’t so young and are more at risk.”
“I suffer from anxiety, and it tends to worsen at this time of year. I have never handled exam stress well, which in turn leads to me underperforming. The fact that I will only be given my predicted grades and not the grades I actually would have achieved has made me feel quite angry. I understand that, during this pandemic, people are going through much worse, but it doesn’t mean that my feelings about exam cancellations are invalid. My teachers have been more supportive than I could have possibly imagined, which I could not be more grateful for. There is no way that I could thank them enough. I have had emails of reassurance from my chosen university, which has most definitely eased my worries.”
Read More: 17 Loungewear Looks Harry Styles Should Add To His Quarantine Wardrobe
“I will never have the satisfaction of ‘graduating’ school. It just sort of dissipated: we never received our leavers’ jumpers, had our leavers’ service or dinner, or [enjoyed] any way of commemorating everything we’ve done over the past two years. At the end of last week, my friends and I weren’t really in touch as everyone was just processing the news in their own way, but now, almost every hour I’m calling someone different. We all miss the common room atmosphere and closeness you experience at school. On the plus side, my skin has been saved from exam season, that’s for sure! Missing out on taking nine three hour-long exams is the kind of relief that you can’t even begin to describe.”
“It definitely makes me question whether I will have to work ten times harder than people before or after me. I think that my school has dealt with the situation the best in the borough. They kept the school open until they absolutely could not, they advised and reassured all of us students, gave us work packs and communicated how we could use our time effectively. Social distancing from my friends will be the hardest thing because I’m at a vital age of needing to have my friends around me to start to develop my own identity. I feel guilty, almost, as I have realised how I take speaking and being around my friends for granted. I’m looking forward to being around my family and also being able to be in control of my own day. As a teenager you grow towards being independent. Now is a time that challenges how independent and self-disciplined you are.”
Read More: 6 New Mantras That Prove Your Beauty Regime Could Benefit From Isolation
“I live in Newport, and the lack of decision-making in Wales regarding whether or not students in my year will be sitting their AS-Level exams has caused me a great deal of stress and anxiety. It’s horrible to be left in the dark, unaware of what you are supposed to be working towards and wondering if being left in limbo will have a negative effect on your future (I’d just like to know either way!). Every day feels very strange. But, I feel so privileged to be a young and healthy member of society and I can’t imagine what those who are at risk or those who work tirelessly for the NHS are feeling.”
“I was obviously pleased college was closing, but not too happy that exams were cancelled as me and most of my friends have been revising for months. As the government hasn’t released any information about what they are doing about AS-levels, I don’t know whether I will be sitting them at a later stage or will end up getting predicted grades. My friends and I are lucky it’s so easy to connect with each other on apps like Snapchat. As far as advice from my teachers go, most have just been emailing us work to carry on with, even though we have no clue why we are doing it and if there is any point at this stage. Like everyone else my age, I am very worried about what is going to be happening to us. However, the plus sides to staying “off” college for a possible six months are: lie-ins, being able to catch up on Netflix, walking my dog and designing clothes for my Textiles AS-Level.”
“When the rumours about the schools shutting down started, everyone was talking about how they would be linking up, going out and having lots of fun, but [I knew] that wouldn’t happen because there would be chaos. Me and many others have been working so hard to get our grades up, but it’s not just our grades that have been affected, it’s also our social life. Not being able to see my friends for weeks, possibly months, is annoying when all we can do to stay in touch is FaceTime or text. I wouldn’t say there are any plus sides to the situation we are in, but it gives us time to truly focus on ourselves and spend time with our families. At the moment I am doing a lot of exercise like PE with Joe Wicks on YouTube live at 9am, eating healthy, drawing and learning to dance; working on things I want to improve.”
“We were sat in the living room when Boris announced that schools would be closed until further notice and exams would not go ahead. I definitely cried, as at this point there was no information on what would happen instead, with the possibility that we would have to sit exams later in the year. It felt as though the future had just been completely turned upside-down. Now, it’s very strange. We’ve gone from seeing our friends every single day to only being able to see them through a screen for at least three weeks. I rely on my closest friends so much and I think a lot of people’s mental health will suffer from this. Although there are no exams and no school, it’s not like we’re experiencing the ‘best summer of our lives’ that we were promised after year 11. We’re stuck inside, isolated from our friends and watching all the holidays and events we were looking forward to all year be cancelled.”
“When we found out we would be off for a while I was frustrated, as I am quite far behind in some subjects so it will be harder to keep up as I can’t get the help I need. But now, I am starting to feel as if it is okay, because I can do things at my own speed and focus more. If I get stuck I can just email teachers and they will help me. I feel that the future will be tough as people have not seen other people in a long time, but if we work as a team, we will come out of this strong and be able to get back to normality. What it also means is that I get to spend more time with my family, relax and bake, which I usually don’t have the time to do.”
More from British Vogue…
