Which Way: Be positive

The waiting is finally over. By the time you read this you will know how you did in your exams and whether you did well enough to meet that offer from the university or college of your choice. Whether the news is good, bad or indifferent, the way you react to it is the key to making the most of the new future now stretching out ahead of you.

If the news is good, well done - the work has paid off and you are going to where you want to be. If the news is not so good, cry if you must, but not for long - there are things to be done and no time to waste if you want to get back on track.

For those of you who made the grades to accept an official offer, UCAS will send you a letter of confirmation for the place and all you need to do is respond to say you are accepting it.

If, for whatever reason, you no longer want the place, you need to say now, so that the place can be released for someone else who does want it. If you are rejecting the place because you got better grades than expected, you have to reapply next year - you cannot go into Clearing this year.

The vast majority of people who meet the conditions of their official offers do confirm they want their place, and are then contacted directly by their university or college with detailed joining instructions. Make sure you read through this information carefully, as there may be important forms for you to fill in, sign and return. Plus, it will be likely to include the low-down on essentials such as accommodation, if you will be living away from home.

Also, don't forget to sort out the final stages of your financial arrangements, such as applications for loans and bursaries, that you may have made earlier in the year. Don't ignore any letters or wait to open them - it could mean a delay in getting your money!

If you don't quite meet the grades for your firm offer, it is always worth ringing the university or college in question to see if they will still take you. They may do. If they really liked the sound of you on your personal statement, or lots of people have missed their grades because it was a particularly hard exam, you may be in with a chance. If your first choice can't take you, and you have met the terms of your insurance offer, you still have a place. If you have only just missed the grades for your insurance offer, then contact the university or college and see whether they can take you.

None of this is easy. You may well be very upset by missing your grades, but you do need to pick yourself up and make these calls yourself. At the very least this shows that you have the determination to keep trying.

If it's a no go and you are left without an offer, your next step should be Clearing, unless you feel convinced that you don't want to try for a place at another institution this year.

If you qualify for Clearing you will automatically be sent a Clearing entry form, which means you can apply for course vacancies on offer through Clearing. These will be in nearly all disciplines, although you are unlikely to find high-demand and short-supply courses such as medicine and veterinary science. The vast majority of institutions will have vacancies on offer, although not those which are the hardest to get into.

Vacancies are listed on the UCAS website ( www.ucas.com) and in The Independent newspaper. Look through these and make a shortlist of the ones that interest you and take advice - from parents and teachers - before you start calling the universities and colleges.

Don't feel pressured into accepting a place on a course you are not sure about. If you need time to think about it, or to consult teachers or parents, or visit the university or college, then take that time. This is particularly important if you are offered a place on a different type of course from the one you applied for, which does happen.

Also, you may be offered a place on a foundation degree course or a diploma course which can lead to full degree courses. Although there is no time to lose, there are thousands of vacancies out there and you have no need to accept the first offer you are made. You are committing the next few years of your life to this decision, after all.

If you are not sure about going into Clearing, there are plenty of other options. You could re-sit your exams and try for better grades, or you could take a break and apply again for a different course next year. In the meantime you could earn some money or get some experience through volunteering. There's also the option of taking a full-time job now and going into higher education as a mature student.

However good, bad or ugly your results may seem, there are always opportunities available to you - the key is to step up and take them.