A-level results 2024: Is university right for you?

For those A-level students, many have their sights set on university – it remains the most popular choice for students leaving college or school, despite a decrease in the number of applicants since the pandemic.

Those awaiting results may not know whether or not they want to go to university.

Questions asked to university graduates showed some interesting results. 65 per cent of the graduates who answered the survey said they would go to university again for the friendships they made, and 57 per cent said they would go back for the work networks it provided them with.

82 per cent said it was good preparation for the careers they later pursued, and two thirds of those asked said it was key to them securing an interview to get a job. 80 per cent said they valued the expertise that they got from university and the hands-on experiences.

More interestingly, 82 per cent of the graduates said it gave them preparation for life, building resilience, problem solving and the personal connections that stayed with them.

Tracy Lancaster, deputy vice chancellor at Leeds Beckett University, advised students that there is no need to feel anxious about achieving the results they're looking for.

"I suspect there will be quite a lot of trepidation at the moment, real anxiety about whether they're going to be able to achieve the results that they're looking for in their A-levels, T-levels or whatever qualification that they've done, and anticipation about going off to university.

"But the key thing to remember is not to panic, when you do get your results just take a moment, check if you're still going to be accepted by you're first choice university, and if not, there's always clearing. Clearing is a perfectly acceptable way in order to be able to secure a place at university for the future."