Exam Results Day 2025: Academic Anna explains all

One of the biggest days a young person can face is the culmination of two years of hard study and work for their A Level, T Level or BTEC exams.

For many, the path to university is a smooth one, but for others who didn’t get the grades they wanted or have had a change of heart about their chosen degree or where to study, a little extra work is needed.

Clearing 2025 runs until October and gives these students an extra shot at resolving any university concerns and questions.

University of Northampton’s Clearing Helpline is 01604 214 808 and will be open from 8am-5pm most days – there’s more information on our website – and is staffed by some of our academics.

One of those is Anna O’Neill, Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing, who is also the admissions lead for that subject.

She talks about what secondary school students might need to do on results day, Thursday 14 August: “Firstly, try not to panic after you’ve opened that envelope! If you didn’t do as well as you thought and need to talk about your options, we’re all on the phones at UON waiting for your call. There are lots of opportunities if you didn’t get the grades you wanted, for Adult Nursing or other subjects.

“We can suggest alternative pathways that will get you the right experience to, in time, get into nursing, such as our Nursing Associate course, so there’s no reason to worry.

“When you call us, make sure you have your results and those subject areas on you so we can have a look at what course or courses you qualify for. We’re also going to talk with you about why you want to become a nurse or a professional in another field – so have a think about the qualities you will bring to the course to ‘sell yourself’.

“For nursing, we are looking for people who can demonstrate they’ve given compassion or compassionate care, being resilient and also comfortable working autonomously, because these go hand-in-hand with everything nurses do.”

One of Anna’s students – Prince Asideu – is thriving at UON after calling our Helpline. You can read his story here.

Find out more about Adult Nursing at University of Northampton.