This is a really short blog for those of you who have students at home who are currently sitting their A’ Level exams, I wish them well. For you, I hope you are not finding this time too stressful. We all worry about our children and so much so nowadays, when the future of jobs is quite confusing.

My message is, Try Not to Worry! Easier said than done, I know. According to a huge report, recently published by the OECD, teenagers are really uncertain about their futures. But if they see that you’re worried it’ll rub off on them. The best thing you can do is be there for them with dinner and snacks and gentle reminders to get to bed at a reasonable hour.

I remember my mum, when I was doing my A’ Levels, many moons ago, instilling in me some pretty wise advice. By about 10pm the night before an exam, she would say: “If you don’t know if now, you never will”. So I’d stop and go nowhere near my notes in the morning. I trusted what she said and it was good advice. I knew that, if I opened my books I’d get anxious. I would see other people around me, outside the doors of the hall, heads in their notes and wonder how they could do it. Fair enough, we’re all different.

Anyway, your child’s A’ Level exams are under way and it’ll all soon be over. They can then enjoy a long summer, doing something amazing, and put their school days behind them.

Some students are already clear about wanting to go to university and have made their applications already. For others, they may be undecided. If your child does not think that they want to continue in full-time formal education this year, they may have other ideas, such as to take some time to work and consider their options. They may want to have a Gap Year, and travel. They might be looking at a trade apprenticeship. All of these are valid options. After all, life is a journey and all experiences are good for evaluating possibilities.

But if your child is still intrigued by the potential of studying, you still have time to support them in exploring this. What is important to know is that there still may be time for your child to put in an application, through UCAS, for courses commencing in 2025. I have heard from one university, for example, which still has course vacancies.

I do not work for any university, therefore my support to my clients is impartial and independent, so you will see in my blogs references to various universities over time, depending on what information has come my way. Here, I have some details from University College London (UCL) whose admissions team have emailed me to say that:

“Several UCL undergraduate courses are still accepting applications for September 2025 entry from students who haven’t yet submitted a UCAS application this cycle. Students can explore available courses via UCAS Search, filtering by “show courses with vacancies” and selecting “2025-2026” as the year of entry. Applications will close on 4 July 2025.“

The UCAS website is your go-to web link for all things higher education courses. So keep looking if your child wants to consider this option. There are books available annually, such as:

• How to Complete Your UCAS Application, by Ryan Maran and UCAS, published by Trotman
• Good University Guide: Where to go and what to study, published by Times Books (Link here to 2026 edition)

Finally, if your child has not decided what they want to do after their A’ Level exams are over, please contact me at karen@karenyourcareercoach.com. I can organise a suite of career assessments for them to sit, which will highlight their interests, strengths and other preferences. I use the Morrisby Online Career Assessment, which is one of the best digital careers resources available. With the results from this psychometric assessment tool, I can work with your child to devise a Career Planner.

It’s a great investment in your child’s future to give them some career guidance coaching. This step towards career clarity, which helps to eliminate career uncertainty. After all, Their Future Matters!