Passes are up this year, which will be a relief for many – not least the Scottish Government.
At this time, as everyone who has experienced high school exams knows, students will be feeling one of two ways.
If you got the results you wanted, then you will likely – and rightly – be feeling over the moon.
Your hard work, concentration and determination have paid off, and you should absolutely enjoy it – congratulations.
And if you are using your grades to go on to college, university, an apprenticeship or full-time employment, then you can use this feeling as motivation for further achievement.
If you didn’t get what you wanted or feel you deserved, however, then I completely understand that you will likely feel disappointed.
But it is important at this time to remember that high school exams are not the be-all and end-all in life.
If your grades mean you are unable to go into the course or job you wanted to immediately, remember that there are other routes available for you to get there.
And if you are thinking about alternative further education or career options in light of these results, then there is every chance that you will thrive in that new environment.
High school exam results – no matter what they are – are something to build on, not to be defined by.
And if you are wondering what to do next, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is there to give you advice and support.
SDS is the national body dedicated to helping people of all ages to develop and apply their skills throughout their career journeys.
Its careers service in particular partners with every state secondary school in Scotland to provide information, advice and guidance to students from S1–S6.
If you would like advice or guidance on your future options, please visit SDS’s careers service website at www.myworldofwork.co.uk.
You can also visit the SDS centre in Ardrossan, with details at www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/careers-centres.
No matter the outcome of their exams, young people across Scotland will be thinking of the future at this time, of their lives going forward.
And in thinking ahead, it is important to remember that education and self-development will always be an ongoing process.
Indeed, for many of us, education – whether academic or otherwise – is the way out of poverty and into making a better life for ourselves.
This is true for people of all ages – and while that journey may start for some at high school, it absolutely does not have to.
The power of education to improve living standards is exactly why closing the attainment gap between rich and poor is so vital in Scotland.
This is an exam question that former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon set herself – and one which she and her colleagues have roundly failed.
But instead of stepping back, reflecting and trying again to pass it, they are still trying to spin that they are doing well. They are not.
If you have done well, enjoy it. If you have not, don’t give up like Nicola and the SNP and spin yourself.
Try again – and win.