On Tuesday morning, teenagers, parents and teachers will rouse from a troubled sleep.
Secondary school pupils across Scotland will finally find out how how they did in their exams.
It’s undoubtedly a huge, nerve wracking moment. But that doesn’t mean it dictates what they are going to do for the rest of their life.
It cannot be stressed enough how many options are open to those who don’t get the results they want.
Perth College, and other organisations, will be on hand to talk pupils through their next steps.
As anyone with experience of this kind of thing will tell you, the worst thing to do is panic.
If you are among those dreading Tuesday morning, then consider Jaws.
This 1974 film about a shark (or not, am I right Wittertainment fans?) was box office gold across the globe.
It was cinema’s first summer blockbuster, clearing the way for everything from Star Wars to the latest Avengers movie.
The man behind Jaws is of course Steven Spielberg, a man so famous that smartphones will autocorrect the spelling of his surname for you.
He went on to make and produce some of the world’s best loved films, everything from ET to Back To The Future and Ready Player One.
What you might not know about him is, before he made his name, he was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film, and Television three times.
That’s like, well, like Steven Spielberg being kicked out of film school (sorry I can’t think of a better analogy).
The point is that exam results can give you a leg up, but they are in no way the only way forward.
Schools are traditionally designed to reward academic and sporting pursuits.
The world is a rich tapestry, full of all kinds of people, with their own, unique backgrounds, traits and ideas.
Academia – a fairly limited indication of intelligence – just isn’t for everyone.
And that’s a good thing. Can you imagine a world filled with only academic people? I’d rather take my chances on the Walking Dead.
The results you receive do not define you. If you want to go far in your chosen field, if you are focussed and willing to work hard, nothing will stop you.
And after a couple of years, nobody will give a monkeys what your exam results were.
So if you can’t sleep tonight, why not put on a film.
