It's early Thursday morning and, p ossibly, it's also the scariest day of your life.

Help ease a little of that stress through preparation, and ensure you are well-informed and know exactly when, where and how to get your results.

Important dates.

As by now you probably know, AS and A2 results are released on Thursday.

The best, easiest way to get exam results - as well as personal advice on the day - is to go into your school or college. Most open their doors at about 9am, but make sure you've double checked opening times if you plan on being an early bird.

If you can't make it that day, you can ask for a phone call or email or nominate a family member or friend - although many schools now insist that this friend cannot be a fellow student - to collect your results for you.

Importantly, your college must be informed about this before tomorrow.

The exciting news is this: universities will have been given your results four days before you - on Sunday.

This allows them to process these grades, except or reject offers and - if they wish - send out correspondence to congratulate successful applicants. This means it is possible you may know you have a place on your course even before you collect your results.

However, universities cannot tell you your A Level results before August 17. Therefore, a confirmed university place is not a guarantee of certain grades, just as not receiving a letter from a university does not mean that your application has been unsuccessful.

If you have narrowly missed one of your offers, it is worth calling your university of choice; you may still have been accepted.

UCAS

If you have applied to a course through UCAS, your first priority after getting your results should be to log into your Track profile.

If you are not going to be in school on results day, you should - if at all possible - ensure you are able to access the internet, have good phone signal and can remember your log in details.

Remember, even if you haven't met your offer, you may still have been accepted onto a course at one of your university choices.

Additionally, if you have decided over summer that you would like to take a gap year, you will need to ask to defer your university entry through UCAS. They then pass your request onto universities who will try to respond within a matter of hours.

Every year, thousands log onto UCAS at one minute past midnight in order to view their results. Sadly, they are wasting their time.

UCAS do not update their website until 8am on results day. Therefore, the best plan for the night before results day is to sit down, relax and get a good night's sleep - after all, you've earned it!

The C word... Clearing

Didn't manage to get a university place?

Relax. You can apply through clearing. This service allows you to apply for a range of courses on results day itself.

On the day, university websites will show a list of courses for which they have spaces. Some institutions, like Sheffield, publish this list ahead of time, meaning you can register your interest before the big day (after you've finished reading this, maybe?).

If you have no successful applications, UCAS will issue you with a clearing number. This, along with your 10 digit UCAS number and your results, is all you need to get started with clearing.

Next step: get ringing!

Once you've found a course you like the look of, give the university a call. Clearing phone numbers can be found on the university websites.

When you call a university, you will be passed onto the relevant course organiser. Try to stay positive and explain why you're interested in the subject.

If you're lucky, they will offer you a place right there over the phone. Otherwise, you may need to wait for a return call confirming your place.

Once a place has been confirmed through clearing, UCAS will update your track profile: congratulations! No luck the first time? Keep trying. During clearing, you can apply to as many courses as you like.

Most universities hold open days for students considering an application through clearing. Alternatively, on request, many will be happy to offer you a private tour. Either way, get ready for an impromptu road trip.

Adjustment

Done better than you expected? Exceeded your conditional firm offer? Adjustment might be for you.

Adjustment allows you to apply to courses with entry requirements higher than your current firm choice. It works just like clearing: you register with UCAS and get on the phone.

Just like clearing, there are many opportunities to visit universities offering places through adjustment. The best news of all is, until you confirm your place on a different course, you get to hold on to your current firm choice.

Things to remember

With the stress (or excitement) of results day, it's easy to lose sight of other important decisions.

Have you applied for student accommodation?

Has your student loan been confirmed?

Alongside these large concerns are smaller considerations. For example, many halls of residence require you to provide your own sheets or cutlery.

With the boring things out of the way, the fun can begin. Take a note of when term time starts, then forget about university for a couple of weeks.

It's time to celebrate and enjoy the last weeks of summer.

Good luck!