How to tackle matric results jitters and navigate life after high school

With 2025 matric results set for release on 13 January, anxious pupils are holding their breath as the countdown draws to a close. Psychologists Thato Nchoe-Giliana and Dr Leonra De Villers share essential strategies for managing results jitters and navigating life after high school.

Stress is inevitable when it comes to outcomes that determine your future.

With the much-anticipated matric results about to be released, without doubt, the 2025 matric pupils are holding their breath as the countdown draws to a close. Thoughts might be racing through their minds as they wonder if they have made it or not, and the crippling thought of not achieving their desired results may have some shaking with anxiety.

However, there are ways to silence the noise, and psychologists Thato Nchoe-Giliana and Dr Leonra De Villers speak to us about how matriculants can handle the results jitters and navigate life after high school.

According to the Department of Basic Education, the ministerial announcement on the exam results is expected to be made by DBE Minister Siviwe Gwarube on 12 January 2026, with the general result release set for 13 January.

Clinical psychologist and founder of Revelations Quest Psychology (RQ Psych), Thato Nchoe-Giliana, says even though some pupils gave their all, it might be overwhelming waiting for results.

There are too much pressure and high expectations from relatives, and Thato says that adds more stress to pupils as this is a time to lean on family or friends for support.

"What a lot of people do not take note of enough is that as much as the matriculants are anxious about the results, so are the parents/guardians. Oftentimes, instead of being supportive of their children during this stressful time, they tend to apply a lot of pressure on them, needing some sort of reassurance that their children did well because they are worried about how it will reflect on them as the parents/guardians if they did not do as well as expected.

"So, while waiting for results, parents should acknowledge that their children are just as anxious. Talking to them with compassion and empathy is important. Asking them how they would like to be supported is also critical, no matter the results. This can also help determine the route they take, emotionally, after receiving their results," says Thato.

Jitters will forever be there when awaiting a life-changing moment. This is also a time where they are welcomed into the brutal reality of life after matric and learning how to adapt to their new norm.
Turning an unsatisfactory outcome into a positive may seem too daunting, but with whatever result you get, exploring a different route might be an option.

When the Results Drop

According to psychologist Dr Leonra De Villers, time is of the essence, and you need to use it to your advantage.

"Reflect on either the outcome you have to tackle and take it forward so that you cannot get stuck. It's like a journey, and you cannot get stuck in a pothole, you just have to go around, so whatever the results may be, you just have to deal with it instead of being depressed [for] not getting the [results] that you wanted to have, so you work with what you have," says Dr Leonra.

She says, "Time is so valuable, but you cannot say 'I would like to kind of have a gap year and just sort myself out' it costs your parents a lot of money and you get lazy because you're not used to continuously studying, so I would say rather take some course or one subject if you're not sure what you would like to study."

Thato advises to "try not to dwell too much on the anxiety and the suspense of waiting because this can lead to feelings of helplessness/powerlessness".

"Continue to try living your life, doing the things you enjoy. The best thing to do is acknowledge that you tried the best that you could during the exams/through your matric year. And if you did not, that's a lesson. Now you know, if [you] really want something, [you] need to put in as much effort as [you] can at the time. Perhaps that's all you could do at the time. It is now out of your control. So, you just need to wait to see the outcome.
"If it's what you expected, great! Celebrate. If not, sit with those feelings of disappointment and hurt, and seek support where needed. Thereafter, try to see how you can move forward, be it redoing matric or some subjects, going to an alternative education institution, reassessing and changing career choices," she advises.

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