FOR the lucky ones today will be a time of elation and celebration, writes GILL SMITH.

A-level candidates who clinched that yearned-for place at university can at last heave a massive a sigh of relief and look forward to the future.

But for many Oxfordshire teenagers who failed to gain the grades needed for their chosen course, today will probably seem like the end of the world. Many will go through heartache, anxiety and frustration as they struggle to decide on their next step.

Although the news will come as a bitter blow, the advice to those in the second category is not to despair. The picture is rarely as dismal as it first seems.

Those who narrowly missed the grades required for their first and second choice universities should check whether they are really out of the frame.

Universities will have had the examination results for several days and will already have decided whether to accept near-misses. Candidates who did not do well enough to get into their chosen universities will automatically be eligible to enter the clearing system - the complicated process which fills remaining university vacancies. By September 1, they will be receiving a "clearing entry form" from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Those who choose to negotiate this annual scramble for places must start by scouring the official lists of vacancies. These can be found in The Independent newspaper and on the UCAS Website (www.ucas.ac.uk./). They will also be on Ceefax (page 700) and Channel 4's Teletext (page 640).

Applicants are advised to avoid the temptation to switch to maritime studies just to get away from home when they really wanted to read English literature.

It may be more sensible to take a year out and reconsider the options instead of spending three years on a course he or she did not want to do. Whatever students decide on they should talk it through with a teacher or careers advisor. Carefully thinking through the next step could save many from more trauma later on.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON'T MAKE THE TOP GRADE

Andrew Gillespie, a director of studies at d'Overbroeck's College, an independent college in Oxford, gives advice on what to do if you did not get the A-level grades required.

Don't panic. There is always an option out there for you

Get on the phone to your first and second choice universities immediately. There may well be a place for some candidates who have narrowly missed the grades required

All candidates who fail to gain a place on their first and second choice universities will be sent a form for the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) to apply for vacancies. Don't wait for this to arrive, start ringing around other universities you may be interested in today. You could start with the other choices you put on your original UCAS application form

When you are phoning around courses, have the following information at hand - your UCAS reference number, the name and phone number of a referee and a list of your results and qualifications

You may have to continue this process for several weeks. It may be a long, hard slog

If you're really interested in a particular course with vacancies offer to visit the university or college concerned and find out more about it

Don't just accept a place for the sake of going to university. Make sure the course and location is exactly what you want. Also check out what kind of accommodation is available as students who gained a place through the clearing system can often be placed at the bottom of the list

Always talk to somebody at your school or college for advice

Remember taking a year out and re-applying is always an option. An increasing number of universities look on a year out favourably as long as you use it productively, such as to work or travel

If you are convinced there is a reason you did not do as well as expected - illness, lack of work or failing to perform on the day of the exam - you may want to resit. Taking a new subject in one year is also an option

A SHOULDER TO CRY ON

Despairing students are being urged not to 'bottle up' their feelings inside.

Oxfordshire branches of the Samaritans are on standby to help teenagers who failed to get the exam grades they needed and are feeling at their wits' end.

Susan, a volunteer at the Oxford branch of the organisation, said that the helpline does receive a number of calls from teenagers at this time of year. She said: "It's not just the fact that they've failed exams, it's all the expectations from other people.

"What we try to do is let them talk about how they're feeling. They want to be able to say 'it feels like the end of the world'.

"If they cannot talk to anybody they know, they can talk to the Samaritans. Don't just sit and bottle it up, feeling desperate."

The Samaritans can be telephoned on 01865 722122, 01295 270000, or 0345 909090, a national number which can be called for the price of a local call.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.