You’ve just got your Year 12 results. What do you do now?

The wait is finally over. Year 12 students around Australia are receiving their Year 12 results. Victorian and Queensland students got their ATARs last week, with other states and territories finding out this week.

This is a really significant time for young people after a long and challenging year. It’s also one with lots of emotions and questions.

So after receiving your results, the next steps can feel both exhilarating and daunting.

First, take a moment

Take a moment to process your feelings – whether it’s joy, surprise, relief or disappointment.

This will help you better understand yourself and how to respond in a considered and thoughtful way.

For example, if you are feeling sad, it might mean you need comfort and to take extra care of yourself at the moment.

But don’t forget to celebrate (or at least acknowledge) this significant milestone whatever the outcome. You’ve just finished school!

What if I’m not happy?

It is important to keep things in perspective. The ATAR may seem like a “portal to your future career” but it is just a number and one that can lose its relevance very quickly.

If you go on to university or other kind of study, those results and the experience you gain (including things such as internships) will become the key things employers want to know.

If in any doubt, ask your teachers or other adults in your life how relevant their Year 12 results are to them today. Their year 12 results are likely a distant memory.

As the Universities Admission Centre notes, “many students don’t go straight into their first preference in their first year of tertiary study”.

If you think your results won’t qualify you for your chosen course, there are plenty of back ups.

Maybe this involves doing a different course of study, maybe you take a gap year, apply for a job or do some vocational training.

You can also consider alternative pathways to uni. These can include applying for special consideration from a chosen university, summer programs or a course that uses a non-ATAR admissions process (such as a portfolio).

Also remember, the ATAR system may not accurately reflect all your diverse talents. It tends to favour students who perform well in exams.

Read more: Disappointed by your year 12 result? A university expert and a clinical psychologist share advice on what to do next

Do I have to tell people what I got?

You’re in control of what you share with friends and family.There is no obligation to share your ATAR, and it is entirely up to you who you share this information with.

Instead of asking your classmates direct questions like, “what’s your ATAR”, you may like to check in with “how are you feeling about your result?” first.

Read more: 'Practically perfect': why the media's focus on 'top' Year 12 students needs to change

What if I want to change my uni preferences?

Getting your results can clarify your thinking about plans for next year and beyond.

You can re-order and add preferences through your university admissions centre account (the processes vary between states – in Victoria, the deadline to change preferences for the initial round of offers closed on Saturday).

Also check you are within individual university dates and deadlines. A word of caution before you delete preferences – some of these might have an early closing date and can’t be re-added.

Where can I go for more help or information?

University admissions centres have hotlines, seminars and events to support you if you need more advice.

University websites also have specific information for Year 12 students and offer help over the phone, online and in person.

You can also reach out to your school’s career teacher or your Year 12 coordinator.

And remember, it might feel like your ATAR is supposed to determine your entire life, but it really won’t. You are in charge of that.