‘I was just in utter shock and disbelief’: Pupils celebrate SQA exam results

A pupil has told how she was in “utter shock and disbelief” after securing the exam results to progress to a prestigious Scottish university.

Bethany Dalton-Dowey, 17, was one of the pupils at Madras College in St Andrews to receive her exam results on Tuesday.

She has told how her mother was “jumping for joy” at learning the grades would mean she would be able to study film studies and social anthropology at St Andrews University in September.

Bethany celebrated her exam results at the Fife school on Tuesday as Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth congratulated pupils.

She said a sleepless night of worry had been worth it in the end, telling journalists: “I was just in utter shock and disbelief. I just didn’t think it would happen.

“It was a sleepless night and I was honestly just thinking ‘What if?’

“I had such self-doubt, as you do when you’re so nervous, but going in and opening up my results it was just a pinch me moment really.

“My family were just jumping for joy, they were so proud. I’ve come from a place where I wasn’t very academic and I didn’t think of other options, such as college, at earlier times.

“But I’ve gone through the whole curriculum of high school, now going on to university and it’s just a surreal moment for me.

“My mum started tearing up this morning. She couldn’t believe it and I’ve done my family really proud.”

Max Lindsay, 16, will move into S6 after the summer break, and has set himself up for a strong start after securing a B and a C at Higher level, as well as passing a number of National Progression Awards, which help pupils progress into higher and further education.

Max told how he was “nervous” to discover his results – especially as he had decided to wait until he was on camera to learn how he had done.

But he said: “Seeing my results for the first time, I was happy to get every one I needed.

“Just before my phone died, I was able to text my mum and say ‘I think I’ve done pretty well for myself’.

“She texted back to say ‘Well done, I’m very proud of you’.”

Miruna Creanga, from Wormit, will also move into S6 in a few weeks.

The 16-year-old said: “I think I did really well. I am really proud of myself for what I’ve gotten. I was really happy to get them all that I wanted.

“I was so nervous.”