IF you missed out on the grades you were hoping for there’s no need to panic! There are still plenty of options to consider, writes Hannah Geissler.

If you haven’t met a conditional offer from either your first or insurance choice there is still a chance that the university will accept you with lower grades, or they may offer you a place on an alternative course.

Check UCAS Track to see if your offer status has changed and if not you can call the university - either via a Clearing number or the admissions office - to find out whether they’ve made a decision.

Be prepared for the event of selling yourself to your chosen university by pointing out your good AS grades and informing them of any mitigating circumstances.

If you’ve missed a grade by a small margin you could talk to your teachers about requesting a re-mark (look at module marks to calculate how close to the grade boundary your result was).

Be aware that there is a charge for getting your papers remarked, although sometimes your school will pay for this, so ask them first before writing any cheques.

You will be refunded the money if your grade changes, although it’s important to note that your grades can go down as well as up.

Alternatively, you can go through Clearing to find another course that will accept you with the grades you’ve achieved.

The idea is you identify courses (with vacancies) that interest you and contact the course providers directly to see if they will offer you a place.

Again, be prepared to sell yourself and have your Clearing number ready to give to universities so that they can access your application – you can find this on Track.

When you have decided which offer you want to take up, you must enter the details on Track.

You can find vacancies using the search tool on the UCAS website until September 30, and the last date you can enter a Clearing choice in 2016 is October 20 - this is also the last date a university or college can accept an applicant in Clearing.

If you’re no longer sure that university is the right choice for you, there are still many other options. Apprenticeships give you the opportunity to work for an employer, earn a salary and gain a qualification at the same time.

Traineeships provide essential training to prepare for work and gain skills to help you get an apprenticeship or a job.

School leaver programmes provide a direct route into the world of work post-18.

You could also consider taking a gap year to work or gain experience in the field you’re hoping to study in and then reapplying next year with a more impressive personal statement.

The most important thing is to stay calm and take your time to explore the different opportunities available.

Consider all the options and don’t rush into accepting an offer for a course that you’re not really interested in; you should be able to find a course or alternative path that suits you, even if it’s not quite what you were expecting.