Dear GCSE pupils....

Well, by the time you read this, you will know your GCSE results. So I would imagine that at this precise moment you must either be euphoric and thus, on top of the world or, conversely, feeling rather deflated.

Well, it's understandable.

Sitting GCSEs is your first hurdle into the adult world. It's meant to be a landmark in your life - or at least, that's the perceived wisdom. And I suppose, it's what your parents and teachers might have lead you to believe.

And that's fair enough. I'm not denying it - academic achievement is important. It gives you a head start in life.

But in a few years time, believe me, these grades won't mean much: not to you; not to anyone. Instead what will be more important is your ability, your energy, your perseverance, your charm and charisma. These are qualities that sustain you in life on a both social and professional basis.

Other than that, unique character traits - such as your ability to defy the odds, your ability to cope with failure and, your keenness to rise to the many challenges fate will throw at you - will be more important.

Despite your results, the truth is that school exams are not, and never have been, real indications of your common sense, aptitude or intelligence. I know I'm going to sound a little cynical, but exams are designed primarily to test whether you can cope under pressure and regurgitate your revision/teachers' notes.

It sounds awful but that is the truth of the matter.

Last year, for instance, while marking English exam papers on John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men' I could tell which of the pupils from a given centre had the same teacher for such was the repetitive, 'insightful' commentary and phraseology - one after another, paper after torturous paper. Of course, that's not original, fresh or unique. It's purely humdrum and middle of the road - the pupils had just written reams of notes on what the teachers had given them.

And every time I awarded an A, B or C I couldn't help thinking of the candidate's teacher and wondered at his/her style of teaching. Sometimes I got a better impression of the teachers than the candidates - such was their influence on the responses I read.

So if you had a decent grade partly because of your teacher - his/her energy, passion, enthusiasm, clarity of notes or an engaging style of delivery - it might similarly be argued that some pupils might not have done well because their teacher lacked all or some of these qualities.

That was certainly the case with my rattle snake of a Physics teacher. It was partly with him in mind that I've lately come to the conclusion that not all our failures are our own making. Sometimes other people play a part as well. And even today - after all these years - I swear I can't utter 'ohms law' or 'electronic circuits' without feeling a certain irrational dread.

So congratulations to you (and your teachers) if you've done well and, commiserations to you (and your teachers) if you haven't. But either way, remember: the race has only just started and this is merely the first hurdle. I'm sure older readers of this blog will agree when I say there's so much more to come and so much to look forward to - with or without your Physics!