IT'S A-level results day today.

Across the country thousands of young people will find out if the place they wanted at university will be theirs. Others will forego university for an apprenticeship. Some will do better than expected and others may miss their target grades.

As a university admission tutor my advice is simple: don’t panic. There are many routes to success and your future does not depend on one set of grades.

If your results are just a little bit lower than expected, it’s worth trying to contact the university to see if they will still offer a place. If you have an extra information that could help, for example, things you may have done or achieved after you put your Ucas application in, it’s worth seeing if any of this could be considered.

Nationally there are lots of places still available on good, high quality degree courses in many top universities. Admissions tutors will be on stand-by to give advice, allocate places and look carefully at applications. Universities, like Sussex, have experts on hand to offer help and advice for anything from accommodation to finance.

Despite what some say, that some degrees are “Mickey Mouse” ones with poor job prospects, choosing the right course, especially if you are going through clearing or looking to change to a different university, with higher entrance requirements, is crucial. The main consideration should be whether or not you really enjoy the subject you intend to follow.

Choosing your degree only on potential future earnings makes life hard. For the next three years, you will be devoting your life to studying one discipline. If it’s not something you love and enjoy, the going can be very tough. All degree courses must meet national standards, they aren’t just thrown together.

Each year I come across good students who, at the last minute, chose the wrong subject. In the panic of clearing, it’s very easy to do. You may have set your heart on going to a particular university and, if you just miss the grades, you could be offered a place at the same university on a different course. It’s very tempting to say yes and worry that the course isn’t exactly what you wanted later.

It’s where you study that’s important, right? Well, not exactly. It’s much more important that you can give of your best, enjoy your studies and achieve a good degree outcome. A pass degree from a Russell Group university is no substitute for a first-class degree or a 2:1 from a top-flight non-Russell group university. University is so much more than studying a subject. A key aim for all of us teaching undergraduates is to encourage critical thinking. Employers need problem solvers, creative thinkers and independent workers.

It’s worth ringing around on clearing day if you find that you need to change your trajectory. You must also do your homework, look carefully at the course websites you are interested in and see if you can gather a few different offers to compare and contrast. Ideally, try to talk to the admissions tutor – an academic who teaches on the course – to discuss your situation with them.

It’s not always possible, especially if there’s a lot of people trying to get onto the course, but generally there will be someone on duty. If you can, try to visit the university if it’s new to you.

There are practical problems, cost, time, etc. But most universities will be running campus tours and talks in the days following results day.

Many universities also run a foundation year programme for students who miss their grades. It does mean an extra year of tuition fees, but these pre-university programmes and courses are very useful and provide an excellent preparation for university study.

They are run and taught by university academics who understand the courses that you are intending to study.

It may be that university is not the right choice for you. There are more apprenticeship routes now that offer high quality on-the-job training.

These need to be carefully researched and considered. A good apprenticeship can lead to a long-term career, with the added bonus of no student loans and a wage while training.

A further option is to take a break post sixth form and do a gap year. During this period, you can travel, gain life experience, work, even retake some examinations to boost your grades. One positive of this route is that you will have a suite of exam grades and may be more likely to obtain an unconditional place for 2020.

You can secure exactly what you want, knowing that there will be no panic on results day – that will be all behind you.