Thousands of second-level students will make the final trip back to school this morning to collect their Leaving Certificate results.

Although a day of celebration for many, some students will undoubtedly be disappointed when it comes to breaking the seal on the state-stamped envelope.

If the Leaving Certificate didn’t go the way you expected, or you’re unhappy with your results, don’t despair; it’s not the ‘be all and end all’. You’re not the first person to have walked in these shoes!

Just remember there are other options out there. Disappointment serves one purpose and one purpose only – it’ll make you a stronger, more resilient person.

At the end of the day, the Leaving Certificate is just a piece of paper and although you think the results etched on that A4 sheet of paper will have an impact on the rest of your life, they won’t.

Eight years down the line, I can scarcely remember what I got in mine and I can guarantee if you were to ask your older cousins, friends or anyone else what the Leaving Certificate results mean in the world of work, the majority will tell you it doesn’t necessarily have any bearing.

It might also be hard to believe, but some of the most successful people in life didn’t even complete the Leaving Certificate. Remember, Richard Branson left school at 16.

The world is yours to make of it what you will; don’t let a disappointing day in August put a dampener on your hopes and dreams for the future.