ONLY a week after the release of GCSE results and only two after the A level results, young people's lives around South Lakeland and Furness will already be moving into top gear for their future. Many teenagers will already have talked to family, teachers and friends about the direction their future may take, but, for those still undecided after unexpected results, our Options feature offers advice on the choices available....

AFTER all the years of hard work for your examination results, there is no need to worry if they were not everything you expected - there is always help at hand.

Whether you did not do as well as you hoped, or better than your wildest dreams, Helen Wharton, the marketing and information manager from Connexions Cumbria, offers some hints and tips to help plan your next steps and aim as high as you can.

The best tips are to plan early and consider your next steps carefully. Planning means things are not left to chance and you will be more likely to be what you want to do rather than what is left over.

Here are four common situations and hints on what to do if they relate to you: l Situation one: "I didn't get the grades I needed."

If you did not get the grades that you need - don't panic! You should talk to teachers or tutors about what you may still be able to do.

If you only miss by one or two grades, perhaps you will still be allowed to do what you had planned.

Teachers are available at schools and colleges to talk to about your choice of course or training. Connexions' Personal Advisers will be available at their centres to tell you about all the choices on offer.

l Situation two: "There must be a mistake!"

Perhaps your grades are far worse than you expect. It could be worth going back and talking to your teachers - mistakes in exam marking are rare, but they do happen, and your school can ask for papers to be remarked if they think it would be justified.

l situation three: "I did better than I thought."

Some people get a pleasant surprise when they get their results. If you get higher grades than you expected, you might want to re-think your ideas there could be some interesting options open to you that you hadn't considered before.

l Situation four: "I want to work."

You may want to get out of the classroom altogether and schemes such as apprenticeships allow you to learn on the job.

You can build up knowledge and skills, achieve qualifications and earn money at the same time.

The qualifications you gain as an apprentice can even help you to enter HNC, HND or degree-level higher education.

All in all, it is always important that you keep an open mind and look at all the possibilities open to you If you're between 13-years-old and 19, you can talk to a Connexions personal adviser, who will have information on a wide range of jobs, courses and training opportunities, and can help you make the right choice.

The most important message is not to panic - just remember to talk to someone who can help.

n Contact a Connexions adviser at school, college, sixth form or by phoning free telephone number 0800 435709. Alternatively, drop into your local Connexions Centre or visit www.connexionscumbria.co.uk, www.dfes.gov.uk/aimhigher or www.realworkrealpay.info.