The results are in with more than 300 A-level students across the island now gearing up for life’s next big hurdle.

Visiting Castle Rushen High School in Castletown on Thursday (August 15), the Examiner spoke to a number of year 13 students right after they had anxiously teared into their envelopes containing their grades.

For head girl Sinead Stephens, 18, two A*s in maths and geography and an A in history gleamed back at her from the sheet of paper.

She will be off to Durham University this year to study a BA in philosophy, politics and economics.

’A levels was hard work, but obviously it paid off and I’m really happy about it!’ she said. ’All the hours put in were worth it.’

She added that she is ’excited, but nervous about the next step’ in her life.

’I just love Castle Rushen and it will be strange to say goodbye to everyone and my friends here,’ the Port Erin pupil said.

Reuben Harris, 18, got the news that he would be going to University of Oxford.

He is one of two pupils from the southern school that will be attending the prestigious university regarded as one of the best in the world. The Colby student achieved an A* in English, an A in geography and a B in history.

’I hadn’t really thought about going to Oxford and didn’t think I wanted to go,’ he told the Isle of Man Examiner.

It was not until a visiting administrative tutor gave a talk at the school about why they should apply to the university that he became interested. As he didn’t have any ’burning passions to go elsewhere’, he took a trip to see the university and decided to apply for an English degree there.

’Finding out that I was accepted was a big relief,’ he said. ’I feel apprehensive about going, but really excited of course.’

Owen Williams, 18, from Colby got an A* in Manx, A in music, B in French and a D in business. Instead of following his original plan of going to university, he is applying to be in the Royal Marines Band Service.

’I’m taking a year out to work and get some money and in April it will be the next recruitment intake. That’s when I will be going for it,’ he said.

His reasons for not going in the mainstream direction are that getting a place in the service is ’cheaper than university’, ’looks good on a CV’ and that it has ’high quality musicianship’.

’It sets you up for a career and you make great connections,’ he added.

Head boy Drew Fleming, 18, achieved two Bs in business and product design and a D in economics. He has chosen to stay on the island.

’It was pretty set from a young age that I didn’t want to go to university, but stay on the island and get a degree from the University College Isle of Man and at the same time build my networks here,’ he said.

’I believe the prospects in the island are equal if not better than studying across.’

The Port Erin student has been working at international law firm Appleby after winning a 10-week summer internship there.

He said: ’It’s been really good and I’ve enjoyed it. They did offer me an extension of the internship to go full time, but I feel it’s best to get a degree under my belt.’

He will be studying events management and marketing while working with marketing agency Peggy and Lewis as their head bartender.

Drew added: ’I cannot wait to jump in. I just want to see how far I can go up the ladder.’

Thomas Young, 18, from Colby, got two Bs in computer science and physics and a C in maths.

He received an unconditional offer from the University of Nottingham to study computer science.

However, his morning on results day got off to a nerve-wrecking start.

’I checked UCAS and it said my unconditional offer had been declined.

’I sent off a panicky email to the head of sixth form and rushed into school before work and spent a substantial amount of time on the phone,’ he said.

’They later told me it was a mistake.’

Daniel Haworth, 18, from Castletown, got a C in business and two Ds in economics and product design.

He is planning to go into the working field.

He said: ’I was aiming for university, but I’m not complaining.

’I’ve always been told to look onwards and upwards. Sometimes things don’t go in your favour, but you look on.

’I’m going to take the day to myself and crack on tomorrow [with finding a job].’

Santon student Jack Corkish-Rodden, 18, got a U in business and an E in economics. He will be starting his new job at Lloyds Bank this week.

’It’s my plan to work my way up the hierarchy instead of university,’ he said.

’It was amazing to find a job. I’m feeling a little bit nervous about it, but mainly excited.’

It was a distinction* in agriculture, two Cs in business and economics and a D in history for Caesar Kermode, 18, from Ballasalla.

He will be going to Harper Adams University to study real estate.

’I’m a farmer myself - it was kind of a no brainer to take agriculture at Ramsey Grammar School,’ he said.

The subject, which was offered as part of the collaborations between the different secondary schools, gave Caesar a wide understanding of this particular field.

’A lot of it was quite practical and you got to see every aspect of agriculture like animal husbandry.

’There were only two of us in the class so it was a good atmosphere and you got to know the teacher quite well,’ he added.