TODAY is exam results day for many of our young people.

I remember how stressful it was waiting for the mail, nervously pacing the hall and looking for the postman.

Now many of the results come by text or email but the nervousness will be the same.

Years of study, months of worry, all of it coming to a head today.

For many, that text message will be the start of a day of celebration.

For everyone, it marks the start of the next steps in life.

Whether that is staying on at school, moving on to college, starting a career or going on to university, I want to congratulate everyone on their results.

This is one of those days that almost everyone remembers for the rest of their lives.

Of course, some of our young people, despite all their hard work, won’t get all the results they hoped for.

I have a simple message for them: Keep Calm

It is important that before making any major decisions that you get as much advice as possible and take the time to investigate all the options in front of you.

The Skills Development Scotland helpline is a great source of advice for students and parents on university or college courses or apprenticeship and training opportunities that are available.

The advisers are fully trained experts at guiding young people through the decisions they face, to provide all the options and to help open doors for those who didn’t quite hit their marks.

So if you have not quite achieved the results you hoped for – or perhaps exceeded your expectations – and are now looking to know what to do next, this should be where you start.

The helpline is open 8am until 8pm on 7 and 8 August and from 9am until 5pm from 9 until 15 August. The number to call is 0808 100 8000 and I promise you a friendly and helpful voice at the end of the phone to calmly talk you through your options.

I know that no matter how expert and helpful the advice, facing the next steps in life can still be a bit overwhelming. But I also know that, for many people, the decisions made after receiving their results turn out to be better choices than the plans they made before results day.

And there is no shortage of options. We have more people from Scotland going to university than ever before, more modern apprenticeship places than ever before, and our colleges are delivering more courses with qualifications that help get people jobs than ever before.

So take advice, think carefully about your choices, and above all else, don’t follow any path just because you feel you should.

As First Minister I meet a lot of young people the length and breadth of Scotland. And, I am constantly blown away by the talent and enthusiasm on show.

And it is that enthusiasm that should be your focus when deciding what your future will be.

Ask yourself, what do you really love doing? What inspires you?

Whatever the answer, that should be your starting point as you decide what your next steps should be.

Perhaps an apprenticeship, getting practical hands on experience of work and training is the way to go. Perhaps, it’s staying on at school, getting more exams under your belt. Or perhaps it’s off to college or university - maybe a different one, to the one you originally planned.

The important thing is to know that there are lots of avenues open to you, and lots of help available to pursue your dreams.

And there is never a ‘right’ route and a ‘wrong’ route. There is only your route, the options that are right for you and will help you to make the a success of the next stage of your life.