After a tumultuous two years, hard-working students at Dereham's high schools have finally discovered their GCSE results.
The wait was finally over for 16-year-olds at Northgate and Neatherd on Thursday morning, as they gathered with friends to pick up those all-important envelopes.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year was the first since 2019 that teenagers have been graded based on exam performance rather than teacher assessments.
Among the delighted students at Northgate High School was Zack Lain, who is heading off to study and play football at the Dereham Education and Soccer Academy (DESA).
"I'm hugely pleased," he said. "I've gone above and beyond what I expected, so I'm very happy.
"I needed certain grades to get into DESA, and I've accomplished them.
"It's been a tough couple of years. Due to Covid we didn't have the best preparation for exams, but lots of people seem to have done well."
Fellow Northgate pupil Keira Fenn, said she was excited to begin studying subjects including law at Dereham Sixth Form.
On her exams, she added: "I tried to think of them like mocks so I didn't stress myself out too much, which really helped.
"It's been a hard two years but the school catered for everybody's needs and the teachers gave us lots of support."
Over at Neatherd, there was delight for a nervous Katerina Huckle as she unsealed her envelope.
"I'm surprised - I've done a lot better than I thought I would," said Katerina.
"I was quite organised with my revision. I had it all planned out and, just by sticking to a timetable, it made things much easier.
"I think because of my preparation, I wasn't really scared going into the exams and felt quite confident."
Robert Baker was over the moon to achieve the grade required to get him into the College of West Anglia, where he will enjoy a course in drama.
He added: "It was very stressful, as you would expect, trying to make sure you were prepared and ready to get the best result possible.
"It was such a nice feeling to be able to finish the last exam and relax. I literally fell asleep at my desk!"
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