I was nervous about calling up, but it turns out that I could message an advisor online. This made it so much easier for me.
Results day
I had a feeling that I hadn’t done that well in my exams, but it was still a shock to see that I’d been rejected by my first choice. All of my friends were celebrating, but I had no idea where to go from here. I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to study any more.
Luckily, I had done a bit of research about Clearing beforehand. Clearing is for students who might not have been accepted into university, or who don’t want to go to the university where they have been accepted. You can also go through Clearing if you want to study a different course, for example, if you applied for History but want to study English Literature instead. During Clearing, you can apply for different courses at different universities. These courses normally have lower entry requirements, as universities look to fill up their spaces.
As I was researching universities, I came across UCLan. I had originally applied for psychology, but no longer wanted to study that. UCLan had a big list of courses that were in Clearing. This made it really easy to find the courses that I could apply for. I could even filter it to suit my interests.
I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to study. As I was scrolling through the list, I came across filmmaking. ‘I like films’, I thought to myself. I read the course description and thought it sounded good. I had a chat with my friends and they encouraged me to apply.
I didn't even need to pick up the phone
I don’t like phone calls, so I was feeling nervous about calling up. As I was reading, an icon popped up to chat with one of the Clearing advisors. This made it so much easier for me.
I messaged the advisor saying hello and explaining that I would like to apply through Clearing. They asked me what course I wanted to apply for and about my grades. When I had told them all of this, they gave me an offer. It was that easy!
All I had to do was email over my details and proof of my grades. Once I had done that, I got a text and an email confirming my place at university. It was such a relief – I still have that text to this day.
Then, I just logged into my Student Finance and clicked ‘make a change’. All I had to do was change the university on my application to UCLan. I didn’t have to re-apply or fill out any more forms. It was simple.
UCLan have been so supportive
I am so glad that I came to UCLan. The support from my tutors has been incredible. Even when I decided to switch courses from Filmmaking to Archaeology & Anthropology, my tutors were 100% behind me. The Archaeology course leader spoke to me and answered any questions that I had. Now I am happier than ever, studying the right course for me. I’m even going to be the Academic Officer of the Archaeology Society next year – something I never thought I would be able to do.
I guess my main piece of advice to anyone going through Clearing is don’t worry. If I had gone to my first-choice university, I wouldn’t have had the same support or opportunities that I’ve had at UCLan. I may not even have been able to change my course. So, no matter what happens, you will end up in the right place for you.
