Top 10 Tips For Clearing

Top 10 Tips for Clearing

Almost a year has passed since I went through Clearing. My teachers never prepared us for it. They were convinced we'd all make our firm or insurance choice. 

I can remember Results Day 2016 well. I was devastated to have not got the required grades for my firm or insurance choice. That was the first day one of my teachers told me to get on the phone and apply through Clearing. 

Calling my firm and insurance choice, only to be turned down was heartbreaking. I felt lost. 

Did I want to go to university?

Will I get a place somewhere?

What about accommodation?

Will I like the campus?

Will I like the course?

I asked all those questions. Before I could answer, I had to find out which universities were accepting for clearing on my course. 

Here are my top 10 tips for clearing.

1. Register for clearing prior to Results Day. If you're unsure about how well you did, it won't hurt to register.
2. Familiarise yourself with the UCAS website: http://search.ucas.com/ Universities post courses with spaces available for clearing up to, and after Results Day. I recommend writing down the universities. It makes Clearing a lot easier when you know which universities are offering the course. If you want to, include Foundation versions of your course.
3. To link to point two, utilise the UCAS course search function. From the end of July right up to results day, I was checking every other day for universities offering my course of Creative Writing. 
4. Read other students accounts on clearing. There are a lot of accounts out there. I have one I wrote during my first week at university, which you can read as well. 
5. Utilise The Student Room. Teachers and students alike recommend it and it is a perfectly good source to have. I would have been a lot less prepared had I not been using it. 
6. On Results Day, talk to your teachers. They are there to help and will point you in the right direction in terms of Clearing. 
7. Call the university yourself. Your parents aren't the ones going to university, you are. The university want to speak to you. Doing it yourself shows resilience and the clearing team will appreciate that. They are very friendly people and put me at ease. 
8. Be prepared for rejection. I called both my firm and insurance and tried to apply for my course and was rejected from both of them.
9. Once you have an offer from a university, get out of the one held by your firm or insurance. Usually the university will call or email you and ask if you want that offer, or if you want to be let go. 
10. VISIT THE UNIVERSITY! It will be a stressful few days, but trust me, seeing the university and the town/city you will be living in for the next few years really helps.

I wish I had these top 10 tips when I was going through Clearing. I followed what The Student Room said, so I was slightly more prepared than perhaps I should have been.

I called up expecting to do the Foundation Creative and Professional Writing Course (because of my grades), and ended up on the BA Hons Creative and Professional Writing Course at the University of Derby. It was by far the best choice I made. I have amazing friends, my confidence has improved tenfold and I'm working towards a degree in something I really want to do. Clearing doesn't have to be daunting.

To end on a positive, Clearing is not daunting, or something to be embarrassed of. Just take a deep breath and power through the stress the coming days will bring. Exams are not the most important thing either and worrying will not make the time pass any quicker. 

Have fun and good luck with your results! 

-Emma-