Clear the way to get back on track
THIS WEEK, hundreds of thousands of teenagers across the country will be receiving their exam results.
For many, the hard work will have paid off as they achieve the grades they need to secure a place at the university of their choice.
But others face disappointment when they discover their grades have slipped and they have not met their conditional offers.
Some students will demand their papers are marked again, while others resit exams. Many will opt to go through the clearing process.
Last year, a record 64,300 students found a university place through clearing. This represents around one in eight people who were accepted on to full-time courses.
To take part in clearing, students must have applied through Ucas (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) and not received any offers; declined all their offers; not responded by the due date; or not achieved the required grades.
Official vacancy lists are published on the Ucas website and are updated continually. University clearing hotlines also give up-todate information on the courses they offer, so it is important to hit them as soon as they open today.
Hollie Wilson, 19, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was in Portugal last summer when she discovered she’d narrowly missed out on the B/C/C grades she needed to get on to the children’s nursing degree course at London South Bank University. But a telephone call to Kingston University’s clearing hotline put her plans for a career in the NHS back on track.
She says: ‘I found myself speaking to a really friendly nursing student.
‘It was so reassuring as she already knew exactly what the course was like and was able to give me a much better idea about campus life at Kingston University.
‘I then had a call back from one of the academic team at the School of Nursing, who also helped to put my mind at rest. She invited me to attend an interview and, from there, I was lucky enough to be offered a place on the learning disability nursing degree.’
Hollie urges students entering the clearing process this year to remain calm and remember to explore all their options.
‘My advice is to take your time and use the resources at your fingertips to find out everything you can about the universities that appeal to you and the courses on offer,’ she says.
‘I certainly did and I haven’t looked back since.’
FOR clearing places, log on to ucas.com. For advice on the full range of options, students can speak to a careers adviser on the Exam results Helpline by calling 0808 100 8000. Kingston University’s clearing hotline is 0800 0483334.