When you’re at school and applying to university, ending up on Clearing seems like the end of the world. Before I get any further, let me just dispel this myth. While ending up in Clearing probably isn’t the most fun experience you’ll ever go through, going through Clearing gave me the best university experience I could have ever imagined. I’m going to do a little Q&A about Clearing so sit back, relax, and enjoy reading!
Did you apply directly to York?
In one word, no, I didn’t apply to York originally. As much as I loved the city I felt as though it was too close to home and at the time, I wanted to move further away for my university experience.
Did you miss out on your grades?
Yes, I did, by two grades. At the time it seemed like it was the worst thing in the world. But if I hadn’t missed my offer, I wouldn’t have had the university experience that I have done, and I wouldn’t want to change anything about my time at university.
Did you already have an offer here and change course through Clearing?
No I didn’t, although one of my friends changed courses at York through Clearing and her Clearing experience seemed really easy.
Had you ever considered York/visited before?
I’d visited York several times on school trips, but I’d never visited the department I ended up studying in. I loved everything about the uni but for me, it was a case of it just being too close to home, which is why I didn’t apply in the first place.
What was it like going through Clearing with the University of York?
Going through Clearing with the university was a really straightforward process. It was much more straightforward than I ever imagined it to be! The admissions team I spoke to were incredibly supportive and helped me through the process as fast as they could as they understood that the day had been very stressful.
Why did you choose the University of York through Clearing?
I chose York for several reasons:
- After a change in personal circumstances, I decided I wanted to be at a university close to home
- The course was fantastic, and in hindsight has actually been a much better fit for me than the course I’d originally chosen to study at another university.
- There are so many societies to get involved with, I knew I’d never have a dull moment which would help me keep my mind off missing home.
- The collegiate system. I loved the idea of how my accommodation could feel like a family.
How do you feel now you are here?
When I first started, I felt like I had to prove I deserved my place here. After a while, that pressure just seemed to fade away. My lecturers and tutors never once spoke to me about Clearing. They never made me feel like I had to work harder to prove myself. I was the one who kept pushing myself! At the time of writing this, I’ve just submitted my final exam for my degree. My time at university is nearly over, and honestly, my 4 years here has been the best experience. I feel like being a Clearing student really helped develop my resilience. This has been so important over my time at uni, and it really helped during my search for both placement and graduate jobs.
Long story short, going through Clearing turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. It’s given the best university experience I could have possibly imagined. The best advice I’ve ever been given is that anything that could be perceived as rejection is just redirection, and that’s definitely the truth when it comes to Clearing.
Discover more student Clearing stories.
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