Choosing a Clearing Course – Things to Consider
Clearing officially begins on A Level results day, 17th August 2023, and is the process of matching universities with course vacancies to students without university places.
You’ll be eligible to go through Clearing if you applied to university after 30th June 2023, weren’t made any offers, declined all of your offers, or didn’t meet the requirements of your offer.
It helps to keep an open mind when you’re going through Clearing as you might have to consider a university or course you haven’t thought about before. As long as you do your research you’re sure to make a decision that suits your needs.
Here are some more things to consider when choosing a course through Clearing:
Consider a different location – whether you chose a local university or you wanted to study at the other end of the country you might want to think about doing the opposite.
Think about changing your subject – if you can’t get on to the exact course you want at your chosen university then consider choosing a combined or joint degree. For example: English and Creative Writing, or English and History, instead of straight English.
Choose a course, not a subject – as we’ve said above, you might want to think about changing your subject slightly, but make sure you choose a course because you’re interested in the syllabus – not just because it’s the right subject.
Look carefully at course content – if you’re changing university then make sure you closely compare course content to make sure you’re getting the course that best suits you. For example, you don’t want to find yourself being marked purely on coursework when you perform better in exam conditions.
Keep an open mind – we’ve said it once and we’ll say it again, keep an open mind about your university. Of course, Oxford and Cambridge are great universities but a degree from another university isn’t worth any less.
Why did you choose your university? – think carefully about the reasons you chose your original university, you might find that another university offers exactly the same things.
Compromise – so you’ve found your ideal university, but it’s 20 minutes further away than you wanted to travel…so what? We all know life isn’t perfect and deciding what you’re prepared to compromise on will mean you get what you want without wasting time on small problems
Do your research – once you’ve decided what you need and figured out where you’re prepared to be flexible it’s time to research universities and courses that fit the bill. Surf the net, order some prospectuses and ask current students on social media what university life is really like.
Going through Clearing can be tough, especially if you weren’t expecting it, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. We’ve got plenty of great advice in our dedicated Clearing section.
We can help you with everything from making sure you’re prepared for Clearing before A Level results day, to getting your student finance sorted, and top tips for getting through the process without it being stressful. We’ve got plenty of great advice in our dedicated Clearing section.
