Hi! My name is Tia, and I am currently studying BSc (Hons) Design Engineering at Bournemouth University and I received my offer through Clearing!

I decided to go through Clearing because I wanted to be sure that I was progressing onto a course that was right for me and would set me up for the kind of career I wanted.

Having initially applied and received offers from Brunel University London and Manchester Met for Product Design Engineering, I didn’t make my final decision on what I wanted to do until it was too late, and these were the options I had already finalised.

A-levels took up most, if not all, of my attention during my studies. Being the first exams I had had in years (thanks to COVID) didn’t help either and so it wasn’t until they were over that I felt I could properly think about where I saw myself for the next 4+ years of my life. I came to a realisation quite soon that my best option moving forward would be Clearing.

The thought of Clearing made me quite nervous at first since this would be quite a gamble for me and I could end up with nowhere to go. However, I took plenty of time to look through universities and course content to be 100% sure that I was confident in my decision. And so, I decided on Design Engineering at Bournemouth University!

The actual Clearing process was much easier than I thought it would be! I applied for a Clearing place before I had my A-level results, so Bournemouth had my UCAS number and details before Results Day. When Results Day arrived, I declined my offer from Brunel University London and declined my reserve offer and released myself into Clearing. Once I had done that, I called Bournemouth’s Clearing hotline and spoke to one of the operatives who asked for my A-level results and confirmed the details they already had. They then confirmed they would be able to offer me a place!

Everyone I spoke to on BU’s Clearing hotline was super understanding and helpful, which made me feel so much better about everything! Once I had my offer and had accepted it through UCAS they gave me the number for the accommodation team so that I could get it sorted straight away! At this point I had started to get emails from BU with details like my student login and how to use it to access the accommodation portal.

Booking accommodation was also easier than I thought it would be, obviously the majority of students had already chosen their accommodation so there weren’t as many options but there were still lots of rooms left including bigger ones or all female rooms. I ended up choosing a standard room in a flat of 6!

My first week of university consisted of mostly meeting everyone on my course, getting familiar with the facilities available to me, and finding my way around campus which was especially helpful since I hadn’t managed to attend a Clearing Campus Visit.

Ultimately, I have absolutely no regrets about going through Clearing, my first year at Bournemouth has gone so well and it was definitely the best decision I could’ve made for myself! I got a job when I came here and joined a society and I’ve met some amazing people since I’ve been here!

My top advice for Clearing:

1. Apply early

If you think you will need or want to apply through Clearing, then absolutely apply before Results Day! This means the university already has most of your details, so it makes your application process much smoother.

2. Take your time

Really think about your Clearing application. You have the time to make sure you’re doing the right thing so definitely explore all your options and go into course content details. Also use this time to make sure you have all the correct details ready for your application in case you are asked for it.

3. Sort everything asap

If you think you will need to go through Clearing, then wake up nice and early so you are ready when your results are released in the Summer. The Clearing hotlines can sometimes be busy so if you are ready straight away you will be much better off. Also, when you get your offer through Clearing and you accept it try and sort out other details such as your accommodation, logging onto your student portals/resources, as well as other things as soon as you can. I had my accommodation and student login sorted out all within the same day, so I knew I was completely sorted for September.

4. Clearing isn’t that bad

Final thing is that I think Clearing can make people nervous or make them feel like they don’t deserve to be at university, or they aren’t smart enough etc. But that really isn’t the case. It may not be the conventional route into university, but it gets you to the same place and you most definitely still deserve to be proud of yourself and celebrate!

As long as you know you are making the decision that’s right for you then that’s all you need to worry about because that is what’s most important. For anyone applying through Clearing I wish you luck and I hope it’s as successful for you as it was for me.

Find out more

Clearing at BU