Guest blog by Josephine Bangura, BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy (with Foundation Year)

Although I didn’t get into my original course choice, I knew I still wanted to study something healthcare-related because I’ve always enjoyed working with people and supporting them to improve or manage their health and wellbeing. That’s when I discovered Occupational Therapy at BU through Clearing.

The clearing process was actually much easier than I expected, but at first, I was really nervous. I remember sitting with my friends around a computer at our town’s library, looking through the clearing list and searching for Occupational Therapy courses.

There were a few universities that came up, so I spent time comparing my options and thinking carefully about what would suit me best. I eventually chose Bournemouth University because a lot of things about it stood out to me. I really liked the distance between the accommodations and the university.

I wanted somewhere that felt convenient and easy to settle into. I also loved the fact that Bournemouth is near the beach, which felt like such a nice environment to live and study in. Another major factor for me was distance from home. I didn’t want to move too far away from my family and friends because spending time with them is really important to me. I wanted somewhere where travelling home during holidays or even just visiting when I needed to see them felt realistic and manageable.

Once I decided on Bournemouth, I contacted the admissions team, and they were really helpful in guiding me through the process and explaining everything clearly. I also had a phone interview, which I was nervous about at first, but it went much better than I expected. Not long after, I received an offer, which was really exciting!

Even though I applied later through clearing, choosing accommodation was surprisingly easy, and I still had plenty of options available.

Looking back, I’m really glad I went through clearing because it helped me find a course and university that genuinely feels like the right fit for me.

Find out more

Prepare for clearing 2026