Clearing, That Word You Try to Clear out Your Mind When i...

Clearing, that word you try to clear out your mind when it comes to your UCAS applications. For some people, it's a comfort as they may not have been accepted by any of their initial 5 or UCAS Extra university choices, or may have a last minute change of heart in August and suddenly decide that do they do want to go into Higher Education.
However, Clearing to me was like the Devil. I had been accepted by 2 of the unis I applied to and had it set in my head that I was going to get the BBB grades needed for Reading. Big mistake. Come August when I opened my results (BBDEa with an A* in Extended Project) I had the right UCAS points for my firm and insurance, but not in the right subjects, thanks to failing miserably in my A-Level Chemistry exams - I was one mark off my highly coveted C grade, but didn't want to delay anything by ordering a remark. I phoned Kent (my insurance) with the hope of begging my way into the uni, but thanks to the 2011 UCAS cycle being the busiest one ever, the systems were down and my 'conditional' offer couldn't yet be changed due to the university not actually being able to look at my results!
I waited and waited for the word 'unconditional' to appear, giving in and phoning UCAS, who told me that they should be able to finally confirm their decision but should prepare myself for Clearing applications, 12 hours after first logging onto Track that day. So I rang Kent once again, only find out that I had been rejected. ONE MARK OFF MY OFFER, WHYYY?!! *cue a flood of tears, swear words and angry noises*
I didn't want to end up in Clearing. The news had gone mental over the week before A-Level results saying how it would be the toughest Clearing year yet due to the high proportion of students wanting to progress into HE. I was a bit of an emotional wreck and had a tear filled phonecall to my head of sixth form, who agreed to help me to argue my case to Kent, then help me call around unis with vacancies if that plan failed. I went straight online and starting researching other universities with my course on offer...it felt like my personal statement, open day visits and interviews had totally gone to waste at the time.
The next day, I literally ran to school as soon as my head's office opened, and his begs were instantly turned down. I then tried to re-apply to Kent through clearing, where I learned you can't apply for a course that you have previously been accepted onto, then rejected, in the same UCAS cycle. Instead, the woman offered me Social Anthropology based on my A-Level subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Maths, German and AS History), where upon I shook my head and had to accept Kent wasn't going to be my friend.
Plan B was to phone the University of the West of England, the only uni that had really stuck out to me on the Clearing vacancy list. I vaguely knew Bristol and after talking to friend's parents from the area, it appeared it was a place highly spoken of, so I took the dive and nervously sat on hold for 30 minutes. The conversation that followed, where I had to provide all my details and GCSE/A-Level grades (like a verbal UCAS application!), felt like the longest of my life..until the woman on the end of the line then had to disappear momentarily to make a decision. I can tell you, there was a definite taste of sick in my mouth! When she finally returned and said 'Kelli, we would like to give you an unconditional offer to study BSc Biomedical Sciences at the University of the West of England, starting in September', I was trying my best not to cry tears of happiness, as my poor head of sixth had already heard enough blubbing from me that week. It felt like a lifetime, but I finally had a university place. Here are a few little tips that I wish I had been given before I went through the whole process:

Don't just apply for a course because you feel you have to. If nothing feels right, remember there is always next year to apply. Remember to look at all the aspects of the university, from accommodation to the city you'd be moving to - the whole package is really important when it comes to choosing somewhere you'll be spending the next 3/4 years at.

That will give you enough time to perhaps re-sit an exam to boost your grades or rethink what you want to do. I have friends who are doing completely different courses to what they initially applied for and are really enjoying it! I personally decided to go to uni in 2011 as I am in the last cohort of students who pay the 'old' reduced fees, but would have considered deferring if the fees weren't a factor.

Like I said, this could be your chance to change your mind about what you want to study, and you may even end up in a city that is a million times better than where your initial uni choices are (well, that's what happened in my case anyway)

If you are unsure that you have the grades your firm asked for, try to form a contingency plan just in case... I know negative thinking is one of the worst things to do, but I wish I'd already had a list of unis ready instead of trawling the internet until 1am the next day.

On results day, I wouldn't suggest wandering into school and not knowing what the outcome will be. I checked UCAS Track as soon as decisions went online, so I knew how to feel about my trip into school and what the rest of my day would entail. I would have hated to only know if a university has rejected me after opening my results. It also meant that I was already thinking about clearing at 7am, which gives you a lot more time to sort things out!

When I did get through to UWE on their clearing hotline, they asked for my GCSE and A-Level results. If you had to hang-up to go and find those results, imagine if someone else got your place while you were off digging out your certificates? And also have your UCAS Clearing number to hand, as the university needs to confirm that you are eligible for a Clearing place.

It seriously isn't the end of the world. There are more than enough routes into HE and if you want to study, there will be a way to fulfill your dreams. I know I am speaking for more people than myself when I say clearing actually changed my life for the better.
This is a handy little video that my university have made about the clearing process, which pretty much reiterates my own personal tips. It is also essential to check the official UCAS website's tips on clearing, as they are the guys who control the whole situation.
Good luck with your results of you are getting them next week, and I hope whatever happens, you end up going to a university you love to study the subject you have always wished to!