Why the Clearing process isn’t as bad as you think

Results day can be a difficult time for many students. As part of our Welcome to Warwick series, we are sharing some of the more unconventional ways in which students got accepted to The University of Warwick. Missing your results can be tough, but going through Clearing doesn’t have to be as daunting as it may seem. 

My A-Level results day was very different from that of my friends. My sixth form posted our results at 6am, and whilst the group chat filled with happy ‘I GOT IN!’ messages, I was facing an entirely different reality: I’d missed the grades for both my firm and my insurance universities.

Logging onto UCAS at 8am brought with it further disappointment. Having spent two hours being consoled by my parents, I’d placed all hope on the university of my dreams still taking me with lower grades. They didn’t. Very politely, UCAS let me know that my offers had been withdrawn from both my firm and insurance universities and that I was now in ‘Clearing’.

I’d have been lying to myself to say I wanted any of those universities more than I wanted to go to Warwick

Gasp, shock, horror. No word evokes more fear in the A-Level student than the word ‘clearing’. Warwick didn’t want me for History and Politics, nor did Exeter. Thus began the morning of endless phone calls.

That morning, I received more university offers than I could count. Universities I hadn’t even considered called to offer me places on various courses. Despite all of the offers, I’d have been lying to myself to say I wanted any of those universities more than I wanted to go to Warwick. So when I was offered a place for Ancient History at Warwick instead of History and Politics, it didn’t take long for me to make my decision.

Studying Classics at university turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made, for so many reasons. In hindsight, Politics really wasn’t for me, nor do I think studying for a joint honours degree was for me either. Although I’m positive I’d have enjoyed studying Modern History, Ancient History opened a whole new world of study to me that I hadn’t even considered pre-university. Having completed my degree now, I know the Greeks to be pretty groovy indeed.

I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. So if anyone is disappointed with their A-Level results this August, or you happen to find yourself on an unexpected route, don’t panic

I don’t have a moments regret about switching courses. I made the decision to stay at Warwick, and I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to do so via Clearing. Without Warwick, I would never have met so many amazing people who I can’t imagine not being in my life now, nor would I have so many options open to me now that I have graduated.

I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. So if anyone is disappointed with their A Level results this August, or you happen to find yourself on an unexpected route, don’t panic. Everything turns out just fine in the end.