Transcript:

My name’s Alistair Lowe and I studied PR, marketing and events at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh.

When I decided that I wanted to change my university course options in July I think it was, I had huge doubts. I was thinking I’ve made a mistake, I’m going to have to wait a year to get into my dream course. I just was so angry at myself that I’d made the wrong decision when it came to accepting offers and I didn’t know what to do. It was easily resolved with a quick phone call to the university who explained to me that there were still places on the course that I wanted to go into, but the only way they could accept me was through Clearing. So that just shows you that a phone call can answer a lot of questions and instead of sitting by yourself in your room doubting yourself, kinda getting all worked up and worried, a simple phone call or an email can answer a lot of those unanswered questions.

I think for me the highlight of going through Clearing and being a student of Clearing is not taking every opportunity for granted. Going through that process and earning at the very last second and gaining my place on that course at such a vulnerable moment in my career and just leaving school I really learned to not take things for granted and every opportunity that then came my way throughout university I just took. I mean I did an internship in the summer of Year 2 because in Scotland you do four years and, you know, I just take every bit of work experience or extracurricular activity I can because you’ve just got to make the most of being at university. And I feel like I was so lucky to actually to get to university through Clearing so I had to make the most of it and I’m so proud that I have been doing so. When I got to university it didn’t feel like I was just a Clearing student anymore, I was part of the community of the university and I was there, I was in the university and I was so happy.

So my top tip for people that are going through the same experience and they’re thinking about leaving their current choice that they have on UCAS and going through Clearing instead is just do it. If you’re having doubts now before the start of your course, you’re not going to enjoy it, don’t just say oh I’ll wait a year and reapply next year. That’s a whole year of your life that you can get in your career, you can advance yourself, you can grow as a person and if your course is accepting people now, go and do it. Don’t wait around, don’t go and try the university that is your firm choice just for the sake of it, if you know where you want to be make a phone call, make it happen and try your very best to get through Clearing because I know myself it was a very, very scary time but if I didn’t do it I dunno where I’d be today and I’m so proud that I did.

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