Hi there, I'm Luna.
I'm a bit like an AI, except instead of making pictures of people with 16 fingers, I can help you find the perfect course and uni.
Would you like some help in your search?
Feeling nervous about university Clearing? You aren’t alone. In fact, many students are pretty scared of entering the Clearing process, as it’s something we aren’t really taught about it.
You’ve probably heard a fair few myths about it, so I’m here to clear those up for you. Let the de-bunking commence.
1. People will think less of me for going through Clearing
To be brutally honest, no one really cares that much. We’re all at uni at the end of the day, and judging people for how they got in isn’t on people’s agendas. The only person who has an opinion about Clearing is YOU. In fact, no one will know you’ve gone through Clearing unless you tell them. Everyone will be distracted with their new lives to scrutinise how you got in.
2. You won’t fit in on your course
Even if you freshly arrived from Mars, people will still want to chat with you, so the fact you’ve come through Clearing won’t put anyone off becoming mates with you. Uni is one of the best times to make friends and get stuck in!
3. You’ll be bottom of the class at uni
Students start on an equal playing field, and so going through university Clearing doesn’t instantly put you behind others on your course. The material is new, the people are new, and the teaching styles are new, so everyone is in the same boat.
4. It’s impossible to find a uni that’ll take you
Clearing spaces are available at many different universities, Russell Groups and all. They’re all looking to fill their courses up, so chances are you’ll find the right one for you, not just the leftovers.
5. You're a 'failure' for going through Clearing
There are many reasons for going through Clearing, and being a failure is none of them. You’d be surprised how common it is, and Clearing is also a choice for students who decide last minute to go to university, for those who took a year out, and those who changed their minds about their course and want to study something else.
6. Hardly anyone goes through Clearing
Over 70,000 students gained uni places through Clearing in 2020, according to UCAS. That sounds like a whole lot of people to me.
7. Clearing is a massive rush and is really stressful
Of course, any application process is stressful, but you can prepare and look into Clearing courses right now to avoid a manic, stressful rush on the day. In fact, you can even start applying for Clearing places earlier than results day if you want to.
8. Clearing is complicated
It doesn’t have to be if you research before diving into Clearing head-first. There’s plenty of advice on Whatuni to show you how the system works, and really it isn’t any harder than the normal application process you went through before.
9. You’re stupid if you go through Clearing
ANYONE can go through Clearing. The courses are so vast and can offer you any opportunity you want, from dentistry and journalism to architecture and medicine. It's not just A-level students going through Clearing either; mature students returning to education find their places through this service. People go through Clearing for many different reasons, and it doesn’t matter if you use this process.
10. Clearing isn’t for people like you
There is no standard person who goes through Clearing. It doesn’t make you less successful or any less of an intelligent person, it’s just another opportunity to find your perfect course. Some students actually end up on courses that are better suited to them.
11. Clearing is for students who didn’t get any uni offers
Not true. Clearing can be for people who change their minds about which uni they want to go to, and those who declined offers but decide to go to uni when they thought they wouldn’t. It's also for students who did better than they expected and want to 'trade up'.
12. Clearing courses are rubbish
Any course could appear on Clearing. It is literally universities offering empty spaces on their courses. The courses aren’t any less legitimate, they simply need filling up.
13. You can apply through Clearing while still holding offers
Nope. You have to have zero offers, or declined offers, to be able to go through Clearing.
14. You can only apply for the course you originally applied for
You can apply for anything there! It can be something similar to what you originally applied for, or something completely different, your choice.
15. You can't apply for universities that rejected you
False. You can apply for any course on Clearing for any uni that advertises spaces, including those you perhaps didn’t get into originally. So, if one uni stands out to you and you didn’t get in the first time, there may still be a course you like there.
16. You won’t get accommodation
Accommodation rules certainly differ from uni to uni, but often students who go through Clearing are still offered decent accommodation. It may not be your first choice, but students don’t always get their top choice of accommodation, regardless of whether they went through Clearing.
17. Clearing is the end of the world
It really isn’t! Sure, it might be stressful on the day and the process may stun you, but once you lock in and get that confirmation of a place on a course, the stress ends there. Honestly, you won’t remember it in five years’ time, so there’s no need to lose sleep. Your whole future is ahead of you, academic and otherwise!
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