I didn't ever think that I would be
put through Clearing it never even
crossed my mind and then the day before
I was really, really nervous and
leading up to it. It's really hard to get to
sleep it's really hard just to stay still
but then I guess on on the day you just want to know
straight away, you wake up and you want to know now.
I got a I got a phone call from school and they were
like yeah I think you need to come in soon.
Then I looked at UCAS and it was
like yeah, you're not in you're going through Clearing.
I was like, my heart just sank
straight away, I was like Mum we need to
get in the car now!
I was pretty hysterical to be honest
because I felt like I'd sort of failed
myself.
When I got to school and they were like look they're not bad grades, it's just not enough to go to the
universities that you want and then the
one subject that I love which is
Geography well when I was doing my
A-levels
I just completely messed up the
exam. I had it remarked everything
but I literally read the question wrong
and I was like it's just ruined all my chances.
I think it took me like four
hours to calm down but then you do
eventually realise okay, I've actually
got to stop feeling sorry for myself and
get my life sorted.
I looked through my five choices that I'd
chosen through UCAS and one of them
was an unconditional so I'd already
called up them and they were like yeah
it's fine
you can come here but then I was like I
don't really want to go there.
And then Mum was like wait a minute, when you were
in Southampton you had a great time . I've been here three times the Open
Day, I'd been here for my interview and
the post-offer day so I really enjoyed
that and I got to meet some fantastic
like Professors and stuff.
I was more comfortable with the city and the only
reason I didn't want to go there was literally
because it was too far away so when it
got to the clearing day, I obviously called
up the Clearing hotline I was very
hysterical they had to like really calm
me down over the phone because I was
just sort of like I don't want to go to
the Uni, please give me a place. I applied
for a foundation year instead and then
my professor Ian Harding actually
call me back and said no we'd actually
like to offer you place but not for the
foundation year just for the full BSc
and I think that was a massive shock
I was literally crying over the phone I was
just a bit like this is an amazing!
Then I looked through like the tables
where Southampton is and I was like
actually I'm going to a really good Uni.
And then I looked at the list for
Geology and it turns out Southampton is
better than my two unis anyway that I
had applied for so it was like I've
actually done really well to get in!
So once I'd got my place I was like
'Ahh, where am I going to live?'
So I needed to look at
accommodation so I went through clearing
for accommodation as well and then
eventually I moved to Mayflower and got
my place there and that was amazing so
really nice place to live.
In my second year I joined swim team, I met so many people I never thought I'd
meet people from Engineering from like
History and I think that was the best
thing about it because I've met
some of my best friends through there.
My top tips of going into clearing
would be
stay calm, obviously have that hysterical
moment of crying and get all your emotions out.
Sit down with your teachers,
your parents and just think about things
realistically just try and go to as many
open days as you can if you don't get
your choice you need to know what your
other options look like.
