Clearing student

Age: 22

College or University:
University of Wales, Swansea studying Spanish. I would like to enter the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or work within the Diplomatic Core.

The route:
I applied to UCAS to do dentistry, but even though I was predicted to get good grades, I didn’t get any offers. I decided to switch to Spanish, and I got hold of lots of prospectuses from universities across the UK.

Clearing:
As soon as I saw the course at Swansea, I called the department's admissions tutor and asked whether I could get in through clearing. I told him my predicted grades and he said that if I got those I’d get in.When the grades came out in August, I asked for a clearing form, sent it to Swansea, and had it all sorted in a week.

My experience of clearing wasn't one of panic as I had expected it to be. I think the most important thing is to be keen on what you're going to study. If you show enthusiasm and a desire to learn, then you shouldn’t have too many problems.

Advice:
Know what you want to do, and have a plan if you don’t get the grades you want. Then, once the results are out, you’ll know the people you need to phone, to discuss the subjects you’re interested in. Don’t leave it to the last minute - plan ahead.

Positives:
There was no way I was going to re-sit and watch the world pass me by for another year. Instead I just made the most of what I had, which was actually more than I realised at the time, and that’s something I’ll never regret.