Be Wise – Understand what
Clearing is all about.
Clearing is a very exciting period in the
academic calendar. Exam result can throw a sudden change of plan into the mix
and a bit of quick thinking is required.
Yet
so many students just hope it won’t happen and don’t want to think about it. It
is really important to consider what you would do if results day means a change
of plan. It’s not failing it is just shifting stance and that is fine.
Sometimes
between picking courses and results day you have changed your mind anyway about
second and third choices, or perhaps the institution has changed their mind
about you – for better or worse. You may have received offers from universities
but no longer want to accept them and want to look elsewhere – that’s what Clearing is for.
It’s
okay – it’s exciting but it’s good to have thought about where else you might
want to study, have thought about the financial impact and have planned for
those changes.
Clearing might turn out to be the best day
ever when you look back – so embrace it.
Be prepared – it’s the
early bird that catches the worm
Hopefully
once you have learnt how Clearing and Adjustment works you will have
a plan in mind for results day.
Universities
plan their own strategies well in advance and have an army of staff on hand to
deal with their customer queries and help with new offers and to hopefully win
your custom.
The
universities are eager to fill their courses so as the day goes by fewer places
will be in the Clearing pool. It’s makes sense to act as swiftly as possible,
though ensure you are comfortable with your decision. Planning ahead will help
your swift response not turn into a panic.
Be an empowered
consumer
Remember
you are a customer of the universities. On results day, unless the university is
fortunate to have filled all its courses, they will be waiting and hoping for
your call.
The
universities open their Clearing Lines early and keep them running until they
have filled all the spaces they possibly can. It is a stressful time for the
university staff dealing with all the enquiries and changes of circumstances
that results day brings. The staff usually offer a responsive service to win your
custom so don’t phone the Helpline thinking they are doing you a favour. This
flux works both ways – they want you just as much as you want them and they are
likely to be flexible on entry requirements.
As
a potential customer of the university check out their terms and conditions –
usually these are usually found on the website as for example
Student Regulations/University Regulation/General Regulations......
These
may be dull but are very important to know about as the intuitions will follow
these rules when dealing with their students.
Also
see if your university has Student Charter
or other form of customer service agreement.
Get
to know what support services the university
offers such as well-being, advice, careers, help for disabled students etc.
Understand your consumer rights by looking what the Competition and Market Authority advice for undergraduates.
Be on top - Keep the
funder informed of changes of circumstance
This
seems obvious but when you are busy it’s easy to forget. If you change university,
course etc then the funder (SFE, SAAS, SFW, SFNI) needs to know.
Be informed -Check out
your universities of choice on OFFA
TheOffice for Fair Access
work to ensure universities are reaching out to all potential students. Each
Higher Education Institution submits an agreement about how they achieve this every
year to OFFA for approval.
Read the agreements from universities of choice – there may be details of extra
financial help that you may be eligible for.
Be flexible on
accommodation
Changing
university in August can mean that your accommodation plans have to change too.
Not all universities will have accommodation for all their first year students.
Those who accept a place through Clearing may find this an additional
challenge.
Again
universities are used to this process happening year on year and will provide
guidance. You may have to consider living in Private Rented instead of Halls.
You may have to start looking for a place at short notice. Remember that it won’t
just be you and the university may put you in touch with other students in the
same situation. They may have lists of private rented accommodation providers
or of shared houses with a room available. Also prospective students often use social
media to find others to share with. So be ready to respond to these options.
Signing
your accommodation contract may seem a big commitment and it is. Whether the accommodation
provider is a university, private halls, landlord’s agent or private landlord,
you will be signing a legal tenancy agreement.
It
will be legally binding for the number of weeks outlined and is likely to
require the student and a guarantor to sign it.
Know
what you are signing for – the number of weeks (these can vary widely 42,44,52
for example); what is the deposit; are there administration fees; what is
included in the rent; how many instalments & when are they paid; what are
the rules for terminating the contract......
Note
that for halls of residence the instalments may not be equal. For example it is
possible for the institution to front load the plan so that you pay more in the
first term. This can be tough to budget for but it’s best to be prepared.
If
you are looking at private accommodation, then many universities offer services
to check the tenancy agreement before you sign – worth doing to be safe.
You
do not have to go into halls and if you chose private rented then understand
your rights fully. Look on www.shelter.org.uk and www.unipol.org.uk for helpful information. Also learn
about Tenancy Deposit Schemes
Remember
if you choose to live at home to consider how you will contribute to the
household bills from your student finance.
This
video on Fresher’sAccommodation may help you.
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