Where now if you didn’t make the grade..?
By Effective Communication
Thousands of young adults across Wales have woken up to their A level exam results today, finally finding out if they have made the grade to get into their chosen university.
For those who have, today will be a day of celebration and looking forward to preparations for university life but for those who haven’t it can be a very stressful time. Louise Griffin, Head of Student Recruitment at University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), offers some advice about what to do if things haven’t quite gone to plan.
What are the options if you don’t get the expected grades?
I think the first thing to say would be to try not to panic. Whatever your results, all is certainly not lost and there is plenty of advice available to help choose the best course of action.
If you haven’t quite achieved your expected grades, options will be available through Clearing for example – this is the UCAS service that assists pupils without a university place to find suitable course vacancies.
If you’ve only narrowly missed out, your place may actually still be considered based on the results you have actually achieved.
If in any doubt, the first thing I’d advise is to either visit UCAS Track online http://www.ucas.com/appenq/index.html – which allows applicants to access their individual record and find out more about where they stand – or you can contact the university in question directly and see what they have to say. Always have your UCAS identification number to hand as this will help speed up the process.
If a place on your first choice course isn’t forthcoming, an alternative course at the same university may be an option – a related degree or HND course for example.
If unsuccessful with your firm choice, you will be placed with your insurance choice but if unsuccessful in receiving a confirmed place with either, you will automatically become eligible to enter the Clearing process.
What happens next?
Once in Clearing, you can either visit UCAS Clearing vacancies online and / or universities’ individual clearing pages to choose an appropriate course. A little bit of research will go a long way – don’t just pick a course because there are spaces – make sure it’s the right one for you.
Once you have made a decision, phone your chosen university (every institution will have a Clearing advice line), and let them know your qualifications and the course you would like to take. Depending on the course you choose, you may be called in for an interview at short notice so be prepared for this.
If you are made an offer and you’d like to take it up, it is important to submit your clearing choice through UCAS Track as soon as possible as competition for spaces could be high.
If you aren’t successful with your first Clearing option, keep trying as you can try as many institutions as you like.
Is it worth waiting and reapplying next year or best to try and avoid the fee changes?
The new funding system starts in 2012 and fees will increase to £9000 a year. Students living in Wales and attending Welsh institutions however will receive support from the Welsh Government and expected to pay a much lower £3,400 a year.
As well as the changes in fee structures, it is worth bearing in mind that the entry requirements for your chosen course may also change by this time next year. If you do decide to wait until next year, the advice would be to officially defer via UCAS as although this won’t change what’s happening with fees, it will ensure your entry requirement remains the same.
Is a gap year a good option?
Some people find taking a gap year a good way to help build their confidence and get a bit more experience before actually starting at university. The best way to make use of such time if you did decide to do this would be to get involved with something related to your ultimate career choice.
Getting a job may seem a while off but any experience that looks good on your CV will help set you apart in interviews with potential employers as it will demonstrate a commitment to advancing your career.
Work experience at a company within which you can see yourself working in future is a good option.
The ‘Year in Industry’ scheme allows young people to find out more about how the business world operates and can lead to scholarships to help fund higher education.
A lot of people choosing gap years now split the year in half – working for six months to gain valuable experience and earn money towards future studies and spending the next six months travelling or possibly volunteering in a different country.
There are a lot of options but the best advice would still be to have one eye on your future career when making any decisions.
Tags: A-levels results, bad A-level results, clearing, gap year, higher education Wales, University of Wales Institute, UWIC
