So, You've Got Into Uni Through Clearing? What Now?

This article was written by Costume Design for Film & Television BA(Hons) student Natalie.

Whether you’ve switched universities, switched courses or made a last minute decision to go to university, the time period between results day/the Clearing period can seem quite short. I only decided that I wanted to go to university a month before move in day, so here are my top tips to get ready for university last-minute.

First of all, make sure not to panic. There are a few key things you must do before university starts, but beyond that, things like buying kitchen equipment or tickets to freshers’ events are often more convenient to do once you’ve arrived.

The initial thing I did, once I had secured my place, was to apply for Student Finance. To find out more about applying for Student Finance visit this page. If you are an international student you can find information on this page. You should make your Student Finance a priority, as it can take them time to process your application. 

Next, you should think about setting up a student bank account. They all offer different benefits such as interest free overdrafts, railcards or cash incentives, so you should do your own research to see which one would work best for you.

Accommodation should also be a priority once you’ve secured a place at university. If you are applying through clearing you will have missed the initial accommodation ballot. This means that there will probably be limited university-owned accommodation available. You can find out about applying for accommodation after applying through Clearing on this page. Most likely, you will be offered a shared room in Glasney Student Village, as I was, unless you have a medical reason why you cannot share a room, in which case you should fill out an ILP form (independent learning plan). There will be an option to do this after you've applied. If you want to know more about my experience sharing a room, you can read my blog about it here. If sharing a room isn’t for you, then you can look into student accommodation in the private sector or you can join a waiting list upon arrival to get a single occupancy room. Historically, the university has been able to offer everyone a single room by Christmas.

When your place at university is secured, you’ll be sent an email about enrolment, usually at the beginning of September. There are just a few forms you'll need to fill out before arriving. I’d suggest you do this as soon as you get sent the link, as it is easy to forget about it amongst all the other things you have to be doing and it really doesn’t take that long.