Staff and students from Bournemouth University gave their advice on the Clearing process for several articles in The Guardian’s Guide to Clearing 2014.
The guide is used by students across the country to help them prepare to receive their A-level results, and explains the process of Clearing.
An article on Clearing phone calls quoted askBU’s Helen Elsey, who advised students on the importance of keeping calm when talking to admissions tutors.
She said: “Don’t panic! Stay calm – the people on the other end of the phone want to help you, not catch you out.”
She also warned students against blindly accepting their first offer. “Think it through. This is a big decision – and you can contact as many universities as you like.”
Kyle McClellan, a first year economics and finance student at BU, was interviewed on his experience of Adjustment.
He spoke about choosing and applying to BU after receiving better grades than expected, saying: “I explained what grades I’d got and the course I was interested in doing and they said there was room for me. It’s worked out really well.”
In an article explaining the importance of Open Days, BU marketing and communications officer Sarah Jane Knox said: “Open Days give you the opportunity to look around the campus and facilities and make sure the course you have chosen is right for you.”
“Open Days are your best chance to chat to lecturers and students and get a real feel for what the courses are like – so make sure you don’t leave and then realise you’ve got lots of unanswered questions.”
The article also detailed the importance of visiting the town and areas around the campus when visiting a university.
BU was noted for offering free bus tours of Bournemouth, and Sarah said that even going for a wander round and having a meal “gives you a good feel for the place where you could be spending the next three years of your life.”
The supplement appeared in The Guardian’s 9 August 2014 edition, with many of the articles available on The Guardian’s online Clearing pages.
By Harriet Gilbraith
Harriet is a student at Budmouth College in Weymouth, who is working at Bournemouth University in the Press and PR Department. She joined BU on a Sir Samuel Mico Scholarship, which provides 10 students from the college with work experience for four weeks over the summer.