Clearing help please!

You can go through Clearing wherever you are, it's just not as easy if you're not at home.

1. Arrange to get your results - this will need to be arranged with your school, as different places do it differently. You may be able to phone up or get someone else to pick them up for you (choose someone reliable!) as two examples.

2. Make sure you have internet access so you can find out whether you have been accepted or not and see the Clearing listings, a phone line (try to avoid the very high international rates) and, if possible, try to get a copy of The Telegraph so you'll have a hard copy of the listings if the internet goes down.

3. Sounds obvious, but respect the time difference. It may mean you're doing things at odd times.

One thing I would say is that, if it's anything like last year, the UCAS list will be overloaded with traffic and be hard to get to. Have that open, but also go direct to uni websites to check places on their site as well.

Yeah in Jamaica it's 6 hours behind so it's going to be so difficult and hopefully I won't have to pay too much for international calls as I know I'm going to be on hold for a long time with some Universities. Will The Telegraph with have a list of courses on their website?

Yeah that's what I'm fearing. I can't log into UCAS and the courses I want are taken...

Yeah that's what I'm fearing. I can't log into UCAS and the courses I want are taken...

I believe so, yes.

It's just a case of being aware of what the time is back in the UK and going off that instead ... so, if your school says to phone at 9.30am, phone at 3.30am in Jamaica.



That could happen in the UK as well.


Clearing in another country is more difficult, but it can be prepared for. After all, international students use Clearing.

I had that problem when i hit clearing last year - what I did was Google "2011 clearing places" (obviously, in August it'd be 2012 you'd be looking for) - got a list of links to the clearing places available at various different uni's and just went through their lists trying to find a course I wanted to do.

I would definitely recommend going through uni websites rather than just relying on being able to get into UCAS - they didn't have anywhere near the traffic problems that UCAS had.

Ok, thanks I feel better now. As long as I have a phone with loads of credit and internet access, I should be fine.

It can work, it just needs more preparation. The main thing to sort out is how you're going to get your results.

Clearing isn't as scary as people make it out to be either - I did it, it was fine.

Ok, thanks I feel better now. As long as I have a phone with loads of credit and internet access, I should be fine.



Did you find the experience easy? Like was it easy to ring up Uni's and get a place? Also, what kind of questions did the Uni's ask when you rang?

Hopefully I can get one of my friends to get it for me. What kind of preparation do you mean? and did the Universities you rang during Clearing ask any questions like why do you want to come to this Uni? sorry for all the questions

Hopefully I can get one of my friends to get it for me.

Preparation like how are you going to get your results, do you have internet access sorted, is there a phone line you can use...?

I only rang one university up in Clearing. They asked why I wanted to do that course (although I think that may have also been because it was a big change ), but I don't recall why I wanted to go to that university. It's not an uncommon question to be asked, though, so you should think of an answer.

You'll need to clear this with your school first. They won't hand them out to just anybody. Contact them and ask what they will accept in the way of authority to collect your results and do it in plenty of time. (First thing Monday would be good.)

Oh ok, I'll triple check that I have everything in order before I go oh ok, I had an interview at a Uni who asked why I wanted to study there etc so I'll just regurgitate what I said but just change the Uni name lol Oh and did it take long to get through to the Uni on the phone?