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Should I go to University through clearing or wait another year?

I recently dropped out of the University of Exeter in March to pursue a degree apprenticeship. I had previously failed to get a degree apprenticeship which is why I decided to go to University, however I ended up hating the course I was doing and the environment, I thought it was a waste of my time and decided to try for apprenticeships again, however I did not get one again this year but decided to drop out anyway because I hated it. Now I am on a forced gap year, but clearing just started and was wondering if I should apply to a different uni in a different course which I think I will like this time instead of doing a course for job prospects, or should I apply for degree apprenticeships for the 3rd year in a row and try my luck + wait for results to see if I get one and avoid all of the debt? The debt aspect really bothers me especially since I am already in debt from doing 1 year of uni.

Should I apply to University through clearing or wait a year to apply to University in case I get a degree apprenticeship? I'll be 20 if I wait a year.

Reply 1

MSkye2000

Original post by Vael

I recently dropped out of the University of Exeter in March to pursue a degree apprenticeship. I had previously failed to get a degree apprenticeship which is why I decided to go to University, however I ended up hating the course I was doing and the environment, I thought it was a waste of my time and decided to try for apprenticeships again, however I did not get one again this year but decided to drop out anyway because I hated it. Now I am on a forced gap year, but clearing just started and was wondering if I should apply to a different uni in a different course which I think I will like this time instead of doing a course for job prospects, or should I apply for degree apprenticeships for the 3rd year in a row and try my luck + wait for results to see if I get one and avoid all of the debt? The debt aspect really bothers me especially since I am already in debt from doing 1 year of uni.
Should I apply to University through clearing or wait a year to apply to University in case I get a degree apprenticeship? I'll be 20 if I wait a year.

I would say to really think about what you would prefer to do regarding Uni vs Apprenticeship. Apprenticeships for most large companies will not be advertised until September-March really, so it is unlikely you will start one until next year. So this may affect your decision as to whether you want to apply for Uni through clearing.

If an apprenticeship is really what you want to do, you will need to ensure you're using all of the resources available to try to stand out from the crowd. Apprenticeships are so competitive and they're getting harder and harder to obtain each year. I would advise you to do virtual work experience, courses and possible in person work experience to put on your CV, leading up to application season as it shows that you are going out of your way to get experience in the sector from early on.

I understand that this is a very hard decision so it's something you really need to think about. Also, don't worry about your age as 20 is still so young. I'm 24 in a couple of months and have finally obtained a solicitor apprenticeship myself.