Hearing “you’ve got a place at Nottingham” was the moment I knew everything was going to be ok.
My name is Charlotte and I’m a first-year history student at the University of Nottingham. I came to Nottingham through Clearing as my A-level results were a bit of a shock on results day and I didn’t get the grades expected for my first-choice university.
Charlotte Surrey history student
My Clearing story
My original plan was to go to King’s College London with my predicted grades of AAA. However, on results day, I ended up getting BCC, which meant both my first choice and insurance choice universities were no longer options. So, I went through Clearing as I was super excited to get to university and didn't want to resit my A levels.
I ended up going with Nottingham because it was one of the five places that had initially accepted me. I'd already been to see the university and campus and I really liked it, and Nottingham is not too far from home. When I saw that the Clearing entry requirements were more in line with my grades, I was excited to phone them up and get everything sorted out.
Results day
I went to a school that was really academic and, on results day, everyone else seemed to be getting A stars. My closest friend received a commendation from the exam board because her English exam was the best in the country.
When I opened up my results, it felt like everything came crashing down around me. The picture on the school's Instagram has everyone waving their results and I'm literally there crying in the photo. It was shocking and traumatic, and I didn't know how to deal with it.
The school wasn't really used to people going through Clearing because that generally didn’t happen. I remember I was with my parents and, as everyone was celebrating and having a nice time, we were taken to the sixth form common room to look at my options. All the teachers looked really serious and it felt scary because I hadn't done any research on Clearing at all.
I took myself off for a walk around school to gather myself, then went back to start making calls to the universities on UCAS. I’d not heard of many of the universities listed but then I spotted Nottingham and it was like a beacon of hope as I knew I’d be happy to go there.
The staff at Nottingham were so kind and helpful over the phone, which really stood out to me. They kept in touch with me throughout the whole process, which made me feel like they really cared and wanted me to study there.
Campus and student life
I wasn't quite sure what to expect on arrival day at my student accommodation, Nightingale Hall, but everyone was really welcoming. I remember arriving and everyone feeling like we’re all in the same boat. None of us knew one another. So, a massive group of us all went down to the pub in Beeston to get to know each other better.
I love my course. I’ve loved history since I was around four years old, so it feels a bit like destiny. I'm enjoying all aspects of it: all the teachers are super helpful and I've been in close communication with my seminar tutors, who have all been amazing.
I really like the range of societies Nottingham has to offer too. I'm not a sporty person, but I do lots of music and drama – anything associated with dance and musicality really. I do theatre and I recently started swing dancing because of the society here, which is something I hadn't done before. I pretty much have a society event on every single day. I've met so many amazing friends through societies and I just love it.
Lessons from Clearing
My advice to anyone on results day is to be aware that Clearing is something that can happen to anyone, so don’t just rest on your laurels; be prepared. Make a list of universities that you might want to consider and perhaps visit a few universities, so you have a bit more of a baseline of what you're starting with.
Speak to people like teachers at school, your parents and friends about it. Make sure you have support from those around you and don’t do it all alone. However, moments by yourself to process everything without everyone saying a million different things can also be helpful.
