Clearing stories: Shareen

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to university, or not. I decided not to apply when all my friends were. I wasn’t sure if uni was right for me, or if I wanted to move away. When I got my grades, I thought well maybe I should just see what my options are.

I didn’t really know where to start, but I had signed up to get some Clearing information from a few universities, and one of them was Middlesex. They made everything really clear, and I didn’t feel panicked that I had to rush.

I took my time and looked into the courses that I was interested in, and went along for a campus tour – I loved the uni the minute I stepped onto the campus. I got to be in London, but it still felt spacious and I really liked that it was all on one campus.

For me, applying directly through Clearing was so simple. I am glad that I didn’t put pressure on myself to follow the norm. With the support on offer, I got all my questions answered and I felt really prepared for when I started the course. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Shareen's top-tips

• Even if you haven't got your grades, give the uni a call and chat things through. You can get prepared for Results day, and then be on the front foot, and get the place and course you want
• More and more people are deciding to wait and apply directly in Clearing, be confident that there is still so much choice if you apply directly. But don’t wait until the last minute, shop around and explore what courses you might be interested in. Most uni’s list what courses they have in Clearing early in the Summer
• Don’t rule things out based on money or location, there’s plenty of help and things you might not know about - like the Excellence Support pack at Middlesex, where you can get a free laptop. You can also get free gym membership!
• Don’t worry what your friends are doing, and if they have chosen to do things differently to you. We are all unique and we need to do things that are right for us. You can still find out information from them, if they applied earlier - but just no it’s OK to work to your own plan
• Take the time to make sure you visit the uni or uni’s you are interested in - when I visited Middlesex campus I knew it was right for me and it was great to meet the current students and understand what it was like. Visit Middlesex and attend our Clearing information session at our next open day.

Chat with a current student for an insider view of life at Middlesex.

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