AS THE UNIVERSITY of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) braces itself for a busy period of applications, it has offered advice to students who may find themselves in the Clearing process after getting their results on Thursday (Aug 18).

Melanie Jones, Executive Schools and Colleges Marketing Officer at UWTSD, said: “Students should get some advice from their tutors about the options available to them and look up the institutions with vacancies in their chosen subject. They can do this via the UCAS website, the media or individual institution websites. Students can also talk to Clearing line advisors to find a course that’s suitable for them.

“Using the unique Clearing number (located on the welcome and choices pages of the UCAS Track website) and personal ID number, students can contact each institution directly, where trained staff will be on hand to advise them about any vacancies that may be available on each specific programme. In some cases, they are able to make an offer straight away.

“One of the best ways to find out about an institution is to visit its campus. Many places will hold a Clearing Open Day, which offers a great opportunity to judge if the course and the place are the right choice.

“Once a student has made a choice and accepted a provisional offer, the next step is to apply electronically through the UCAS Track system at www.ucas.com and confirmation of their place should come directly from the institution shortly after.”

Amy Parker, who secured her university place at UWTSD through Clearing and has graduated with a BA in Religious Studies from Lampeter, said: “My A Level results didn’t go my way. My Head of Sixth Form and I rang UWTSD and they confirmed they had a place for me. I burst out crying with tears of relief and happiness and so did my dad. Not getting the results you wanted or expected is not the end of the world and everything happens for a reason. I have enjoyed the best three years of my life.”

A list of course vacancies at UWTSD can be found at www. uwtsd.ac.uk/clearing and potential students who would like to discuss the options available to them can speak to the UWTSD admissions team on 0300 323 1828.

FROM HIGHER EDUCATION TO HIRED

92% of UWTSD’s undergraduates were in employment and/or further study six months after graduating – source: DLHE 2014/15. Recent graduates are now employed at businesses including Jaguar Land Rover, Fujitsu, Sky News, Morganstone, Virgin Media, Welsh Water, Hewlett Packard and the British Army.

UWTSD takes an applied, employment-focused approach, which includes practical work experience, opportunities for work placements, innovative student-led approaches to learning and cutting edge ‘masterclasses’ delivered by leading professionals and academics. All of the university’s courses are designed to instil in graduates the attributes desired by employers, e.g. innovation, creativity, an enterprising mindset and responsiveness to unexpected events or tasks.

Fritha Costain, who graduated from Lampeter with a BA in Archaeology, is now General Manager for National Trust Scotland. She said: “Going to Lampeter was an amazing experience. Studying archaeology was fabulous and it provided the foundation of my interest in heritage today. The small size of the university meant that I had opportunities to do as much as I wanted to – I trained as a DJ and was vice-chair of RAG – roles that I would never have been brave enough to take on in a bigger university. Most of all though, I had lots of fun and met some wonderful people.”

Stefanie Turner, is a Master of Arts Creative Writing graduate from UWTSD’s Lampeter campus, who will be teaching English as a Foreign Language in South Korea. She said: “I will be moving to South Korea in August to start teaching there. Studying at UWTSD has taught me that I’m capable of anything, so I’m going to do just that.”

Lowri Bevan has graduated with a First Class Honours degree from the BA New Media Production course at UWTSD Carmarthen. Lowri will be setting up her own business, Digi Designs, which will be a creative marketing and advertising agency focusing on native and artistic advertising for businesses and sectors across Wales. Lowri said: “Completing the entrepreneurship module made me realise I am now capable of building my very own business and it has opened my eyes to the amount of support Wales has to offer for young aspiring entrepreneurs like myself.”

Reham Ismail Saeed Al- Shaibani graduated with a first class BSc (Hons) in Business Information Technology. She said: “My course was totally employment focused. The lecturers gave me the help and advice I needed throughout.”

Mother and daughter Gwenllian Davies and Ann Davies graduated with a BA Early Childhood degree in Carmarthen and have since set up their own nursery. Gwenllian said: “Running my own nursery has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and Cwtsh y Clos Nursery is a dream come true. The course at UWTSD is offered through the medium of Welsh which was brilliant.”

ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY

Last year, around 64,000 individuals across the UK found their place in university through the Clearing process – with Aberystwyth University taking more than 1,000 calls from students looking for guidance.

Aberystwyth University’s Schools and Colleges Liaison Manager, David Moyle, says there is no longer a stigma attached to seeking a place at university through Clearing.

“We appreciate that applying to university through Clearing can be a stressful time for some students, but the Clearing team at Aberystwyth University are here to make the process as easy possible by offering applicants a step by step guide to ensure they find the right course,” said Mr Moyle, who has been holding a series of training sessions for staff in the lead-up to August 18.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to be able to provide advice and guidance to students. On A Level results day, we’re in by 7 o’clock in the morning and although it’s a busy day for all involved, there’s a great atmosphere amongst the whole team. We’re all there for one purpose: to ensure students get the best advice to make an informed decision. It can be an emotional day but it’s a brilliant feeling to hear the delight in a student’s voice when we are able to offer them a place to study with us.

“There are a lot of people involved in the university’s Clearing operation to ensure we offer the best service to applicants and all of the necessary logistics are in in place. We’re now looking forward to receiving calls from students interested in applying to courses at Aberystwyth University, which has just been ranked one of the ten best higher education institutes in the UK and the best in Wales for student satisfaction.”

As well as receiving calls on a special 0800 hotline, staff at Aberystwyth University can also be contacted via email, Facebook, Twitter and live web chat.

With a process such as Clearing it’s important to act fast. Hundreds of students will be in a position where they wish to apply for a course immediately following their results, and places are often limited and can fill up fast.