AN Ulverston undergraduate has told of her positive experience of the university clearing system, as nervous students prepare to receive their A-Level results next week.

Deri Ford lost out on her firm choice of university after discovering her initial grades were not quite what she expected.

The 19-year-old had prepared a Plan B and she secured a place at Northumbria University, Newcastle, through clearing to study a BA (Hons) degree in psychology.

New research, commissioned by Northumbria University, suggests students in the North West are more worried that they won’t get the results they need for their chosen university than in other parts of the UK. The study says three quarters of North West students fear they will not get their grades, compared to 66 per cent nationally. The research also found there is a lack of understanding about the options available to them, including Clearing and Adjustment.

Deri said: “Applying through Clearing was so straightforward and I had confirmation of my place by lunchtime on results day. The staff on the helpline made it feel like a really simple process. I was so relieved that I could sort out my future in just a morning. The Clearing team who looked after my application took the stress right out of everything.

“When I got confirmation that I had a place through Clearing, it was such a relief. I’d already done my research so knew the University offered an excellent programme in Psychology, plus I’d visited a few times and just loved the city.”

Clearing | An opportunity to study in Newcastle from Northumbria University on Vimeo.

The survey, commissioned by Northumbria University, involved a self-selected sample of A-Level and A-Level equivalent students.

Stephen Welsh, undergraduate marketing manager at Northumbria University, Newcastle, said: “There is a high degree of worry among North West students about getting the exam results they need but they aren’t, as a whole, fully aware of the Clearing and Adjustment process that follows results day, which can help them get onto a course that’s right for them, regardless of whether they do better or worse than expected.

“The Clearing process has changed significantly in recent years and the option to ‘trade up’ using Adjustment now gives students the ability to reconsider their original choice if they have done better than expected. We recognise how important it is as a university to provide students with clear and simple messages around the Clearing and Adjustment process and ensure they are supported through it appropriately."

The university's clearing site can be found at the website www.northumbria.ac.uk/clearing and the university's clearing hotline is 0800 085 1085.