Unsure about Clearing and going to uni? ‘Absolutely go for it’, Coventry University student says

A Coventry University (@CovOnline) student is urging those unsure about going to university not to miss their opportunity as we head into Clearing – the busiest time of the year for student recruitment.   

BSc Aerospace Technology student Harrison Childs, from Essex, has been balancing full-time work in the aerospace field with academic studies since joining Coventry University through Clearing two years ago.   

Clearing is a way for applicants to find a place if they haven’t been accepted by their firm or insurance choice universities or have changed their mind about where and what they want to study.   

Harrison, aged 23, says he only decided he wanted to pursue higher education two weeks before his course started, but is glad he did.    

He said:

“If you’re considering applying to university through Clearing then absolutely go for it. Everybody has that doubt in their mind over whether they want to do it and so did I, but here I am two years down the line and I’m absolutely loving it, you can’t get a better experience than this. I never thought I’d come to university but I wish I’d done it sooner.   

“It’s given me a lot more options when I finish university having come to Coventry. It’s been a fantastic opportunity that I needed to take and didn’t know I needed to take until Clearing offered me the position. I got the opportunity to do what I want to do thanks to Clearing.”  

You can go through Clearing if you have changed your mind about what or where you want to study, you haven’t applied for university yet and don’t want to wait another year, you didn’t get the grades for your initial chosen university or you did better than expected and want to apply for a different university or degree.   

Harrison’s enjoyment of both his course and the city of Coventry are another reason he has been delighted with his decision to go to university through Clearing.   

He added:

“I think Coventry University is a fantastic place. Everybody works as a team right from course directors to me as a student and I just enjoy what I do here. Our EEC (Engineering, Environment and Computing) building is phenomenal – it has all the top stuff and it’s just a great experience to utilise it.   

“Coventry is a city you fall in love with, everything here is great for students and it’s just a beautiful place to be.”   

Harrison also praised the way the university has handled the pandemic, and says COVID-19 shouldn’t put prospective new students off from following their dreams.   

He said:

“Coventry had all the right technology in place to help us transition to online learning when we needed to, in order to keep us safe while continuing to deliver a great standard of education and I think that is what counts.   

“The communication has been good, the staff have been great throughout and the overall learning experience has been as good as it could be given the circumstances.”