Student Blog Squad

My Clearing Experience

Hi, I’m Leah, a Postgraduate student studying Sport and Exercise Physiology here at Leeds Beckett University. I am going to be talking about my experience going through Clearing and my journey that got me to where I am today.
The entrance Carnegie School of Sport building and outdoor seating area on Headingley Campus

Results Day

Prior to entering clearing, I had not yet applied or even attended Leeds Beckett University and hadn’t considered it as an option. Before attending university, I was studying at college and had applied to Loughborough as my firm choice and Swansea University as my insurance. When results day arrived, I woke up, checked UCAS Track and found out I hadn’t managed to get a place at either university so I knew the next step would be to go through clearing.

Clearing

When arriving to my college on results day, I had very little knowledge about Clearing, so I was very anxious about what to do next and what steps I needed to take as I was certain I wanted to attend university. I received my results and went on to speak with my head of year. We discussed lots of options, but Clearing was the obvious choice. I knew which course I wanted to do, Sport and Exercise Science, so the next step was to decide which university I wanted to attend which were still offering places on the course.

Leeds Beckett Stood Out

When looking through several different universities Leeds Beckett stood out. I had previously visited the city and the distance from my hometown wasn’t too far away, just over an hour’s drive. I did some more research around the university and the details about the course and decided this is where I wanted to go and could see myself living for at least the next 3 years. What attracted me most to the university was the emphasis on sport, this is a big aspect of university life which I wanted to be involved with, I also liked the practical sides of the course and the links to large numbers of employers and development opportunities.

The Next Steps and Support Received

My head of year then rang Leeds Beckett through the clearing hotline. I spoke to a Clearing administrator and discussed my A-Level results and which course I was interested in doing. The phone call was very reassuring and made me feel a lot more comfortable with the whole process. By the end of the phone call I knew that I had a place at Leeds Beckett. The support from the university from that moment onwards was outstanding! Around an hour later I received a phone call from the head of the course at the university telling me everything I needed to know about the course and answering any questions which I had. This phone call made everything feel more real and made me forget about the uncertainties and anxieties I felt beforehand. I was kept up to date by email and the next step was choosing which accommodation I would be staying in. This was all done online, the process couldn’t have been easier. There was lots of information including pictures and descriptions of all rooms and details of how close each accommodation was to the university and other important places to visit. I applied for my top three accommodations and I found out which one I was in within a couple of days, I stayed at Kirkstall Brewery.  The attraction to Kirkstall Brewery was the large number of students within this accommodation and the location. It is close to shops, not far from Headingley campus and the train station for quick transport into the city centre.

The Right Choice for Me

From the moment I stepped onto Headingley campus on the first day of University I knew I had made the correct decision to attend Leeds Beckett University. I enjoyed the buzz around campus and everyone’s love for sport. I have been privileged to experience things I could have only dreamed of before attending this university. I completed my undergraduate degree at Leeds Beckett in 2019 and have since gone onto study my master’s degree continuing my education journey here. I have had many memorable experiences throughout my degree from going on residential in the first couple of weeks at university to completing my dissertation and making many friends along the way.

Opportunities Leeds Beckett Provided

A personal journey I went on during my degree was becoming an international rugby league player. When I progressed into the second year of my degree, I wanted to join a sports team, but I was unsure on which one, as the only sport I had previously done was gymnastics. I decided that I was going to give rugby a try. This was one of the best decisions I have made. I enjoyed it so much and the friends I have made will be friends for life. After I had been playing rugby at university, I started playing rugby league for St Helens at home throughout the summer. During my second season playing I got a call up to play for England to play in the World Cup 9’s in Australia and tour Papua New Guinea. I have been supported by the university throughout this experience by being supported by TASS (Talent athlete scholarship scheme) and by being a sports scholar. I’ve continued to be a part of the university rugby team and this year I had the privilege of being the club captain. I believe if I hadn’t chosen Leeds Beckett University when going through Clearing none of this would have been possible.

I Recommend Clearing

I would recommend Clearing to anyone considering going through the process. I believe I am in a better position now than I would have been if I hadn’t taken the steps to finding the ideal university for me. For anyone going through the process, make sure you take your time and ask questions to find the correct university and course for you. 

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