My name is Jeremy, a 19-year-old Ghanaian from South London and a current first-year Economics student at the University of Surrey.

I was originally rejected from studying Economics at my first-choice university after receiving my A-level results, compelling me to place myself in the Clearing process. I had never expected to find myself in Clearing, so it was daunting at first. At first, I was unsure how to approach the process. However, I knew the next best choice for me was to search through Clearing.

Why Surrey

Preliminary research after results day led me to consider Surrey strongly. Its ranking for Economics was an initially promising reassurance. The Clearing process with Surrey was also very easy: it took less than ten minutes for me to receive an offer.  After doing more research into Surrey, I discovered that it was ranked particularly well in terms of teaching ability and employability compared to my first-choice university. Upon seeing this, the benefits began to outweigh the costs: it was a chance to attend a great university, as well as have the bonus of being close to home.

Life at Surrey

Reflecting upon a full academic year at Surrey, it has been exciting and eye-opening. Settling in to the routines and customs here has been a difficult but rewarding procedure. The passion of the lecturers on my course has encouraged me to be excited to study Economics and continue to cultivate my economic know-how outside lectures.

Life outside the curriculum has been enticing as well. As a Christian, what specifically stood out to me was the amount of Christian fellowship communities that gather on campus regularly. I’ve been able to meet and make friends with so many like-minded Christians, personally grow deeper in my faith, and generally settle more smoothly at Surrey. With a wide range of societies, there is something to suit the interests of everyone at Surrey. The area surrounding the University also has a particularly quaint atmosphere that encompasses peace and serenity, perfect for relaxation!

Tips if you’re going through Clearing

Do not panic! If there’s one thing I wish I could have done better, it would have been staying calm. The Clearing process can be worrying at first but it’s very easy to gain a grasp of, especially after submitting your first application. A ten-minute call and your results are really all it takes to kickstart your Clearing application. Another piece of advice would be to do as much research as possible: check university rankings and look at metrics such as graduate prospects and student satisfaction to gain a general idea of what your Clearing choice is like. Finally, your roadmap may seem scrambled if you end up going through Clearing, but it’s a positive opportunity to change your pathway to better suit your ambitions.