Redirecting your university journey through Clearing
By: Communications
On Thursday 14 August, thousands of students across the UK will find out what the next chapter of their lives could look like.
For many, this will mean accepting their place at their firm choice of university. But for others, it will mean making a new choice – either because their grades didn’t go as planned, or because their ambitions have shifted and they’ve decided to take a different route.
That’s where Clearing comes in. It’s the system used by UK universities to match applicants with available places on courses, and it’s helped countless students start their degree in a way they might not have originally imagined.
Hear from students Earlgi, John, Tomiwa, Gab and Imie about their personal journeys to UEA through Clearing.
Earlgi Dadzie – “I made the right decision by coming here”
A first-year Law student from London and the first in her family to attend university, Earlgi chose to enter Clearing after turning down unconditional offers elsewhere, deciding that commuting to a London university in her home city wasn’t right for her.
An aspiring solicitor and founder of The Black Law Network (a platform dedicated to empowering Black aspiring lawyers through access, opportunity, and community), her story is a powerful example of how Clearing can unlock new opportunities. In her case, leading her to UEA.
She recalls: “My decision to go into Clearing was a last-minute decision. I’d already had in my mind that I wanted to go to uni to study Law, but it wasn't until the summer holidays when I had an internship in London and realised that London is very fast paced, that it’d be very similar if I went to uni there.”
When she discovered UEA was offering guaranteed accommodation, she applied through a Clearing app and quickly knew she’d made the right choice.
“I would say that I made the right decision by coming here because UEA is beautiful. Norwich is an amazing town, but it’s not too remote that there’s not any diversity, and everything is way more affordable.
“The people here are amazing and very friendly. I’ve made some incredible friends, and it was very easy to make them as well.”
John Hodson – “The best decision I have made in my life”
Despite wanting to go to university, John found himself working full time in retail at 19, in part due to his A-level results being lower than expected: “I thought there was no way I'd ever be able to go.”
His boyfriend (now husband) was aware of his dream and gave him little choice but to take the plunge: “He went on to the UEA website and passed me his phone because he had called the Clearing number for me, so I didn't really have a choice.
“I spoke to an Admissions person, and they said that I would be able to do an undergraduate degree if I did a foundation degree, which also had Clearing spaces.”
Since that foundation year in Film Studies, John has now completed his Master’s, stepped up to teach at UEA, and is currently studying for a PhD – with his research based around dating apps.
“I think in some ways, it’s actually better to do a foundation year. That extra year means that by second year – when everything starts to really matter – you’ve had plenty of time to acclimatise and get used to it.
“Despite what my grades told me 10 years ago, I actually could excel in an academic institution, I just needed the appropriate opportunity to do that – and at UEA I got that. It's been difficult, but the best decision I have made in my life.”
Tomiwa – "I found a university that was dedicated to helping me pick myself up, achieve, and end up in my dream career"
Hailing orinally from Harrow, Tomiwa studied BSc Computing Sciences with a Year in Industry at UEA after securing a place through Clearing. His year in industry was spent with IBM in London, a city he moved back to after graduating when he landed his dream job as a software engineer with Google.
"Missing out on the grades for my conditional offers was crushing but sometimes rejection just means redirection. Finding UEA via Clearing was one of the best things for me because I found a university that was dedicated to helping me pick myself up, achieve, and end up in my dream career!"
Gab Astorga – “Everything's going to be okay”
After missing out on the grades he wanted back in 2018, Gab chose redirection through Clearing and grabbed a spot on a different course at UEA.
Learn more about Gab's Clearing journey
Imie James – “See this opportunity as a way of being redirected”
When Imie didn’t secure a place to study Medicine at UEA, she could have felt her dream slipping away. Instead, Clearing offered her a different route – one that she now sees as a valuable first step toward her long-term goal.
Through Clearing, she was offered a place to study Biomedicine instead, quickly recognising how it could become a springboard for her ambition to become a doctor.
Imie is keen to reassure future students: “Please don’t see Clearing as a second-best option because it isn’t. Nobody knows your route when you get to university. Everyone is in the same position and equal.
“See this opportunity as a way of being redirected, with the chance to keep on the career trajectory you had hoped for. In many cases, it will open up lots more opportunities too.
“My career ambition to study Medicine and become a doctor remains as firm as ever. Studying Biomedical Sciences first has given me more opportunities and, having spoken to some doctors I know, it’s often a common route to study Medicine as a graduate.”
Now having finished her first year of the degree, Imie reflects on her Clearing experience:
“I was nervous as to whether I was doing the right thing, but my school and UEA were really helpful. Looking back, it was a smooth and calm process. I felt well supported throughout and was able to ask and find answers to my many questions.
“I was surprised to receive my Biomedicine offer but was over the moon to still be able to study at UEA. I don’t have any regrets at all – it truly was the right decision for me!”
“After being offered my place, a senior member of lecturing staff from the School of Biological Sciences kindly called me, answering my many questions on results day. I was also offered the opportunity to visit the University and talk to a lecturer about the course before I started, which was really helpful and illustrates just how supportive the UEA community is.”
If you are looking to start university in September 2025 and still considering your options, then consider joining a top 25 university this September through Clearing.
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