How to prepare..

Michael

With A level results day nearing, nerves may be at an all-time high among many people who are expecting results. Hopefully you will manage to get the grades you were expecting, but for those of you, who like me, don’t quite reach your required grades, then clearing may be the next step to take.

If you have some kind of feeling that you may not meet the grades that are needed, then it’s always best to have a copy of the Daily Telegraph to take with you, as this will have a list of the different universities that are taking people through clearing, as well as the courses available, and the entry requirements.

Clearing can be a daunting experience, but we have a large team of trained students on hand to take Clearing applications. They are trained either on phones, on our online chat feature, as well as our reception desks which are on both the Greenwich and Avery Hill campuses.

We will hopefully be able to give you an offer for a programme, but if we are unable to, we will do our best to suggest alternative pathways to getting into University.

If you have any questions about clearing, or how to apply through Clearing, you can call us on +44(0)20 8331 9000 or email courseinfo@gre.ac.uk and someone will be able to assist you

Contact us via Live Chat :)

Victor

Hello everyone,

Yet another week of summer and respectively Clearing is starting! :) This would be my first blog which would be surprising if you have in mind I have been working for the Enquiry Unit and Clearing for the last almost three years. I just had my graduation ceremony last Thursday and am well excited that I am graduated.

I have been working on our Live Chat service from the start of last Clearing. A lot of you choose to use this method of communication with us as you find it more convenient. If you ever want a quick and friendly response to any of your questions feel free to go to our web site and click the Talk Now bubble that will pop up at the bottom of your screen.

Last week I spoke to a few of you that unfortunately did not manage to achieve the expected results. A note to any people like that: firstly do not panic.. this is not the end of the world.. there is almost always an alternative. Secondly, unfortunately you will not be able to apply for the same course through Clearing if you have applied for it in Main Cycle with us. There are however almost always similar courses and foundation years that might be worth considering.

When people hear foundation courses they normally get confused from my experience. This is a fully legitimate way to get your undergraduate degree. What this means in most cases is that you will do your first two years of your chosen programme at one of our partner colleges and then upon successful completion you will be able to transfer into the third year of the course at one of our University main campuses. At the end of your last third year you will receive a certificate from the University of Greenwich as well. Partner colleges are also a good option as class sizes are usually smaller which would mean that you will receive more face-to-face interaction with your tutors and individual support if needed.

So basically even if you have not achieved the grades you thought you would, there might be an alternative for you, so do not hesitate to contact us. As explained by my colleagues there are many ways to get in touch with us, so why not just give it a go!

Results and Accommodation

Kelly

There have been two hot topics of conversation from the calls I have received recently from prospective students who have already made applications to us; results and accommodation.

So you have your results for your BTEC qualification or Access course but your offer is still showing as conditional with us on UCAS Track?  That is because not all BTEC qualifications are automatically fed through UCAS to us and Access course results are not provided to UCAS at all.  But never fear; you can send us your results and we will process them and update your offer accordingly.

The easiest way to notify us of your BTEC or Access results is via e-mail.  You can include a scanned copy of your transcript or results letter or even a photograph, just make sure all the text is clear!  You can then send this, along with your full name, date of birth, UCAS personal ID, Greenwich Student ID and the course you applied for to:

qualifications@gre.ac.uk

Once this has been received we will update your offer and you will be notified of our decision through UCAS Track.

I've had quite a few calls from prospective students who have applied for accommodation through the Accommodation Portal but have not heard anything back from us.  This is perfectly normal and we will begin to correspond with applicants, via the e-mail address you included on your accommodation application, over the coming weeks depending on your situation.  Offers to prospective students who have qualified on a course of study at the university will be sent from mid-July onwards. Offers to prospective students awaiting examination results will be sent when they have qualified for their programme of study starting in mid-late August when A Level results are posted.

We cannot always provide you with the hall and precise type of room that you prefer but we will do our best to allocate accommodation that matches your preferences as closely as possible.

The offer letter sent via email will include information about the hall you have been offered. If you wish to accept the offer of a room, you must click the Acceptance Link provided in the letter and must pay a £400 deposit. A deadline date by which you must have completed both of these steps will be included in the letter. If your deadline date falls on a weekend, you are advised to accept the room before the deadline expires and pay the deposit on the next working day. If you do not accept the room and pay the deposit, the offer will be automatically withdrawn.  Deadline periods for replies to offers, etc. can be short so please ensure you check this email address daily.

Remember, if you have any queries, you can always get in touch with us via:

Phone: 020 8331 9000

E-Mail: courseinfo@gre.ac.uk

Livechat on our website: www.gre.ac.uk/study

Drop in to our reception in the Queen Mary Building, Greenwich Maritime Campus, Old Royal Naval College, Park Row, London SE10 9LS

Find us on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/uniofgreenwich

Find us on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/uniofgreenwich

Unexpected Journey

Deavon

Hi everyone,

Whoa, reading the advice my colleagues have given you guys has given me some tough acts to follow! So you know what, I won’t follow and instead leave a trail ; )

I am being cheeky because I kind of borrowed a line from Ralph Waldo Emerson, the quote being, ‘Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail’ However, I think for people attending university and especially for those applying through clearing this saying is particularly relevant.

During main cycle applicants may choose universities because that is where their friends are going or choose subjects because that is what their friends are studying. Yes I know I made a sweeping statement, but as the legendary Bob Marley sang, if the cap fits where it … and by default if it does not, then we’re all good ; ) However, what is not sweeping is that clearing is a lottery and can be daunting because you literally do not know where you will end up or what course you will be studying! The path is not clear and it is for you to create that trail.  

But that is also the beauty of Clearing and also a reality of life. The beauty is you have another opportunity to attend university, so please don’t be daunted by the prospect, embrace it, shop around and ‘keep your head up’ (a little Tupac) even if the ‘shopping’ is not going as well as hoped! As for reality, many of you are in clearing because you missed getting the results required for your firm or insurance offers. Sometimes life means we have to adapt to circumstances that were not our ideal scenarios and it is having the ability to respond to difficult situations that actually helps shape you. Yes I am talking from experience, but the least said on my hectic life, the better ; )

So I suppose what I am saying is that in addition to all the excellent information my colleagues have given you, stay calm in Clearing and keep everything in perspective. Good luck : )

Summer and Results

Binal

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer and beautiful weather so far. We have long waited for the summer and it is finally here, just like results day will be in a few weeks. So why not be prepared, beforehand?

Having experience working on two results days, I can tell you it can be extremely busy, so why not have a checklist for yourself or have a few different courses to fall back on. For example if the program you wish to apply to is not available or unfortunately you do not meet the requirements for that particular course, you can always ask to check for another course.

Or if you have applied to a course within our university and have been made unsuccessful for this academic year, not to worry, you can still apply to a similar course. This applies to most courses expect for the nursing programs, where you can still apply for the next academic year for the intake in March 2014 in September 2013 through UCAS.

So why not head to http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/courses/clearing where you can browse through a list of available courses and select either the undergraduate or foundation section. Once you have selected your course you can see the list of modules you would be studying for the duration of your entire degree, to provide you enough information to select a course that best suites yourself. For the most up to date information on availability of courses, you can contact us on 020 8331 9000.

If you applied through the main cycle of UCAS and have received feedback from us, regarding UCAS points, for example you could look further into our foundation degrees, extended degrees or HNC/HND which generally ask for lower UCAS points. All these qualifications can take you towards completion of an undergraduate degree.

Wish you guys all the best on your results and just to remind you we are always only a call or chat away  =)

Come to Campus & Visit Our Clearing Reception…

Laura R

Hey Guys,

So this is my first blog for the Clearing 2013 Diary – exciting!  We are all systems go at the moment with Clearing which is still in its early stages. We are getting a steady flow of applications at the moment through Clearing and it is great to see we have so much interest in the University.

Did you know that as well as our telephone and chat systems you are more than welcome to come and visit us at Queen Mary Reception (Greenwich) from 9am- 5pm, Monday to Friday, where myself and my colleague Rima are currently based.  We are happy to help with any of the following:

• Clearing applications (undergraduate)
• Pre-entry guidance for applicants for the next academic year
• Assist with UCAS applications
• We are the central meeting point for campus tours
• We keep the public updated via the social media sites; Twitter, Facebook, LiveChat and Foursquare.
• We work closely with the international team

So if any of the above sounds like something you may need assistance and advice for, feel free to come down in the specified times and see us.

From results day (15^th August) there will be another reception opening in Mansion Site on the Avery Hill campus (this is as well as the Greenwich one remaining open).

However, if you would rather enquire over the phone or via our LiveChat system, that is completely fine too and these services remain open (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) :)

We look forward to seeing you, take care.

Laura R

Time to plan ahead..

Ezgi

Hello Everyone!!

So we are slowly but surely approaching the big results day J.. However there is still time to plan ahead!

I am sure that many of you have started thinking about your options and have questions about the Clearing process. At the Enquiry Unit we are a very friendly team of trained student-staff members. We understand the experiences you are going through and are here to help you and answer any questions you may have. As well as giving you a student’s perspective on University life, we can tell you about the application process for clearing and provide advice on any other questions you may have such as student finance. If you have any questions, do give us a call on 0208 331 9000.

Clearing is open to those who are interested in studying full time Undergraduate degrees or Teacher Training (including Primary PGCE Part Time). To apply for a programme through Clearing you must ensure that you are not holding any offers and do not have any pending qualifications.

If you have not yet made any applied on UCAS/GTTR but are interested in applying for a programme this September, there is still time to make an application. Applications can be made on UCAS (www.ucas.ac.uk) or GTTR (www.gttr.ac.uk). When you fill out your application form please ensure that you include ALL qualifications from GCSE’s onwards. This is important as all qualifications are taken into account when an application is reviewed!

Please be aware that it can also take up to 48 hours for us to see view your application once you have submitted it.

Once that is all done, give us a call to find out about which programmes are available through clearing.

As well as general undergraduate degrees, we also offer a range of exciting foundation degrees, HND’s and HNC’s.  To check out which programmes are currently available, please visit the link below:

http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/courses/clearing

We look forward to hearing from you J