11 Aug University expert advises exam result recipients to make most of degree opportunities by exploring options through Clearing
Kingston University’s Clearing hotline has been buzzing since A-level results day, with hundreds of applicants keen to secure a place on a degree course in the coming academic year. Some 130 friendly hotline operators and 300 academics have been busy fielding queries since the lines opened at 8am on 10 August.
The hotline team includes admissions experts, course leaders, lecturers and fully trained current student ambassadors. They have been busy answering questions from A-level students who didn’t quite get the grades they were hoping for, or had accepted a place elsewhere but have since changed their minds and now want to study at the University.
The operators – some working on campus and others answering calls remotely from their homes at locations around the UK – have also been guiding applicants eager to return to education after a gap year or as a mature student through the process, talking them through the various opportunities available.
Prospective students have been making enquiries about a wide variety of programmes on offer at the University – from social work and computer science to accounting and business management. While there are still some places available to be snapped up on courses including economics, maths and chemistry, they have been filling up fast and applicants are encouraged to call the University’s hotline as soon as they can to have the best chance of securing a place.
Interim Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education Professor Sue Reece said the hotline team had been taking calls from prospective students in a range of situations and was doing everything possible to help them find the ideal course. “There’s been a real mix of emotions. We’ve heard from students who are very excited that they got their place at Kingston University and students concerned that they didn’t quite get the grades they had expected. Students in that position shouldn’t panic. Instead, they should focus on taking action and getting on the phone as there are still options open to them,” Professor Reece advised.
As well as helping callers find a suitable degree course, the University’s hotliners have been dispensing plenty of reassuring advice, answering questions about an array of subject areas and explaining more about what life in Kingston is like. When the new academic year gets under way, most of the University’s teaching will be on campus, with some elements taking place online to support students’ learning experience.
“We are focusing on making sure that when students start in September they get the best university experience possible and really benefit from their courses,” Professor Reece said. “We know it’s been a very challenging time for A-level students over the past 18 months, so we’ll be doing everything we can to help them settle in to their studies, make the most of university life and do well.”
Students can check out the University’s top tips for Clearing, which has advice on how to navigate through Clearing and secure a place on a course. Eager applicants will also have a chance to find out more about what the University has to offer at a virtual Open Day on Saturday 14 August, where they can learn more about courses, meet lecturers and current students and have all their questions answered in online chat rooms.
