I am a bit different to most University applicants, because I did not do A Levels. Instead, I went down the apprenticeship route, gaining NVQ level 2 and 3 in Youth Work back at home in the Lake District. I then reached a point where I realized that to further my studies, I needed to go to university. I was lucky because I had access to a support worker who had herself been down the University pathway and she supported me through the whole process.
I applied for University via UCAS, and found out that I didn’t have the necessary qualifications or amount of experience to go straight on to a BA Hons in Youth and Community Work. I decided to go through Clearing and applied for the Foundation in Social Science at Cardiff Met, which leads on to the BA after the first year.
I had never been to Cardiff before, so the decision was a bit of a leap of faith! As I was coming from so far away, I rang up Cardiff Met and explained my situation and within three days they were able to sort accommodation in student halls for me, which was great.
My foundation year at Cardiff Met has been the best year of my life so far. I have definitely made friends for life, I have joined sports teams – including the First Men’s Football Team, and I have become 100% more independent.
My advice to anyone who maybe doesn’t have the grades they need to get in to their preferred university right now, is to not give up. Go through Clearing, investigate the options available, and let fate run its course – trust me, I did and I will never look back. Most of all don’t panic – just follow all of the necessary steps and you will finally get there.
To find out more, visit: www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/clearing
Applying to Cardiff Met via Clearing: A Foundation Year was the right choice for me
