The tight squeeze for university places

I remember that time three years ago, the dreaded walking up to the college office to collect my envelope which undoubtedly decided my future. Luckily for me though it was a simple enough process.

Fast-forward 3 years and it seems a much harder and complex process to secure university places. According to the BBC more than 300,000 students have received A Level results with a further 150,000 students either failing to make the grades or have not had an offer. Even if you did secure a place, this year proved to be the most challenging and competitive year for university places, as colleges and universities tighten up their belts.

UCAS the governing body that runs and manages university application procedures said 56% of the 674,000 people who applied for undergraduate courses this autumn have been accepted. This suggests that just over half of the students who applied actually secured places to their University of choice.

Mortar Boards, Gowns and degree ceremonies aren't everyone’s cup of tea

So what about the rest….

Approximately 186,494 are thought to be without a university place and thought to have to go through the dreaded clearing process of finding a course similar or different to what they first chose. Comparing this to last year’s figures, about 135,000 were in this position. But there are other options that could be life changing too and University isn’t for everyone even if you did apply to it in the first place

Take A Gap Year: More and more students are opting to take a year out, to gain some personal life experiences. Travelling to far flung destinations such as Australia (a popular and familiar choice) can sometimes develop your personal skills and also defuse the stress from not making it to University and of course you can also re-apply again next year. There are hundreds of gap year organisations waiting for your call including STA Travel & Gap Year.

Gain Some Work Experience: Experience is key in this day and age in whatever profession or industry you land yourself in, employers look for experience. Whether it be marketing, business or another industry, experience is crucial to secure your future job prospects. Useful websites include WEXO and Enternships, which offer a range of paid internships.

Carry on Learning: Some students opt to re-sit modules that either they thought could have done a lot better in to bolster your grades. There are also a number of other options including foundation degrees and Open University courses, which can even be taken from home. Options include the Open University.

Most of all stay focused, it’s not the end of the world as you know it, just because your friends got into University doesn’t mean you can’t. Universities and future employers will be more impressed if you did something pro active on your year out or what ever you choose to do than sit back and brush up on your video gaming skills.