As a student coming from the United States, I had been considering studying in the UK for multiple reasons: competitive tuition fees vs. comparable institutions in the States, a 3-year instead of a 4-year course that allows for more specialisation, and a chance to experience studying in a different country with similar culture, a comparably more navigable health system, and strong transport links. It makes such a difference being able to live and explore without a car (even in more rural areas)!
Originally, I was enrolled at a university in the United States and had deferred my place to take a gap year. Due to personal circumstances, I changed my mind about taking a break from my studies and wanted to start university sooner. I was also interested in changing my degree from an Animation BFA to something more to do with creative writing, from deciding that I wanted to explore writing instead of visual art at university. With it being the summer at the time though, I had thought that my options were limited.
That’s when I learned about Clearing! Clearing is the period in which UK universities allow students to apply for any vacancies on courses that they have, long after the initial application deadlines have passed. I found it to be a great opportunity to explore degrees, programmes, and institutions that I hadn’t considered before.
Having heard about Exeter and how tailorable its degrees are, I decided to see what courses were available and found out about the BA English & Creative Writing programme and how it really suited my interests. One of the things I really liked was the sheer range of topics found in the modules (classes) offered, spanning centuries and disciplines like Art History and Film. Later as a student, I always found myself wishing I could’ve taken more modules when making my selections. It felt really nourishing to be able to draw inspiration from unexpected areas, learning deeply how narrative manifests in different mediums and contexts. For example, this could be narratorial techniques used in graphic novels, the viewer’s sense of agency in film, and historical understandings of story structure. Being surrounded by peers who felt the same was exhilarating, as well as encountering such a variety of unique creative voices in the weekly writing workshops that were a part of my degree.
I have to say that I only found out about Clearing a day or two before vacancies opened (on A level results day in the UK). Hopefully, you’re finding out about it sooner than me! But hey, I was still able to get everything in order and to get in! Exeter’s pages on the process made it easy to navigate, and I knew how to contact staff for help if I needed it. For example, I found this page helpful with translating my AP and SAT scores to UK A-Levels, and the online portal at the time made it easy to confirm that the course I wanted had vacancies. Putting my application details into UCAS Clearing was also straight-forward (similar to the US’ Common App website where you can apply for multiple universities). With some of my questions, I also utilised Study Across the Pond’s study agent service, chatting with an advisor to help me through my application.
I received my offer within a few hours and was able to confirm my place shortly after!
No matter what time you’re finding that Clearing could be a good option for you, it’s probably not as late as you think it is to get started.
With picking Exeter as a location, I liked that the city was described as feeling very human-sized, with things feeling very walkable. The riverside Quay area and the surrounding areas with rolling hills (Dartmoor National Park) and beautiful coastline were some of my favourite parts. I was amazed that I could get to these places within around half an hour by train, and that cities like Bristol and London were only an hour to two hours and a half away. Once you find your people here, there’s an everyday quaintness to finding your go-to spots to just be and spend time.
Another pleasant surprise for me with coming to Exeter was how vibrant the student society scene is (like secret societies minus the “secret”). They’re student-run groups that usually revolve around shared interests, personal background, or an activity. At Exeter, there’s over 300 of them, with something for everybody. If you have an idea though, you can start your own through the Students’ Guild, who also run their own events that can look like craft nights or day trips (Give It A Go). With all of this, there are so many opportunities to meet people, keep your passions kindled, and to try new things. You can really commit as much as you want, from attending casual events to being part of things like regular volunteering within the community to being part of professional level performances or student media, which can contribute to forming a part of your career goals and search after university. One of the best parts of university is finding community, and you can definitely find it here.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking about studying at Exeter and may also be looking at Clearing as an international student. My last piece of advice for you would be to do as much as you can in advance to prepare your documents to apply for a student visa from the UK government (which most international students need). The process can take a few weeks of processing time, so it’s good to get a head start on it, so you can be at ease when it comes to planning your travel arrangements (Exeter runs an airport collection service!). You can find information on Exeter’s website about the documents you need to prepare and the student visa process.https://www.exeter.ac.uk/international-students/visas/student/ If you have any questions, there’s also an International Student Advice team that you can email or call.
As someone who’s been through it, I know this time can feel both exciting and nerve-wracking with all the possibilities. If you think about what’s important to you (with personal fulfilment, goals, and what you want your everyday to look like) and prioritise and rank them, I’ve found that to be helpful with making decisions. Talking to those you know or people experiencing what you’re thinking about doing can also really help. You can talk directly with a current student here!
Whatever you decide, I hope this next chapter of your life is filled with lots of moments of growth and finding what you’re looking for.
All the best,
Thomas