Student Abbi stood on campus on a sunny day

Clearing stories: Abbi

I applied to a university that was about an hour and a half away. I did get into that uni, but then over summer, during my A-levels, I started to panic about the distance. And I didn't think it was right for me.

I didn't want a city campus where it's dotted around everywhere, Middlesex has one campus that all flows. So, I applied to Middlesex, it was a lot more local and like easier to get to - and I had great transport links. The thing that mattered most when choosing uni was the location and the equipment. I wanted to be able to get home easily and the equipment was really important to me because of the career I want to go into, it needs to be industry standard so I can be set up for a career in the future.

I was quite nervous about the Clearing process because there's only a limited number of spaces and a lot of them are already filled from people who had already chosen to go there. But the process of clearing itself once I'd figured out what I was doing was actually quite stress free and everything was very clearly explained. I just had to decline my other applications on UCAS and then just reapply through clearing, it was easy.

Middlesex has exceeded all my expectations, the technicians have really supported me in my first year at university because of they're always there and you can come to them with any question or problem and they can fix it. And also, you don't have to feel embarrassed about not knowing things because everyone starts at a different place and they make it really easy. 

Abbi's top-tips

  • Don’t worry about what other people think. It's important to be comfortable where you're studying because you can be there for many years and you don't want to pick a uni just because you told people you're going
  • Think about whether you want to live for 3 or more years where you are choosing, I thought I did - but I thankfully questioned myself and changed my mind - and that is OK to do
  • Don’t panic or rush - take your time to make the right choice for you
  • Find out what opportunities are open to you, I am heading to volunteer in Mauritius with the uni, and teach English
  • Don’t settle - it is your life!
Abbi's Story video thumbnail

My name is Abbi Tompkins and I'm studying photography.

Why did you choose Clearing? I applied to a university that was about an hour and a half away, and I did get into that uni. But then over summer, during my A-levels, I started to panic about the distance. Didn't feel right for me.

So, I ended up applying to Middlesex because it was a lot more local and it was a lot more like easier to get to and had great transport links.

How was the Clearing process? The process was very easy and everything was like very clearly explained. I just had to decline my other applications on UCAS and then just reapply through Clearing, and it was really stress free to be honest.

Why did you choose Middlesex? Equipment was really important to me because of the career I want to go into. It needs to be like industry standards.

I really like how it was like open and everything just kind of flows. Like I didn't want a city campus where it's like dotted around everywhere.

Describe your first year? Eye opening because it's really opened up, like what my potential was as a person and what I can achieve because I've done so many things I never thought I would.

And exciting because I can't wait to see, like where it will take me next and what I'll do with my photography.

What support did you find at Middlesex? The technicians have really supported me in my first year at university because of like, they're always there and you can come to them with any question or problem and they can fix it. And also, you don't have to feel embarrassed about not knowing things because everyone starts at a different place and they make it really easy.

What cool opportunities did you have? The one thing that surprised me was the opportunities that Middlesex have to offer. Um, I applied for a trip to Mauritius and that's something I never thought I'd be able to access just through going to university.

One of the amazing opportunities outside of my course was sports. Being able to apply for Judo, it's something I quit when I was younger, and I found I've really rediscovered my passion.

Anything you would change? I don't think I'd change anything. The only thing I'd change is my, like, getting on top of my work, which I felt behind a little bit. But in terms of the university, I think it was amazing and it's how it turned out a lot better than I expected as well.

Abbi's Story

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