Lots of schools will have teachers on hand for clearing, but parents can help ease the pressure too. Mums and dads might want to take the day off, so they can provide emotional support as well as helping with practical things, such as researching courses and unis, note-taking and advice. Ultimately, however, the choice lies with the student – parents should guide them to follow their gut feeling, rather than being forced to say yes to a course or university that’s not right. In our case study, a mother and daughter talk through their experiences on the day.
Samantha Pettitt, 19, studying biomedical science, University of Hertfordshire
On results day, I logged in and found out I was in clearing. I started phoning any university that did a biology-based course. I got five offers and went to my mum and dad and we sorted through them. They helped find the websites and contacted anyone we knew who’d been there to get advice. They suggested writing a pros and cons list, and calmed me down as I was so stressed. It was so good to have them there, especially as they’d come to all the open days. They kept me level-headed and they just kept saying: “It’s OK.” In the end, they were genuinely happy that I was doing something I wanted to do.
Karen Pettitt
Samantha is the first of our family to go to university, so clearing was a whole new ball game for us – we knew nothing about it. She thought she’d failed because she hadn’t got into her first choice. It was also very stressful for us – we had to put a lid on our own emotions, as she was in tears. We tried to calm her down and said: “Let’s just wait and see.” We trawled through universities on the internet, as she wanted a place that had accommodation on-site. My husband Neil was very practical, checking up on the campus facilities and sporting amenities.
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