Tega Ayerume enrolled through Clearing to study Clinical Pharmacology BSc at St George’s in 2019.
Below, Tega shares her top tips for getting the most out of Clearing based on her experience, what it is like studying Clinical Pharmacology, and her experience of the extra-curricular opportunities available to students at St George’s.
“Clearing is generally stressful because you don’t know what to expect and everyone is panicking about their future, but one thing applicants should know is that the people processing Clearing applications are friendly and understand the position that you’re in.
"They are there to help as best they can, so take a long deep breath and follow these tips that helped me get through Clearing.
1. Stay calm
“Don’t panic. Keep a clear, calm mind and make sure you don’t rush your decision. Compare your clearing offers and research the type of experience you can expect to have at the universities you have received offers from.
"You need to be sure that you’ll enjoy both the course and the university life because you will be spending at least three years there.
2. Organise your details
Before applying, organise all the important details you’ll need to make a Clearing application such as your Clearing number, UCAS number and achieved grades. This will not only keep you calm during the call but also help prevent mistakes.
3. Do your research
Look into the different universities that are offering your course through clearing and make a shortlist of the ones whose requirements you meet. Research the benefits of the course at each university, including things like career prospects, and contact them in priority order.
4. Ask for help from family and friends
Ask your family and friends to give feedback on the shortlist you’ve made. If you have friends that have been to a shortlisted university, ask them about their experience.
My cousin’s positive experience at St George’s solidified my decision to come here and I love it!
5. Sell yourself
"Give all the academic information you have, let them know about every A Level grade, but also try to get your enthusiasm for the course across as best you can – particularly if you have an interview.
Different types of learning
“I have enjoyed studying Clinical Pharmacology so far as it accommodates different types of learning - we have a lot of practical sessions like presentations, lab work and clinical skills sessions. At the end of the week we have small group sessions where we are given problem-based cases to work through which consolidate our learning from the previous few days. The course team have worked so well in designing the course.
“I have also enjoyed remote learning, which has come about due to the restrictions associated with Covid-19, a lot more than I expected. I like that we can watch lectures and ask questions to the lecturers in our own time. Personally, I prefer learning at night because that’s when my brain takes in information the best, so online learning has been a joy for me.
“Our course team worked hard over the Easter holiday to design our online learning content and packed it with activities and mini quizzes. Remote learning also did not stop us from doing our small group sessions on Mondays and Fridays. The only downside is not being able to do lab and clinical skills sessions, nevertheless I have enjoyed remote learning.”
So much more to offer
“St George’s is not just great academically but has so much more to offer, we have over 30 sports clubs here ranging from football to archery to climbing. I like that you don’t have to have played before to join, in fact I’d advise you to join sports clubs out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. If you can’t find a sport that you love, you can form your own sports club, for example, this year the St George’s Muay Thai society was created.
“I’m not exactly the sportiest person but that’s fine because there’s more societies to choose from, we have a great music society where we have a big musical show annually. We also have a really good dance society with three annual shows you can participate in.
“This year, I am so excited to be a committee member of a few societies including the African and Caribbean society and the Students’ Union. There’s a lot to choose from, have a look for yourself at https://www.sgsu.org.uk.”