Kyle's Clearing story

My route into university wasn’t quite what I had planned, but looking back, going through Clearing was honestly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

A change of heart at the last minute

I’d originally applied to study Psychology and had unconditional offers from several universities already in hand. Everything was lined up. But around that time I had a sudden realisation and discovered Pharmacology, and something clicked. I knew immediately that this was the course I actually wanted to do. So I made the bold decision to turn down all of my existing offers and start from scratch. Rather than panicking, I treated it as an opportunity. I did my research properly and looked into course rankings and ratings for Pharmacology across the country. The University of Portsmouth consistently came up as a strong option, so I picked up the phone and went through Clearing to secure my place.

Why Clearing worked for me

I think there’s a lot of anxiety around Clearing and I understand why, as it can feel last minute and uncertain. But for me it was actually quite empowering. I wasn’t scrambling; I was making a deliberate and informed choice. I knew what I wanted and Clearing gave me the route to get there. Portsmouth wasn’t a fallback. It was my first choice once I’d found the right course.

Life after graduation

After graduating, I secured a role as a Clinical Trials Assistant at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. I spent two years there building a solid foundation in clinical research, supporting trials, learning the regulatory landscape and understanding how research really works in practice. I then progressed into my current role as an Associate Clinical Research Associate at IQVIA, a global Contract Research Organisation. In this role I work embedded with a major pharmaceutical sponsor and am involved in monitoring clinical trial sites, visit report writing and ensuring trials run safely and to protocol. It’s a challenging and fast paced career that directly builds on everything I studied.

My advice to anyone going through Clearing

Don’t see Clearing as a last resort. It can genuinely be the smartest move you make. Do your research, be honest with yourself about what you want to study and don’t be afraid to change direction. I rejected unconditional offers because I knew they weren’t right for me and that decision led me to exactly where I wanted to be. Portsmouth gave me the course, the knowledge and the foundation for a career I’m genuinely proud of. If you’re going through Clearing right now then back yourself because it could be the best thing that ever happens to you.

Read more