Early callers are clearing up on popular courses

Calls have been pouring in to Kingston University’s Clearing headquarters since A-Level results were released this morning. By 12.00pm Clearing hotline operators had taken nearly 1,000 phone calls from anxious A-Level students competing for the few remaining places on degree courses. The team expects to handle up to 300 calls every hour throughout the next few days.

Lines opened at 8.30am and Kingston School of Law’s principal lecturer and admissions tutor Nicola Aries said that students had clearly taken heed of the advice to be quick off the mark this year. “Despite this being the first year when the Government’s top-up fees come into play we’ve seen an increase in demand. Places on popular courses are being snapped up so the message is still don’t delay, call the hotline now,” she said.

Second year student Hadi Mukhtar, who is helping out at hotline headquarters this year, knows only too well how callers are feeling. The 20 year old from Docklands, East London, is studying business management and called Kingston’s Clearing hotline a year ago anxious to secure one of the final few course places. Now a hotline adviser himself, Hadi is looking forward to helping the hundreds of students expected to pick up the phone for advice in the next few days. “Having recently been in the same situation I can identify with the emotions students will be going through,” he said. “When I phoned last year the adviser I spoke to was helpful and sympathetic.  Our team of 40 hotline advisers will be looking to put callers at their ease and find the right course places for them.”

Kingston University is also providing a Clearing drop-in service for students at the Penrhyn Road campus, where students can talk to advisers face-to-face. The service is available between 9.30am to 5.00pm on Thursday 17 and Friday 18.  It will also run from 11.00am to 3.00pm on Saturday and weekdays from 9.30am to 5.00pm until 22 September.