Overcoming the myths of clearing
As of September 20th, 2018, the academic intake year seen a total of 60,100 hopeful students accepted through the UCAS clearing process. Not only was this figure 150 higher than the previous year, it broke a new record for the number of students in total who had been taken in through clearing. Unfortunately, despite the incredible number of success stories which have generated from the clearing process, in 2019, there still exists a major stigma around it. In this article, we set out to quash the myths and provide you with a factual realisation of the benefits of clearing. What is clearing? Clearing takes place between July and September. It is designed to help students who need another opportunity to apply, regardless of the reason. Much of the confusion regarding the clearing process is based around who can apply. If you fall within any of the following categories, then you can apply: • Your application was not received by UCAS until after the 30th June, as by this stage they will not have been able to submit it to higher education institutions on your behalf • You didn’t receive any offer(s) • You had paid the full application fee for a course which has either been declined or unsuccessful • You either didn’t respond by the due date or declined your offer(s) • You didn’t receive the grades, therefore your offer was not confirmed • You declined a changed entry point, a changed course of study, or a changed start date A-Level aftermath The first major point regarding the clearing process, which is misinterpreted, is that it is only for people who failed their A-Levels. Not only is this untrue, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, clearing does offer an alternative route into further education for those who failed to meet preestablished grade requirements, however, this is one very small dimension to the process. It is a sad reality that many students will beat themselves up if they don’t get their predicted grades at A-Level. However, once you arrive at university, everyone starts off from the same place. Teaching is designed and geared to ensure that everyone is in the same boat, regardless of your previous experience or learning. Similarly, don’t think because you’ve come through clearing that the rest of the class will be more intelligent — they could have gone through the exact same experience! Once you’re in, you’re in, and there is no looking back. For students carrying out their A-Levels, there is no denying that you have a lot on your plate. Yes, of course you will receive copious amounts of help from your career advisor at school or college, but, quite frankly, you might not know what you want to do. Often this can lead to jumping into a university course that you didn’t actually want to do. This is where clearing can show its true worth. Rather than devoting the next three or four years of your life to a degree which you are unsure about, reapply once you have had a summer to weigh up your options. ‘But it’s only the courses that nobody wants to do…’ If you listen to the word on the grapevine, you might think that the only courses available through clearing are the ones which nobody wants to do. This, however, is little more than a rumour. Of course, there are a number of subjects which are incredibly oversubscribed from the off-set. However, even for those courses, the grade boundaries will usually be higher, and if the candidates don’t meet the requirements, unfilled places will remain. All clearing does is match students to courses which are not filled. The credibility of the course isn’t diminished in anyway because it features in the clearing process — you could literally find anything on there, even the course you had initially applied for. Don’t think that because you’ve had one knock back from that course that you are inappropriate for a second shot. Many students find that they miss the cut the first time around, however, they can enter on the second intake. Edward Brooks is a recent graduate of Northumbria University. After completing his first year at Teesside University in Middlesbrough, Edward began to look at alternative locations for the remainder of his studies. He wanted to be closer to his family in Newcastle. Unfortunately, because he had missed the cut off for UCAS applications, he would have had to wait for another year if he was going to apply using the standard procedure. Thanks to the university clearing process, Edward was able to apply to Northumbria. He details how his process was utterly seamless: “I was a bit stressed at first. I’d heard that clearing can be really confusing and time-consuming, but, I got in touch and everything was pretty simplistic — I was on the right course for me, in the right location in a few weeks”. What else? The clearing process isn’t difficult, but, we do admit, come results day, things might be a bit haphazard. However, there are walkthrough guides online detailing how to make the most out of the process. Don’t be fooled into thinking people will think less of you if you go through clearing. Clearing is somewhat of a Pandora’s box, or Narnia style cupboard, in that it can lead you into endless opportunity. Sources ucas.com bbc.co.uk
Access control systems – making students safe
Students preparing to move into university accommodation will no doubt worry for their safety – or at least their parents and teachers will – and news circulating the internet has given them good reason to. A video that went viral last year recorded students at Nottingham Trent University chanting racist comments in front of the door of another student in their university accommodation (halls). Rufaro Chisango shared her short video to Twitter, which instantly caught the attention of users across the planet. Thankfully, with the advancements in technology and the implementation of access control systems in university halls, Rufaro was physically safe from any threat. But now, expectations must be higher to ensure that this type of behaviour, or risk, does not happen again. What are access control systems and are they necessary in 2019? When it comes to implementing access control systems on a site, there are two main functionalities used. The first has a more basic yet effective approach and has the ability to enable or prevent someone from entering or exiting a location — this could range from the whole site, a wing of a building, or a singular room that needs protecting from unauthorised personnel. When looking at the second option, this allows security managers to track any movement around a specific location — which can be beneficial when it comes to audits and discovering how compliant users are with the systems. It can also detect any areas where improvements could be necessary. For people to gain access to a locked-down area, they must have valid credentials; this is no different for university campuses. The purpose of having such security measures in place is to help protect students from unauthorised access, which could potentially threaten their wellbeing or put their possessions at risk. No student should feel unsafe in their own home but it was found that 52% of students have noisy housemates, 37% of housemates steal food, 8% live in dangerous living conditions and 6% have experienced a break-in or a burglary. With data from a survey carried out by Save The Student suggesting that the average cost of renting is £131 per week, students are left with little to live on after deducting the payment from their maintenance loan. Yet one in three people feel like their accommodation is not worth the cost. As a result, there is a demand for larger investments into deprived areas — accommodation providers are under pressure to make changes, or encounter detrimental damages that will impact them in the long-run. Implementing access control systems and why they are needed Access control systems have become an integral part of British university campuses, as well as accommodation facilities. Evidently, from the story above discussing the racist chants, it has become critical to ensure the safety and protection of young people as unsolicited actions can be carried out without any prior detection. To improve safety, providers are giving students greater choice on their flats; students can decide whether to be in a loud or quiet building, with non-mixed or mixed gender housemates and can even specify the age range of the people they’d like to live with. Key benefits of access control systems: Opposed to regular keys which can be copied, key cards are unique and can be deactivated when lost or when a student leaves their accommodation contract. This removes the risk of any unauthorised entry and heightens the safety of the new tenant after the previous lease is up. Those trying to get into a locked-down area will need the required credentials, so if they have no card, they won’t gain entry. As they require the swipe of a unique key card for entry permissions which are given only to students, this will make it difficult for anyone other those who are enrolled as residents to enter. Security teams can properly manage each location in real time. Using access control systems and key cards, this can all be documented and easily accessed when needed. Cards can have customised permissions, for example, certain credentials may only be able to gain access between specific times of the day. This is particularly useful when it comes to accommodation employees such as cleaners, as their key cards can be matched with their shift patterns. Students, in particular, are avid users of smartphones and now, locked areas can be accessed through the use of such device as credentials are able to be stored safely; this is an extremely important new feature as smartphones are very rarely out of the hands of young people. You can’t put a price on safety, and university accommodation providers are now realising it by installing access control systems.
‘The apprenticeship levy gives employers more flexibility’
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Avoiding the tech trap
Currently, there is a global movement in education to become smarter. Businesses have been competing to be more digitally intelligent and energy efficient for some time and schools are becoming no different. This shouldn’t mean a tablet computer for every pupil. Instead it means using existing data in new ways: intelligent ways. Here Carl Plant, CEO of digital technology expert bITjAM gives best practice advice for schools looking to become digital leaders. In a study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in September 2015, doubts were raised as to the benefit of increased technology in schools. The report stated that students who used computers frequently in school were attaining poorer results than those who used computers infrequently – once or twice a week. The reality is schools can become better at using digital tools even without a considerable investment in new machines or advanced technologies. Instead, the shift requires looking at current issues and implementing simple digital solutions. Using tech in schools should do three things: solve problems (not create them), engage pupils and aid communication. So what current problems do schools face? Save paper, go digital A couple of years ago it was recorded that the average school consumed the equivalent of 74 trees worth of paper a year. When you combine this knowledge with the latest government statistics that state there are just under 25,000 schools in the UK, that’s a considerable effect on the environment and an unnecessary expenditure. Students are largely required to work on paper and will be for the foreseeable future. However, ways to minimise carbon consumption and become more efficient can be sought elsewhere. In secondary schools and colleges, for example, timetables are invaluable to pupils and yet faculties hand them out on pieces of paper – destined to be lost, binned or succumb to wear. By using existing databases in a more intelligent way and tapping into the rising number of tablets and smart phones, schools and colleges can cut down on carbon consumption by taking advantage of technology. bITjAM recently worked with Stoke-on-Trent College to create a timetable app students could access on their smart phones. The app, called Logga, is a smart approach to the traditional problems schools face with paper timetables. Logga allows schools to minimise the amount of paper used, while also engaging students. The app also negates any excuses of pupils claiming to have lost their timetable. In addition, Logga opens up another means of communication between teachers and pupils. Task management features allow notes to be made regarding attendance and achievements, providing pupils, teachers and parents with historical information at the touch of a button. The great news is this app doesn’t require radical technical changes to a school’s IT infrastructure. All the information is currently available, it’s just a matter of using it in a more intelligent way. It sounds obvious, but technology in schools needs to have a practical use and make logical sense. There’s no use kitting out the IT lab with expensive iMacs simply because a budget exists. Track work experience When talking to schools and colleges we’ve come across another common problem to which we’ve created a digital solution. Although no longer compulsory, students are often encouraged to take part in work experience. Unfortunately, few schools have a reliable tracking system for work experience, and even fewer actually give students the tools to put together a relevant and clear CV even before they leave school. With competition for university places and jobs as high as it’s ever been, it’s become just as important to record out of school activities as it is curricular ones. Again, what schools need is a smarter framework in place to keep track of students’ extra-curricular activities, like work experience, Duke of Edinburgh, volunteering and other skills development. bITjAM was recently involved in an EU-funded project conducting research into the core skills gap. What became brutally obvious during this research is that students and businesses alike don’t seem to know what they want when it comes to work experience. To help, we’re developing an app on which students can record all their extracurricular activity. They can then use their digital CV towards employment or UCAS as an accurate portrayal of skills and experience. Businesses can look at this record and make informed decisions when taking on young people for work experience and apprenticeships. This way, technology can open up another means of communication, this time between businesses and potential employees. Using technology in an educational environment doesn’t have to be more of a distraction than a benefit, so long as there are clearly defined goals. By simply looking at existing data in a smarter way, schools and colleges can make a conscious effort to reduce their effect on the environment, minimise costs and increase engagement. Uncoincidentally, these are the same goals driving hospitals, factories, shops and a number of other businesses to become smarter too. It’s really not a matter of whether you take the steps, but when. bITjAM would like to invite schools and colleges to get in touch with their challenges and see how the company can help to implement digital solutions. To get in touch, go to www.bitjam.org.uk.