My Clearing Story

My name's Dane Mellows, and I graduated from the University of Hull with an upper second class degree in history, which I'm very proud of.

But arguably, I'm more proud of the fact that I came in through Clearing.

When I went through the clearing process, I remember it feeling like a scary thing. It's really challenging to put yourself through all that, and to motivate yourself to carry on after maybe not getting what you wanted to from your A level results.

Some people might think that others will look down on you for going through clearing. But going through it myself, I know that it's something that you can look back on as nothing to be ashamed of. You don't get treated any differently for it at university.

If anything it's probably helped me at university, because I got a bit of a different insight to the usual way into university. That's obviously helped me to do videos and blogs like this, where I can then help future students get through that challenging day. That weird process, where you're ringing around everywhere. In my head looking back it seems so simple, but I also know how I was feeling on that day.

I was very scared, anxious. I was confused, just about the unknown of where I was going to go, if I was going to go anywhere. But anyone who asked me, I always give the same piece of advice, that if you pick up the phone and you ring up Hull, then they will be reassuring and supportive, and they will help you in any way that they can make your decision about where you want to go to university. They will offer you everything that we have to offer at Hull, which is so much.

I went through clearing, and in my third year I was president and station manager of Jam Radio, the university's radio station. I was a regular DJ at the nightclub. I started my own society with my friends, Extreme Ironing, which was a good laugh. I've done so much, from ambassador work, to digital ambassador work, doing everything, every single thing that I can at university.

No one at any point asked me if I applied through clearing when I was signing up for those kind of things. Also, from an academic standpoint, you're not treated any differently to do with assignments, lectures, seminars, everything. You're the exact same as everybody else.

It's up to you to prove yourself.

I do remember how daunting it was, not knowing where you're going on results day. I knew that I wasn't going to be getting back what I needed to get into the universities that I applied for, just from how my exams went. But I still tricked myself into believing miracles can happen. I can still get to where I want to be.

But I got the results I did. I went through clearing and I ended up where I needed to be, which was Hull, and the amount of opportunities that I've had since joining have been absolutely amazing.

It's been unbelievable what I've been able to achieve at Hull, and what I've been able to gain at Hull, on top of the academic side of the university. There's so much more to it, and I would've never had that if I didn't go through clearing, if I didn't pick up the phone that day and ring up Hull.

That's probably one of the best decisions I've made in my life, ringing up Hull on my results day. I have absolutely no regrets, and I absolutely loved my three years here. I wish I could do it forever and ever.

Want to start your university story? Apply through Clearing now and start something extraordinary today.