The path to your dream career may not be the one you expected
From chemistry to law to running her own fashion business consultancy, Clearing was the start of a rewarding journey for Eleanor
"Once the initial panic of seeing my results had subsided, I looked through the list of universities I was going to apply to through Clearing. Irrespective of your grades on results day, this can be an incredibly stressful process, but the student I spoke to on the phone at Plymouth was massively reassuring. He managed to help me feel calm enough to make a clear decision and talked me through the different law courses on offer."
Eleanor Rockett
One of the best decisions of my life
Before results day, I had a place at another university to study dentistry but I didn’t fulfil their grade requirements. Without a backup option, I decided to go through the Clearing process on results day. I had Plymouth at the top of my list as I loved the city when I visited for an open day, so my decision to apply was a quick one.
The leap from sciences to a law degree felt scary at first, but it soon turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life – I couldn’t have loved my time at Plymouth more.
Give yourself options
I recommend having a few different plans or options. You don’t need a concrete plan B or C if your plan A doesn’t work out but having some ideas will be useful. I had a shortlist of universities I was interested in prior to Clearing and this is where I started when presented with the huge range of Clearing courses online.
On results day, try to keep as calm as possible to allow you to make a confident and informed decision.
A chance to make happy memories
Freshers Week and my graduation day will always stand out in my memory and living by the sea was a huge bonus. Still, I would say that the last months in the run up to final exams form some of my favourite memories at University; I would spend my days in the library with a big group of law students, revising together and finalising our last few pieces of coursework.
We knew that our time would be up soon, and everyone would be moving to different parts of the country, so we wanted to squeeze everything out of those last few weeks together. After a long day of revision, we’d head to the SU open mic nights or Wednesday sports socials; I still don’t know how we managed to cram so much into our last few weeks!
I can’t recommend the University enough; I had an incredible three years and part of me wishes I could do it all over again.
Starting out as an entrepreneur
After graduating with a first-class Law degree from Plymouth, I began an MA in Fashion Design Management at London College of Fashion. Using my knowledge and experience from studying law, I then started Rockett Fashion, a business consultancy company, in January 2020. I also now work part time at the University of the Arts in London as an Intellectual Property Educator.
A few weeks into running my consultancy business, one of my clients launched her brand at London Fashion Week. It was so exciting to see how her brand had evolved from idea to reality in such a short space of time, and then get to support her during her brand’s first showcase.
Of course, waiting backstage, knowing that the seats lining the runway were filled with celebrities, buyers, and fashion icons, was incredibly nerve wracking, but I’ll never forget that experience. Since then, my client’s successes have only continued; she has dressed celebrities including Kanye West, and her designs have been stocked at Browns, a top London store.
Could Clearing be for you?
If you’re worried about your university place, you don’t have to wait until A level results day to apply for Clearing.
Whether you’re yet to apply or have already made an application to the University of Plymouth, we aim to make your next steps as easy as possible.
