Jayden Patel
“It’s not something to be scared of, even though it feels scary at the time.”
Jayden Patel hadn’t originally planned to go through Clearing. Like many students, he had high hopes for his A-level results and had his sights set on a different university. “I was fixed on biomedical science. I was hoping for some high results – probably A’s and B’s,” he recalls.
Even before results day, Jayden had always kept Clearing in the back of his mind. “I kind of thought, maybe I haven't done too well with my exams, and it's something I might have to keep in consideration.”
But when results day arrived, things didn’t go as expected. “It was a lot worse than I originally thought,” Jayden admits. “Even though I was expecting it, it's always a surprise and a shock like, you know, you don't kind of don't feel like it's real in that moment. I had to go home, just recuperate. And in the end, I sat down with my parents, and we just pretty much made a list of every option I had.”
“I was able to talk to many universities, but I'd say overall Worcester just stood out to me instantly. When I phoned up, they asked me my name, first of all, and then kept calling me by my name. And compared to other universities, it felt like they saw me as an actual person, not another number.”
“They were the only university who gave the option to speak with an academic. I spoke to one of my lecturers and he really wanted to know what happened to me as a person, not just why my grades were so bad.”
That conversation changed everything. “I was actually applying for the foundation year. But after speaking to me, he said, ‘You’re not going to get anything out of the foundation year. I’m going to offer you the BSc, the three-year course.’ That was just a massive shock… the best possible option for a not-so-great day.”
Jayden quickly found his place at Worcester. “I’d never been to Worcester. I didn’t know anything about it. But the day after, I came for the Clearing open day, met the lecturer I spoke to, and he showed me the course in depth.”
He encourages others to do the same: “100% go to the Clearing open day. Check out the facilities, speak to a lecturer if you can. You’re talking about three or four years of your life, you have to know where you’re going to be and make sure you’re comfortable and happy.”
Jayden has grown to love his course and the university. “I figured out what course I wanted to do pretty late, but I think it’s the right choice. I love every aspect of it. I know my lecturers quite well and I get along with them, and I’m really engaged with the content of the course.”
One module in particular surprised him: “Introduction to Evolution Genetics – I didn’t like it at A-level, but I absolutely loved it by the end. It was so interesting and different.”
“It’s a smaller university than I originally anticipated, but I thought, ‘Man, this could be a place where I could really shine.’ I love it here. Worcester is a great city and a great university. It’s a comfortable place, made special because of the people.”