Tegan shares her university journey from studying Journalism at RGU and changing course via Clearing during her studies to enrol in Communication Design. She tells us more about the process, the support she received, and the many highlights of her time at RGU so far.
Why did you apply through Clearing?
I applied through Clearing in August 2022 after having a change of heart regarding my degree and what I wanted to do in the future. I previously studied Journalism for two years already within RGU, which was a dream of mine since the start of secondary school. Despite having a lot of struggles mentally whilst sitting my Highers, I pushed through these challenges and in the end managed to get the grades needed to receive a place on the course.
During my time on the course, I had my fair share of difficulties and struggles. I realised I excelled at the more creative and design focused modules as opposed to the writing aspect, with my design ability being commended by my classmates and lecturers. Whilst my classmates were already starting to get their foot in the door within the Journalism industry, I found myself doing the same but with graphic design instead. From posting my designs on social media, I began realising there was something here and that despite my lack of experience, people wanted to work with me.
As my eyes were opened to the possibility of doing this as a career, I built up a portfolio of work and continued to add to it over time. The feedback I received helped me gain confidence in my abilities and more opportunities started to come my way as a result.
Towards the end of my second year, I began having doubts about whether Journalism was right for me and contacted my lecturers to discuss what was going on. They were super supportive of my situation and encouraged me to contact the RGU Admissions Team about changing courses as clearly my heart was not in it anymore.
The possibility of going to art school never once occurred to me, especially as I had no prior art qualifications and did not think I would get in because of this. However, after discussions with the Admissions Team, they explained the application process and ensured as long as I had a portfolio for the staff at Gray’s School of Art to access, it would be okay.
Through discussions with a workmate of mine who was studying Communication Design at the time, he explained the course further, shared his experience and encouraged me to get an application in straight away. I took his advice on board and decided to apply through Clearing, a decision I certainly do not regret!
How did you find the Clearing experience?
Throughout my experience with Clearing, I was supported by the RGU Admissions Team every step of the way which helped ease any worries I had.
The application side of things through the UCAS website was easy. I managed to find my desired course at RGU quickly and the instructions were straightforward. Initially, I did take a bit of a risk and applied to go straight into Stage 2 of Communication Design as I was unsure if I wanted to do the full four years of a new course especially with having used two years of SAAS already. I hoped with having completed my first year of Journalism that I would be able to do this.
However, this proved to be a problem as I did not hear anything back regarding my application and started to panic thinking I had ruined my chances of getting in.
With the course start date looming closer, I got back in touch with the RGU Admissions team who eased my worries and contacted the head of Communication Design, Cameron Craddock. From this, I met with Cameron for a tour of the Gray’s School of Art campus, which I had never seen before, and discussed my portfolio and the possibilities of me joining the course further. Just from this short visit, I felt at home already within the Gray’s environment and knew this was the right fit for me.
Although it was possible for me to join in Stage 2, albeit with a lot of work required, I took some time to think and changed my initial decision, opting to start from the beginning to get the full art school experience especially as my first few years of university life were affected by the pandemic. A decision I am extremely glad I made in the end.
After this, I got my official acceptance through from UCAS and was enrolled in the course straight away!
What advice would you give to someone who is considering applying through Clearing?
Honestly, just go for it! There really is no harm in trying and seeing what comes of it. I know it can be a rather daunting experience, but if you are feeling unsure or have any questions at all, the staff at RGU are more than happy to help and are by your side throughout the entire process.
It is important to remember that it is okay to take some time and think everything through. This is coming from someone who realised this in the middle of their original course! Although my time studying Journalism did not go as I originally planned, it was from the course that I ended up realising my love for design and knew that this is what I wanted to do.
Even with the grades I had being specifically tailored to getting into Journalism, which was my only focus at the time, the clearing process allowed me to find the correct path for me and take a risk in applying to a course I never even considered in secondary school.
This experience has helped me realise that there are no time constraints on YOUR future. Although my university journey has not gone as originally planned and is entirely unique to me, I am where I am today for a reason, and it is more than okay to reconsider your options to do what is best for you.
Why did you choose RGU?
RGU had always felt like a perfect fit for me even when I was applying to universities back in secondary school. I knew for certain I wanted to stay in Aberdeen and after conversations with friends and teachers, they all spoke so highly of the University, explaining how welcoming the staff and people are as well as the range of support systems they have in place. This was a huge factor in my decision after going through some personal struggles of my own throughout my school years.
Although studying Journalism did not go as expected, the staff were always there and supported me every step of the way. Being able to make it onto the course and experience the modules on offer truly was an experience I will never forget. I met some amazing people, achieved things that I am still super proud of and can look back and say “I did that”, even if I did not graduate in the end like my younger self had envisioned.
Despite having doubts about my future and whether University in general was for me, I knew my journey with RGU was not over and I had to stay here when I applied through Clearing. There is no better fit for me than studying Communication Design and I am so glad I took that risk in applying.
