Adjustment profile - Chester Bell, BA International Relations and Politics

I was initially planning to study at the University of Birmingham because I wanted to do American studies, but I changed my mind a few days before Clearing when I realised I didn’t really want to do that course. After taking some time to think about it, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to study politics at the University of Sheffield.

I’d always found politics really interesting and I came out of my politics A Level exam feeling a lot more confident than when I went in. I’d been worried I’d find it difficult but on results day I was pleased to find out I’d got better grades than I’d expected, so a degree in politics was on the cards!

I’d already been on an open day at the University of Sheffield a few months before and the department looked good, so I had a decision to make between Sheffield and Leeds. In the end, what tipped it for me was that the course and the modules looked more interesting at Sheffield.  I had friends going there too, whereas in Leeds I didn’t know anybody, so it just made sense.

The Adjustment process was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I’d got up early on results day just in case anything went wrong but it turned out not to be stressful at all; all I had to do was phone the University of Sheffield and tell them my grades. They told me everything I needed to do - including declining my offer at Birmingham - and were really friendly and great at articulating how it all worked. I wasn’t sure how easy it would all be but the lady I spoke to on the phone had actually done the same course as me so it was quite reassuring and felt like she could really relate. Before I knew it, I was accepted by the University of Sheffield.

The Adjustment process was a lot easier than I thought it would be. All I had to do was to phone the University of Sheffield and tell them my grades. They told me everything I needed to do

Chester Bell

BA International Relations and Politics

Most people apply for their universities months in advance so I was a bit worried I wouldn’t be able to find anywhere to stay. When I found out I was guaranteed accommodation through Adjustment, it really put my mind at ease.  I’d already seen the accommodation from the previous open day in Sheffield so I remembered how good it looked and was thrilled to know I had it sorted.

When I’d first gone to the University of Sheffield on an open day months earlier, I was actually looking at studying history. At that time I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go or even what I wanted to study, but I remember thinking Sheffield seemed a great city and the Students’ Union looked really cool.

There’s a lot more going on in Sheffield than I thought there would be. I’m from Manchester, which is a bigger city, so I was worried there wouldn’t be much going on but the fact that it’s smaller hasn’t had an effect on how the city feels, it just means it’s easier to get around. It’s different from cities I’d visited and lived in before, which was a nice change.

I’ve really enjoyed my time at Sheffield so far. I have a great social life here, I’ve met a lot of people and I’ve made some great friends through being at University. I also love living in the city as there’s quite a bit to do.

My advice to those going through Clearing or Adjustment would be to try not to stress about it too much because it’s a much simpler process than it sounds. I didn’t really know much about it all before I did it but all it really took was a phone call.