Adjustment profile - Milan Patel, BA Accounting and Financial Management

I’d initially intended to study at Sheffield Hallam University following the advice of my teachers. They’d suggested I put it down as my first choice because the entry requirements suited my predicted grades, but results day surprised us all! I ended up doing quite a bit better than expected.

After getting over the initial shock, I sat down with one of my teachers to reassess my future. My good results meant a lot more options had opened up to me. After some thought, I decided to go through the Adjustment process with the aim of studying at the University of Sheffield.

It seemed the obvious choice as I was planning on going to the city of Sheffield to study before I even knew what my predicted grades would be, because I really liked the area. To be able to have results that allowed me to upgrade and go to a Russell Group University within the same city was an added bonus and I’m proud to say that I attend a redbrick University.

When I rang the University of Sheffield’s Clearing call centre, there was someone there to answer right away, which made my decision much easier as some universities I’d also tried had put me on hold for ages or said they would call back. By the time some of them had, I’d already accepted an offer from Sheffield.

When I rang the University of Sheffield’s Clearing call centre, there was someone there to answer right away, which made my decision much easier as some universities I’d also tried had put me on hold for ages

Milan Patel

BA Accounting and Financial Management

The area of Sheffield was a big factor in my decision of where to study - after all, it would be the place I was going to live for the next three years. I grew up in Halifax which is quite close to big cities like Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield, so it just made sense and I knew the area a little already, so finding my way around wouldn’t be a problem. It’s a relatively big city and it was close to home… but not too close!

I attended one of the special Adjustment and Clearing open days after being offered a place. It was very similar to other open days I had attended but it was just great to have something like that available, despite me not applying earlier. It gave me a chance to speak to some people from the department and have a look at the accommodation at Sheffield, which reassured me about my choice.

I was also guaranteed accommodation when I applied to the University of Sheffield, which definitely made me feel more comfortable as I’d initially been worried about finding somewhere to live and not being able to stay in student halls. I was impressed with the student village and the area surrounding it. I thought it was really nice.

It will be nearly a year since I began my course at Sheffield and my time here so far has been brilliant. The societies and sports teams at the University are great. I’m part of the rugby league team and it’s a brilliant way to make friends. I used to play before I came to University so I was pleased to find that the University had a society where I could meet people with a similar interest. The Students’ Union is fantastic too and I liked the Foundry as it’s a great place for students in Sheffield to meet up on a night out.

If I was to give any advice for students who think they might be going through Adjustment or Clearing this year, it would be to prepare yourself. I didn’t prepare as much as I should have done but you should plan for every eventuality; including positive thinking about what to do if you exceed your predicted grades. There’s always that potential.