A call to Kingston's Clearing hotline gets budding barrister on track

When Tanya Cunningham narrowly missed out on the grades to study law at university in Belfast, she turned to Clearing determined not to be put off course for long.

After completing her A-levels while working four nights a week as a healthcare assistant, Tanya can still vividly recall her disappointment when she received her grades. “Suddenly I found myself having to reassess my options and it really seemed like the end of the world,” she said.

Tanya turned to Clearing, adamant she was going to secure a place at a top law school. “As I was checking through the listings for course availability, Kingston caught my eye and I suddenly realised it made perfect sense After all, being on the outskirts of London, it’s very close to the heart of the legal community and some of the biggest courts in the land so I couldn’t have picked a better place to complete my training.” Tanya advises anyone in a similar position not be daunted by the thought of having to go through the Clearing process. “It’s only natural to be a bit anxious but the system is surprisingly uncomplicated. Right from the first phone call I made to Kingston University’s Clearing hotline, I felt that everyone I spoke to was really listening to me and working with me to make sure I found the degree that suited me best.”

With two years of her law degree behind her, Tanya will soon be spreading her wings again. She is set to head to Cambodia next summer after being named the first winner of a travel scholarship set up in memory of Kingston University graduate Philip Russell who was killed in the Tavistock Square bus bombing last year.