Time for a change of plan Education 2001

AFTER the long and careful process of perusing prospectuses and trudging around open days to finally select the perfect course at the right university, it can be more than a little frustrating if, some time later, you realise you may have made the wrong choice after all.

Perhaps the past few months of A-levels have given you an allergy to books that will take at least a year to cure: you want to defer. Most universities are very receptive to phone calls from students who wish to start a year later, assuming their grades have fulfilled the original offer.

Although the subject tutor sometimes makes the final decision, it is the admissions office who should be contacted first. The reverse situation is trickier: you will only be able to start a year earlier than expected if the course is not full. If you are in this situation, make your plea as soon as possible, as the spare places will be added to the Clearing list.

Once the daze of freshers' week wears off and the reading begins, you may become aware of a course at your university more suitable than your own.

Although it is unnecessary to go through UCAS, any course changes must be negotiated with the departments concerned. Their decision will depend on your A-level grades (and their relevance to the subject you want to study), the popularity of the course you wish to move to, and whether any credits you've gathered so far can be used towards the new degree. Dropping a minor in Philosophy, for example, will cause few problems, whereas moving to a competitive course such as Law will be difficult. Transfers are common, though less so in very popular universities where all courses tend to be oversubscribed.

As a general rule, the sooner you decide you want to change, the better.

Once sure, approach the department to which you wish to move, as it is they who need to be convinced, and explain your situation. No university wants uninterested and unhappy students and your personal tutor is there to help make sure the journey from enrolment to graduation is smooth and comfortable.

If it really is impossible to transfer immediately, you may be offered a place on your desired course as a first year the next time around.

What if the problem isn't the course, but the university? Perhaps the campus life bores you stiff and you find yourself pining for the bright lights of the metropolis, or the train ride home is uncomfortably long to pop back with your dirty washing every weekend.

Students wanting to change at the very beginning of term should contact the university they wish to move to as soon as possible, because if places have not been filled in Clearing and you have the necessary A-levels, there is a small chance you will be able to swap over quickly and simply.

If a few months have gone by, you will need to reapply through UCAS, preferably by the 15 January deadline, though you will need to be released by your current university before doing so. Most students reapplying will start again in the first year, although some are admitted straight into the second.

Requests to change at term intervals are rarely accepted, but it's still worth asking. You will only be eligible to enter the Clearing process (where lists of unfilled places are published and offered on a first-come first-served basis) if you have registered with UCAS and yet not accepted any offers at all.

Feeling like you've made the wrong decision can be tough, and it is impossible to know what the experience will really be like until you are living it. Three years is a long time to do something you are unsure about, so once you know you are unhappy, set the ball rolling by telling either your personal tutor, your head of sixth form (if you are at school), or even a friend.

All universities are familiar with the scenario and the appropriate routes of action to take, as are the staff at the UCAS helpline (01242 227788) who can be contacted for a bit of anonymous advice. While changing, be glad that you know what you want and feel optimistic about the future.

Copyright 2001
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