For most students, Clearing offers the opportunity to rethink their plans, and to find the university that’s the right fit for them. For third-year BA (Hons) Acting student Rue Giddins, it became exactly that – a change of plans that led to AUB.
Before applying to AUB, Rue’s future however looked very different. She had been offered a full scholarship to study Musical Theatre at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in the US, an opportunity that many aspiring performers would find hard to turn down.
Despite receiving a full scholarship, Rue realised moving across the pond wasn’t the right choice for her. Instead, she’d decided to take a gap year while considering. “I really wanted to study Musical Theatre and had received the scholarship to AMDA” she explains. “However, it was too far away, so I was going to take a gap year instead to assess what I was going to do.”
Even with this plan in place, Rue still knew that she wanted to pursue acting, so rather than putting her ambitions on hold completely, she began looking at universities closer to home. It was during this search that she discovered AUB through Clearing. The more Rue looked into the BA (Hons) Acting course, the more it began to stand out to her. “It was close to home, so it was convenient,” she says. “The Acting course also stood out because of its close collaboration within Bournemouth Film School, and also the creative eco-system.”
With her decision made, the Clearing process itself proved to be far less daunting than she had anticipated. While many prospective students worry about the pressure of securing a place, Rue found the experience refreshingly straightforward. “It was fast and really easy to be honest,” she says. “It wasn’t really that much trouble, even if I did have my mum’s help.”
Arriving at AUB confirmed that she’d made the right decision. Starting university can often be accompanied with a whirlwind of emotions, but Rue found herself settling in with ease thanks to the welcoming atmosphere on campus, describing it as “full of colour and life”. She says, “I liked that there were a lot of visibly queer people and the uniqueness of the University. It felt very welcoming.”
As a neurodivergent student, feeling welcomed was particularly important to Rue. She says the support she received early from both staff and the wider university community helped her settle in with more confidence. “I felt supported as a neurodivergent student,” Rue explains. “Being able to talk to my tutor, Jonny on the Acting course specifically, who was very helpful when I first arrived here.”
As her time at AUB is nearly over, Rue began to reflect on how her expectations compared to reality. What she initially imagined as an intimidating experience turned out to be something far more positive. “I didn’t really know what I was expecting – maybe I was expecting it to be very serious and scary, but it turned out to be fun and not as scary as I thought. I still grew a lot as a person and learned so much while being here.”
Looking back on her journey, Rue believes choosing a different path led her to exactly where she was meant to be. What began as a difficult decision became an opportunity to grow both personally and creatively, proving that changing your plans doesn’t mean giving up on your ambitions. So, for students considering Clearing this year, Rue hopes her experience offers some reassurance. Whether you are changing your plans, missed the grades you were expecting or simply found a course that feels like a better fit for you, we hope this story helps show you that it’s okay and the Clearing process can open doors to opportunities that might not have been considered otherwise.
“For me, the experience was very helpful and suited what I needed at the time. So for those thinking should I? Yes! Yes, you should do it!”
