Going to Chester as My Insurance Choice

First of all, I just want to state that coming to the University of Chester was probably one of the best things I ever did!

Not getting into my first choice made me wonder if I would be able to achieve my career goals of becoming a Clinical Psychologist, but if we fast forward to now, I have achieved my undergraduate degree in Psychology and am finishing up my Master's in Family and Child Psychology (an absolutely awesome course I also highly recommend!). I am now applying for my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and Chester has really given me the skills and background and set me up to succeed in this.

Applying to universities and securing your choices is such a big decision. I was quite heavily swayed by my sixth form college, and in retrospect I wish I had listened to my heart. Cheesy, I know, but each time I had visited the University of Chester campus I got such a good feeling.

Results Day

Results day was very stressful, with my year group being given grades by the government due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was initially rejected from my first choice university. This obviously sent me into nuclear levels of anxiety and worry! Knowing I had a place at Chester waiting for me was reassuring; however, at the same time a bit of disappointment that I hadn't made my grades. Results day was filled with smiling faces of classmates and people bragging about where they had got into and asking about grades.

What Next?

After a day of doomscrolling and letting myself feel a bit down, I decided to come off social media for a while. I had wanted things to go exactly as I had planned: get the grades and go to my first choice. To me, not getting in felt a little like I had failed in some way. It is completely natural to feel like that, but I think it is important to remember it is not a failure; it is just a slightly different path than you had planned. To get into university is an achievement in itself, not to mention the stress and management of exams, and the pressure can really impact your mental health and then your exam performance too.

Reasoning

Now, if Chester is your insurance choice, there are obviously things you like about it here! To me, I had decided on Chester as my insurance choice after a taster day. The Psychology staff were incredibly friendly and supportive, and after seeing a lecture I was interested and wanted to know more. Being brutally honest – in the taster lecture of my first choice university I actually accidentally fell asleep! But the one at Chester was engaging and made me excited for university.

Looking Forward to Uni

Once I had stopped grumbling about not making my firm choice, I went back through the University of Chester website and notes I had made on Open Days. This really helped in getting excited about coming to university and feel reassured that Chester was an awesome choice.

The more I reflected on the outcome of results day, the better I felt. I had managed to get into a great university despite the stress of sixth form and the anxiety of the pandemic. Even though year groups now are sitting their exams, it is important to remember that a significant part of schooling was impacted by COVID-19. School and sixth form is tough enough, so throw in a pandemic to contest with and it is bound to impact you. I was pleased I had made it through the school year and got into university despite the difficulties, and that is something to focus on while navigating initial disappointment about not getting into your first choice. And I knew Chester was a great university and that I would be happy there.

Why Chester?

The University itself is incredible, and whenever anyone asks what uni I would recommend, I can't stop talking about Chester and how it was definitely the best place for me to be. The staff are all so friendly and care about each student, the lectures are interesting and engaging, and there are so many opportunities available. Chester's support system is top tier too; they are one of the highest student rated universities for this, and the PAA (Personal Academic Advice) system is a huge part of that. This is someone from your faculty who will help both academically and personally and help guide you through the transition to university and direct you to resources if you need some extra assistance.

The Best Path for Me

In terms of my own university experience, I think it says a lot that after my undergraduate degree, I chose to stay at Chester. I did look at the Master's courses at my first choice uni for undergraduate, but I knew that no university could be a patch on Chester. The quality of learning and care is the main reason I am so glad I came to Chester and am proud to be a student here. Sometimes the path you did not plan turns out to be the one you needed all along – I know it has been for me!