If you genuinely think you might have missed grades, i.e. you were very late for an exam or really couldn't answer anything then contact the admissions tutor at your first and insurance choices and explain the situation to them, giving any reasonable but not crap excuses. By contacting him/her you have expressed a keen interest in the course. You have been proactive rather than reactive. The tutor may have been interested in you for other aspects of your UCAS form. Also if the exam you have cocked up has nothing to do with your chosen subject it might not matter at all. You should even be prepared to visit an institution and knock on the admissions tutor's door.

If you are entering clearing on results day, i.e. you haven't got the grades you need, then you have some work to do trawling through the lists of courses available. Don't get upset about grades just stay focused and locate courses that interest you quickly. Don't be afraid to enlist parents and friends to help. Remember the old adage of 'more haste less speed.' Once you've found a course you like the look of don't rush in to going somewhere that you really won't like. Take a look at all the information you can get your hands on about the institution you are interested in. Use the unofficial-guide and the university's website.

When you are happy about the course and the institution get the necessary forms and phone calls made as quickly as possible.

Key points

• Don't panic there are loads of places available
• Act before results day if you genuinely think you may have missed the required results by some way
• Have all the necessary data and information to hand on results day
• Try to be near a phone, fax and internet linked computer
• Choose an institution carefully using the Unofficial-Guide and all other available information

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