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We realise results day can be just as stressful for parents as it is for students. Knowing the effort that your child put into their聽studies (good or bad) can lead to an uneasy night's sleep for everyone in the household the night before results day, so we've got some information to make your child's options easier to understand.

Lots of factors on results day could lead to your child entering Clearing; they might not quite have got the grades for their first choice uni, or they might decide they want to go to a different university or want to study a different course.

Clearing can be confusing, and not just for students. So if you鈥檙e not familiar with the C word and how to best support your child during this time, we鈥檝e put together a handy guide for before, during and after results day.聽

What is Clearing?

Clearing offers your son or daughter a chance to find a full-time undergraduate course to start this September.聽Many students find their university place through Clearing, so they wouldn鈥檛 be alone in exploring their options.

1. Before results day

Ensuring that you have a backup plan can prevent panic if the envelope doesn鈥檛 contain the grades your child was after. If your child is feeling nervous about their results, you could encourage聽them to look at other universities or courses they would be interested in. It may not sound like the most supportive thing to be thinking about, but having a rough plan B, even if it鈥檚 just an idea of other universities that your child may like, means you can already be a step ahead of everyone else once the Clearing hotlines open.

Have a look at what other unis offer the course your child has applied for and see if they are offering it through Clearing. What grades are required? Would they need to go to an interview after results day? If your child is thinking about a different course encourage them to look into what else they may want to do, again noting down the courses and if they will be in Clearing.

Reassure them that Clearing is a positive thing and shouldn鈥檛 be seen as a taboo. This will avoid wasting valuable time worrying about what you may think so they can get straight on with getting a place when Clearing starts.

2. During results day

Being supportive can be crucial. If they get the results they need but decide they want to change course or university through Clearing, back their decision. You can still share your opinion on what they do next but if their first choice聽isn鈥檛 for them any more, that鈥檚 their call.聽

Your child won鈥檛 have any prior experience with Clearing and may not know what they鈥檒l be asked on the phone, so even if they want to be totally independent, you can still help. They鈥檒l be asked for a lot of information and with the stress of the situation it鈥檚 easy to say the wrong thing. Suggest that they write down key facts that they will be asked for again and again - UCAS points, their grades, and their UCAS ID number, as well as any questions they want to ask. We also suggest writing down the name of each university they鈥檙e speaking to, so they don鈥檛 forget. Underneath this they can then write down everything they鈥檙e told by that uni.

We have a handy guide to help your child prepare for their Clearing call.

3. After results day

Although it will be a rush to find places and get on the phone with universities, once you have your offer, you鈥檒l have 24 hours before you need to accept one. Students often like to have accepted their Clearing place by the end of the day so they can celebrate this with their friends, but there is nothing wrong with waiting until the next day to decide.

Once they have accepted, your child has got a uni place! This is what they wanted at the start of results day and now they have achieved this. You can now help them by preparing to start their studies. Make sure they apply for accommodation and look into the appropriate student finance. These details can sometimes be forgotten after the joy of securing a place.

Lastly, reward yourself. After all, you鈥檝e made it through Clearing with them!