If no suitable college place has been offered at home, don't despair. Perhaps this is just nature's way of telling you to widen your horizons.

Crossing the water or heading north to get a third-level education is decreasing in popularity among Irish students, but the British clearing system still offers the chance of a place in a decent educational institution in Northern Ireland, England, Wales or Scotland.

Be aware, though, that generally the sort of courses that are popular here are equally in demand in Britain.

Experts say subjects such as medicine, veterinary science and dentistry are just as difficult to get into there as they are here. So although British medical schools were granted an extra quota of places this year, it's unlikely you could pick up a place there if you failed to do so in Ireland.

Equally, over the past few years only one UK college has advertised vacancies in pharmacy during the clearing period.

And there are just six colleges offering veterinary science in the whole of the UK, so demand for places does outstrip supply.

You should bear in mind that for teacher training, medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine you are not allowed to bring a grant outside Ireland.

However, there will be plenty of vacancies in arts, engineering and certain science subjects, and some in vocational courses such as teaching and nursing.

Remember, though, that you may well have to pay fees if you go to Britain or Northern Ireland.

Predicting what courses will be popular from year to year is notoriously difficult, according to one admissions officer at Liverpool John Moores University, which has a substantial Irish student population.

"It's hard to say. When something like Cracker is on the telly, you find forensic science becoming very popular!" she says.

Clearing is co-ordinated by the British version of the CAO, UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Last year it was able to find places for 60,000 people.

It operates in August and September, filling vacancies on university and college courses with unplaced students. Vacant places on the more popular courses have been being snapped up since August 16th - so speed is of the essence at this stage. The UCAS website, www.ucas.ac.uk, is updated every day.

You will have to go through UCAS to accept a place in Britain or Northern Ireland, but it is quicker and more efficient to find that place by ringing the college direct.

First, pick out courses or institutions you are interested in. Then, your best bet is to ask your parents to forgive the damage to their telephone bill and start contacting the admissions officers at the institutions of your choice directly.

You may well be upset about not getting an offer from your dream college, but you cannot leave it to your parents, teachers or anyone else to do the job for you.

For security reasons, the admissions officer must speak to you, not your mammy, so dry those tears, unlock your bedroom door and get on the phone in person.

Admissions officers are generally efficient and friendly people, but do bear in mind that this is their busiest time. So have your results and a pen and paper to hand and turn on some of that Irish charm!

Be prepared to be flexible. Although it may be hard to swallow now, perhaps you just weren't meant to be a vet. Take on board the admissions officers' advice - they may be able to suggest a similar course that calls for lower points.

At this point, the UCAS website may be helpful. It contains an undergraduate course search which includes entry profiles.

This could prove very useful for filtering out courses that just won't suit you at all.

Here's how it works: you click on "courses" on the homepage and then "entry profiles". For instance, this enables you to check out the entry requirements, with Irish qualifications, to study art and art history at the University of Wales Aberystwyth. There is also a useful section outlining "What this course has to offer me".

UCAS also supplies official vacancy information to the media. Check the London Independent today, tomorrow and Friday, and then next Tuesday. There will also be details in this week's Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror.

BBC 2's ceefax service has also teamed up with UCAS to list vacancies by subject on pages 700-799, which are updated every day. And the BBC's Student Essential Helpline will offer advice and updates on latest vacancies until Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Jacqueline Henshaw, head of admissions at the University of Manchester, says the clearing period is a "frenetic" time for students.

"It can all happen so fast - so we recommend you do as much research in advance as you can," she says.

Henshaw says a useful tip is to look for courses with slightly unusual titles. Perhaps you were determined to study geography but didn't make the grade. You should hunt around for lesser-known courses with a similar content, such as planning and landscape, for example.

The University of Manchester, which attracts students from more than 50 countries, offers an orientation course to familiarise foreign students with their new environment.

UCAS spokeswoman Elaine Harries Jenkins recommends students visit the university or college they're considering attending. Cheap air fares have made this increasingly possible for Irish students, she says.

"Wherever possible, it's always good to visit the institution first, particularly if you're going through the clearing process," she says.

"All universities will understand you need to get a feel for the place. You're going to be there for at least three years and that's a long time. The welfare of their students is important to them."

If you really can't make it in person, some universities have very advanced websites offering "virtual tours" of the campus, which will enable you to get some idea of the flavour of the place.

Meanwhile, if you had previously made applications through UCAS but narrowly missed being offered a place, it's worth contacting the colleges again.

You may find that other students dropped out and you will be offered a place on the original course despite your marks, or on a different course in the same department.

The British Council has a helpful headquarters in Dublin, which can offer advice to students and their parents (tel: (01) 676 4088 or 676 6943). Information officer Angela Crean says people are often under the impression that all courses in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland are easier to get into than courses at home.

"Very often the kind of kind of subjects they're interested in doing would be in high-point areas and they have the impression it would be easier in Britain," she says. While this is certainly the case for communication studies and various arts subjects, students should not be under any illusions about more popular courses.

She suggests that if a student really wants to follow a particular course of study and end up in a particular career, it might be better to repeat and apply to UCAS for next year. "If they ring in a panic and see a place available and take it because they feel they have to take something, it's simply not going to work," she says.

Useful part-time or charity work taken on in the repeat year will look good on the following year's application form.

In Britain, all students are guaranteed accommodation in their first year and the level of pastoral care is frequently better than in Irish institutions.

However, Crean says moving to England, Scotland or Wales is a big step that could be expensive.

Only students studying in Scotland are exempt from paying tuition fees. Grants are available for some but by no means all, and an annual means-tested fee of more than £1,000 may have to be covered.

Crean says some Irish students overlook the fact that the UCAS system involves Northern Ireland. She has received very positive feedback from students from the Republic who attended Queen's University, Belfast, or who studied at one of the University of Ulster's campuses at Derry, Coleraine or Belfast.

Attending college in the North could work out cheaper and be less of a culture shock for students.