THOUSANDS of youngsters faced a nervous wait to find out if they will be off to university after collecting their A-level or BTEC results.

Emotions ran high as teenagers contacted their chosen university to try and negotiate a place through the annual clearing service.

The service allows youngsters a chance to enrol on a course if they have fallen short of the grades needed for their first choice of degree.

Special hotlines were set up at Hampshire’s universities to help advise thousands of students on their options.

The University of Southampton had already taken 8,214 calls on the first day, while 22,000 people visited their online inquiry page.

Around 500 of those potential students were offered a place on an undergraduate course.

The 300 who are expected to accept their offers through clearing will be among around 5,250 undergraduate students starting at the university next month.

Thousands more calls were taken by Southampton Solent University’s 74-strong clearing team.

Solent University’s head of student recruitment Karen Arnold said: “Thousands of students go through clearing at universities across the country each year – so you’re not alone.

“If you didn’t get the results you wanted, or if you have changed your mind about which university is right for you, don’t panic – it’s not the end of the world. Speak to your university’s clearing team who will be able to help.

“Thousands of students go through clearing at universities across the country each year – so you’re not alone.”

A record 64,300 students across the country, equating to one in eight, last year found their university place through the clearing system according to the national university admission service, Ucas.

It comes after tens of thousands of youngsters made one last journey back to their colleges and sixth forms on Thursday to collect their A-level and BTEC results.

Across the county 92 per cent of A-level students passed at least two of their courses with 13 per cent achieving at least two As and a B, while in Southampton 97.3 per cent of youngsters passed with grades A* to E.

Among them was Kyra Leyland who made history when she became the first student from Bitterne Park School’s sixth form to be offered a place at Oxford University.

The teenager is planning to study a degree in French and Spanish after being awarded an A* in her Spanish A-level and her extended project and As in French and psychology.

A LEVEL PASS RATES A* - E (2015 - 2016)

Arnewood - 100 - 99.5

Barton Peveril Sixth Form College - 98 - 98.4

Brockenhurst College - 99 - 98.5

Bitterne Park Sixth Form College - 100 - 99

Burgate Sixth Form - N/A - 98

Itchen Sixth Form College - 97 - 98

Richard Taunton Sixth Form College- 98 - 98

St Annes Sixth Form - 98 -98

Hampshire Collegiate - 95 - 100

Peter Symonds Sixth Form College - 99 - 99