WHEN Jasmine Hodge heard she had made it to the final 15 of TV modelling competition Britain's Next Top Model she knew she had a big decision to make.

It was a once in a lifetime experience to get a springboard into a career she had dreamt about.

But it meant turning down a university place to begin her on the path to her other dream career, becoming a journalist.

What's more, the 18-year-old from Alton was due to start her degree course at Southampton Solent University just two days later.

"It was a big decision but I definitely made the right one,"says Jasmine, who decided to take part in the show.

"I thought my parents would be against it, because they were really keen for me to go to university, but they said I should go for it."

Jasmine says she had a great time taking part in the show, which features model, TV presenter and wife of former Saints striker Peter Crouch, Abbey Clancy, as head judge.

Taking part meant the former Alton College student leaving her family home in Hampshire to live in a shared house with other contestants.

"I was quite nervous about it, especially as I was the youngest and lots of the girls had modelling experience and all I had done was take part in Miss Hampshire," she admits.

"But all the girls were lovely and we were all as nervous as each other."

The contestants had to take part in various challenges, including photo shoots.

Jasmine is now back in Hampshire waiting to take up her place at university next year but says that having had a taste of modelling, it is a career she would love to pursue.

"I would love it to be my day job but journalism is also something I'd love to go into and it's probably a more realistic goal," she says.

Britain's Next Top Model begins on Lifetime on Thursday at 9pm.