Sixth Form Colleges : How To Choose One

Young people who want to continue their education after the age of 16 and take A-levels or other further education exams have several options of where to study. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of these options? Is it better to stay on at your current school or to switch to a sixth form college somewhere else? Many schools do not have a sixth form, in which case there is no choice but to move on somewhere new.

When deciding where to study, there are a few questions to ask yourself: Can you and your family afford the costs of an independent college? Are you willing to travel far? What do you want to study? Is there anything you want to specialize in? Where can you go to study what you want to study? Some sixth form colleges specialize in subjects and provide study options that others do not.

Many students start their college careers by enrolling in courses that they enjoyed before, such as Art, History, Geography or Chemistry, especially if they scored well at GCSE level for those subjects. If you already have a career path in mind, than it may be that you need certain courses in order to qualify for a degree or an apprenticeship. Few students, however, feel very confident about where they want to be and where they want to end up. Starting at college then, is a fantastic time to learn about new worlds and experiences that you may not have had the chance to study before.

Most sixth form colleges create a relaxed atmosphere of learning and encourage independence. Teaching styles will vary from place to place but overall students are encouraged to study in a more independent manner, than those students who stay on to study at their school. As opposed to large exams many sixth form colleges will instead perform continual progress assessments, others have lectures or practical workshops.

When researching which sixth form college is right for you it is important to look at class sizes as well as the student success rate. You can apply to several different colleges at once and attend their open days to see what each place is like. Each sixth form college has a different application deadline and, as competition for places can be fierce for popular courses, you may want to start applying in the Autumn term to make sure that you will get in.

Find Out More : GCSE Colleges London