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What's a better environment - Sixth Form or College?

3 years ago I had real problems in Secondary School and it eventually led to me being home-schooled, at the time I went to a really "chavvy" (for lack of a better word), secondary school and I used to bite the bate of anyone who had a go at me, which of course would encourage them and other people to continue, and it would just escalate. People cottoned on to the fact that I was easy to piss off and it become fun basically, and at this point I guess I wasn't mature enough to handle my emotions so I was eventually home schooled.

I now feel I have matured as a person and I can now handle my emotions in a mature manner and no longer get pissed off by the odd ****** who makes a comment, it just doesn't bother me anymore and I've found if you don't let it bother you, the arseholes generally move onto someone else.

But now I'm going back into a normal school, either Sixth Form, or BTEC at College, but I'm not sure where to go. I'm still somewhat worried about arseholes, and I'm fully aware that people like that are everywhere, but, I can't decide whether I'd find less of them at College or Sixth Form. The college did to ultimately have more chav type people, but I'm perfectly aware that just because of how someone dresses doesn't suggest how they're going to treat someone else.

Obviously, every Sixth Form and College is different, and every area has it's differences, but in general, as far as it goes for people look for trouble, where is it worse, Sixth Form or College?

I forgot to add, I'm not really sure what I want to do, so I'm worried about how much BTEC will narrow my options, however, I think environment for the next 2 years is more of a concern that what the course ultimately leads to, because at the end of the day, A Levels and BTECs are theoretically worth the same amount, and a growing number of universities take them as such.

Thanks

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I'm starting coll in Sept. but I still think that college gives you a more better "perspective" of life at uni etc..well that is what my induction day taught me :smile:
College - if you want to doss around a bit a bit or have more flexibility without getting told off. Simple: If you're not too fussed about academia.

Sixth-form - if you are academic and want extra attention, keep to schedules and try and get the best A-level results. This is because they will chase you after your coursework, homework and assignments; make sure you're prepared for exams by having a lot more lessons as opposed to College and just generally give you more attention.

Hope this helps :smile:
Reply 3
Sixth form is more like school , cause you will get chased up to a certain extent, and they seem to help you more and look after you in regards to uni, as theres less of you in a year

College is more relaxed, meet more people , bit more lively.

From my friends who went college 80% messed up cause of the freedom change from school to college, its really down to your self power in learning
wellerism
Sixth form is more like school , cause you will get chased up to a certain extent, and they seem to help you more and look after you in regards to uni, as theres less of you in a year

College is more relaxed, meet more people , bit more lively.

From my friends who went college 80% messed up cause of the freedom change from school to college, its really down to your self power in learning


:ditto: to any points i missed.
Ramadulla
College - if you want to doss around a bit a bit or have more flexibility without getting told off. Simple: If you're not too fussed about academia.


It really depends on your college. A levels at ours are generally very well taught and so you do get quite a few people with 4/5 A's etc.
-WhySoSerious?
It really depends on your college. A levels at ours are generally very well taught and so you do get quite a few people with 4/5 A's etc.


Yeah, just generalising a bit; it really depends on what college you're wanting to go to OP.
Ramadulla
College - if you want to doss around a bit a bit or have more flexibility without getting told off. Simple: If you're not too fussed about academia.

Sixth-form - if you are academic and want extra attention, keep to schedules and try and get the best A-level results. This is because they will chase you after your coursework, homework and assignments; make sure you're prepared for exams by having a lot more lessons as opposed to College and just generally give you more attention.Hope this helps :smile:


Really? Then it's sixth form for me then!

To the OP - why not go to a sixth form college, as you get the best of both worlds and it is more flexible around the qualifications you do.
Reply 8
Everyone Ive met at my college so far (open days, enrollments ect..) have been much more mature and adventerous than my school friends..Obviously this is not the case with everyone, it may be just a coincidence but there was also a girl there who got extremely bullied at her secondary school and chose to come to college and loved the change of people and new atmosphere. :smile:
Reply 9
-WhySoSerious?
It really depends on your college. A levels at ours are generally very well taught and so you do get quite a few people with 4/5 A's etc.


Ditto - my college was far better academia-wise than my school.

I've never been in a sixth form, as my school didn't have one, so what I know of it is secondhand, but I would recommend going to a college. I didn't enjoy my time at school, but really liked it at college, despite the fact about half the people from my school went to the same college. Everyone is new to the place, as opposed to a sixth form where the vast majority of people would have been there for 5 years already, made their friendship groups etc. You all start off from the same point, if you see what I mean. And you're much more independent at college as you're not in the school environment, which I think might make people act more maturely.
I doubt very many people on here have an experience of both so we can't really give you an unbiased idea.
But I'll give you my opinion: college is awesome! As a rule, with going to a college instead of a sixth form, there is a more relaxed atmosphere and you are treated more like an adult. It's also a lot less like school, as your lecturers won't go on at you to keep up the work - ultimately it is up to you to do well. These things appealed to me because I feel it's a step up between school and university - it helps me to get a feel of what independent learning will be like.
Also, my college offers hundreds of enrichment courses and clubs, as well as having a selection of cafes where you can eat.

I would say if you need to be pushed to do well academically, choose a sixth form. If you have your own motivation, choose a college. This time last year I was trying to choose between a college and sixth form, and I knew I would do well wherever I went if I worked hard enough. So, if you're like me, and KNOW you will work, choose wherever you will be happiest, as a happy person is more likely to work hard and succeed than a glum person :smile:
I chose the college, and I am eternally happy that I did. I think an atmosphere too much like school would've driven me mad, I had grown out of school by the start of Year 11 :p:
I think it all depends on what’s best suited to you individually, some people say that at sixth form they prefer it because your not as independent and receive more help from the teachers whereas at college you have to be prepared to put in more work yourself. Sixth form tends to have more structure.
Well ive always generally thought that people who go to sixth form are usually more 'academic' so there isnt so many chavs lol, and people that go to college (I'm not stereotyping here because I was going to go to college originally!), are usually people who aren't as capable and just doss around.
Reply 13
my school didnt have a sixth form so i went to the city college and it was brilliant. the teachers are all relaxed, huge breaks on timetables and its waaay better for meeting new people. college is something completely knew whereas sixth form would be like your still in school. being chased up by teachers for all your work, much more constricting timetable and such.

i ended up with a complete new group of friends in college as my secondary school friends and i dont exactly see eye to eye anymore. its easy to make new friends there.

i dont think sixth forms are more academic, its just colleges tend to be a lot bigger so the results are far more varied, making it look like they get worse results. wherever you go you'll get out what you put in. I came out with AABB but i know people who got straight D's.
Ramadulla
College - if you want to doss around a bit a bit or have more flexibility without getting told off. Simple: If you're not too fussed about academia.
Sixth-form - if you are academic and want extra attention, keep to schedules and try and get the best A-level results. This is because they will chase you after your coursework, homework and assignments; make sure you're prepared for exams by having a lot more lessons as opposed to College and just generally give you more attention.

Hope this helps :smile:



Errr, I don't think so. People who go to college are academic too you know! As I said in my above post, college is more for if you don't need to be pushed to do well academically. Not just for those who simply don't care.
Reply 15
i agree. college isnt for people who want to doss about. if they wanted to do that why would they bother going and why would the college let them in?

teachers chase you less in college but you'll find that theyre happy to sit down and help you with your work whenever theyre free. you jsut have to take respnsibility for your own work. you're not going to be chased down for work at uni and i think college makes a good step on the way there.
Spekka
my school didnt have a sixth form so i went to the city college and it was brilliant. the teachers are all relaxed, huge breaks on timetables and its waaay better for meeting new people. college is something completely knew whereas sixth form would be like your still in school. being chased up by teachers for all your work, much more constricting timetable and such.

i ended up with a complete new group of friends in college as my secondary school friends and i dont exactly see eye to eye anymore. its easy to make new friends there.

i dont think sixth forms are more academic, its just colleges tend to be a lot bigger so the results are far more varied, making it look like they get worse results. wherever you go you'll get out what you put in. I came out with AABB but i know people who got straight D's.


True, very true. Though it's not the school/college that determines your results. It up to the individual, i.e. ourselves.
Having done both, I strongly recommend sixth form college. I stayed at the sixth form at my secondary school and felt like I was being held back almost - the environment was very closed - all the sixth form students shared one relatively small common room and we had to wear particular clothes (not a unifrom per say, but black trousers, shirt of any colour, black suit jacket or smart black jumper... very different from the uniform of the rest of the school). I left halfway through my first year, and joined the local college. The environment was a lot more free, more open. I found it much easier to relate to the teachers, easier to make friends and found the support much better. Prepared me really well for university as well. It also had better facilities for the courses I was doing (drama, media and english based).

I was on a B and C averages at 6th form for AS Level before I left. I ended up with 5A's at AS then 2A's 2B's at A2, so if you're prepared to work without a teacher constantly nagging you to do so you'll be fine. I think it's probably easier to do badly at college if you're not prepared to push yourself than if you were at a 6th form. I know that girls at my 6th form (it was an all girls grammar) who got a D average in most things were sort of put on probation, and if their grades weren't improving they'd be "asked to leave". I think that's more about my school trying to maintain it's 100% A-C thing, but that says a lot about how they viewed the students - more as a statistic than a person. At college I was definitely treated as an adult and not as a number.
I'm starting college in Sept to do A levels. I was origionally going to school because it was my confort zone, but I wised up and knew college was better because I liked the subjects there and not at school.
I work hard anyway and intend to work harder because I really care.
I'm looking forward to the freedom aswell but I will use my time wisely.
I'm worried incase there are loads of people who don't care, chavs, millys etc(sorry to stereotype) because I don't tend to bond with people like that.
I'm also worried because I don't really make friends easily but i'm looking at college as a new start were I can be completly myself.
I think school is for people who need pushed, don't know what else to do or because their parents.
My brother got a job straight after GCSE and my sister started a levels but left and went to college, came completly out of her shell.
Reply 19
I dropped out of a sixth form, then started again the next year at a college and loved it.

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