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College versus 6th Form - which is better?

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trev

You're lucky that your school pays the UCAS fee for you guys. In our school, we have to pay the fee ourselves. The head of sixth form always chase people around for who hasn't paid the fee yet. :p:

At my college they didn't chase people they just wouldn't send off thier forms - just like it is in the 'real' world.

Reply 41

Whizz Kid

ryan342

If anything my college gives too much help - tonnes of information sheets, tips, hints and my tutor was happy to check every single one of my drafts of my personal statement. I even found that not only was my tutor keen to help but also my subject teachers were keen to have a look at it. Another advantage to a college is that it caters (in my case at least) for just A-Levels and teachers aren't concerned with their other, lower school pupils and their GCSEs.

Good point. Also sounds like your college really care for you, good. :smile:

Reply 42

Whizz Kid

kellywood_5

It depends on the individual college, but the one near me just didn't seem that supportive at all. When I went to the open evening, the teachers made me feel like they really couldn't care less whether I went there or not and they acted like they didn't have the time to talk to me, which put me right off. As for UCAS, it just seemed like my sixth form gave more information and help earlier. They also pay half of our transport costs when we go to open days and pay our UCAS fee for us, which not many schools do.

Ok thanks for that. I also wouldn't expect my college to pay for my transport, but that's great that your school do. :smile:

Reply 43

Whizz Kid

Jump

At my college they didn't chase people they just wouldn't send off thier forms - just like it is in the 'real' world.

Great point!

/me is surprised College is much less favoured after reading all this!

Reply 44

Whizz Kid

This should be made a sticky... It's a great debate and could be a useful resource for prospective A-Level students.

Reply 45

Lulubrfc

College vs. Sixth Form..

Its 2 years of your life, which is very important..but it's not long what-so-ever.

I hated my sixth form at first, but now looking back it was the best decision (dif 6th form to high school.), I was pushed harder, I worked harder and I've become more of a individual...

And I'm a independant woman - Can I get a Holla?
(like my watch? - I bought it..sing along everyone!)

Lu.x

Reply 46

Gem

I didn't have a sixth form so once GCSE's were over if people wanted to go on to A Levels they needed to go to college. I liked college anyway :biggrin:

Reply 47

trev

Lots of students in my school carried on sixth form in schools, as they want to stay with friends, the subjects they want to do in school are available, additional support and motivation is there by teachers, teachers are good at school, etc...

I pesonally don't mind to go to college or school for year 12/13. I want to go to school for sixth form mainly it's nearer to my house than college. I think there was less than 10 students that went to college.

Reply 48

Xanthe

College= If you're mature and can handle not getting much pastoral support and be prepared to take a more independant approach to your work. Also, people of all different ages go to college not just 16 year olds straight out of school

Sixth form= A lot support, can easily contact parents if you don't do your work, more chance to get involved in amateur dramatics/extracurricular, fewer choice of A level subjects are on offer.

Reply 49

Socrates

fewer choice of A level subjects are on offer.

Not necessarily true, especially if there is a consortium.

Reply 50

Xanthe

zaf1986

Not necessarily true, especially if there is a consortium.

A consortium is very rare.

Reply 51

Wise One

Xanthe

College= If you're mature and can handle not getting much pastoral support...

Not true. There's more specialised and targeted support, specifically aimed at those 16+.

...and be prepared to take a more independant approach to your work...

True.

Also, people of all different ages go to college not just 16 year olds straight out of school

True, but adult ed. generally occurs in the evening, and daytime lessons are still dominated by 16-18 year olds.

Sixth form= A lot support, can easily contact parents if you don't do your work...

True and true, not that colleges would be prepared to admit to it.

...more chance to get involved in amateur dramatics/extracurricular,

False, colleges generally have more students than school sixth forms and, as such, there is generally a wider range of extra-curriculum activites.

fewer choice of A level subjects are on offer.

True.

Reply 52

Xanthe

Wise One

Not true. There's more specialised and targeted support, specifically aimed at those 16+.

That's the whole point of attending a collge, rather than a a sixth form. You're responsible for your own learning, hence you don't get much support. There will be no teacher chasing after you, no one calling you at home if you haven't done your work.

Reply 53

taran

ive experienced both 6form and college as i failed my AS levels at school. now icant say it was my schools fault for this because it is one of the best public school in my area with many students getting into the top universities in london.

i guess i didnt like how our 6form was as we had to waer suits. we were told we should dress as though were going for a job interview everyday. now i can sort of understand that as it builds up a certain mentality, but what i didnt get was if we messed around a little, we would get told off as though we were kids. yeai know we shouldnt mees around but you know how these things go. 1 way they try to make us be like adults, and in other ways they treat us like kids with all the detentions and assemblys and crap.

but yea that was what it was like for me at school which i guess i rebelled against.i ended up getting my results and i didnt think oh crap, but instead me and my mate started laughing.

seeing as some colleges had already enrolled people at this point i had a very limited choice in colleges. i ended up in a college which felt and looked so much worse to my school. yes my school was that good and my college was that bad. a year before i went to college they had a fire which i thought would have been the reason.

anyways college life was so much more different. teachers didnt hassel. the days we shorter with no registration 2 times a gay or assemblys. everyone was just so much more chilled out which also changed me as a person to act more mature.

i have to say though, for me teaching was so much better in school than in college. my school had more resources and i would say more skilled teachers as 1 teacher would specialise in one subject whereas 1 of my teachers in college taught 3 subjects due to a lack of staff i guess.

so basically i think school was better in terms of educational prospects and teaching, but college is better in terms of freedom and getting more help from teachers as you have much more free time and the teacher-student split is broken down.

i preferred college as you can tell. lets just hope i have the grades!!!1

Reply 54

Don Corleone

If you go to college, is it possible me (a 16 year old) would be in classes with adults? Or do they seperate classes by age?

Reply 55

Amlea

sixth form is a lot smaller (at least mine is!)

Reply 56

Socrates

Xanthe

A consortium is very rare.

Not as rare as you may expect. I know a few (apart from my own :wink:

)

Reply 57

*soph*

It totally depends on the area, the type of person you are and what course you want to follow. I went to an 11-16 school so had to choose somewhere else for A-levels. Some went to a local FE college, where there are lots and lots of courses and for practical subjects like bricklaying, mechanics, hair and beauty, it's one of the best in the country. Others went to a sixth form college to do A levels. I was being pressured into going to the sixth form college by teachers and my friends, but I needed a break from the people and looked at two local sixth forms as part of other schools. One was quite religious and strict and the other was single sex. I decided to go to the single sex one and I haven't regretted a moment of it. We get treated as adults but the pastoral and academic support is there when we need it. I find it funny that friends from my old school who laughed at me for going to an all-girls sixth form instead of following them to sixth form college are now hating it and wishing they'd looked round more places like me. So wherever you go, don't give in to peer and teacher pressure! Look round a variety of places and go on what feels right for you, not on reputation.

Reply 58

Xanthe

Don Corleone

If you go to college, is it possible me (a 16 year old) would be in classes with adults? Or do they seperate classes by age?

You WILL be in the same class everyone else.

Reply 59

Xanthe

taran

anyways college life was so much more different. teachers didnt hassel. the days we shorter with no registration 2 times a gay or assemblys. everyone was just so much more chilled out which also changed me as a person to act more mature.

Yeah definately. I agree with it very much, plus classes in colleges tend to be longer. Lessons in college were 3 hours and 15 mins long in while at sixth form lessons were 1 hour long.

taran

preferred college as you can tell. lets just hope i have the grades!!!1