18, back to college?

Currently 18, finished my first year at 6th form but dropped out. Picked useless humanities, and didn't do as well as I would have liked in my first year (ABC, would have had to redo most of my exams if I wanted to try and get my desired results). GCSEs were all A*s and As for reference.

I'm thinking about going back to college, but I've got some questions

> How much will it cost me to go back and take different, useful courses?

> If I go to a college full time, will it be as if I was there at 16, as far as the people who are in my classes? Or will I be put into mature-only classes?

> Looking on local college websites, there's a 16-19 section and a mature section. 16-19 looks to be aimed at secondary school leavers. Should I go through that section rather than the mature? Seems I'm in between.

> I eventually want to have a job in the police force. Would a vocational course in public/uniformed services be worthwhile? Would that vocational course allow me to enter a university if I decide to go that route?

Also, I take it the fact that I'm a dropout will come up at an interview at a college. How should I handle that?

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 1

Velvet4

As far as I'm aware, you don't have to pay anything as long as you start the course whilst you are still nineteen or under.
I'm considering doing the same thing, except I didn't drop out, but want to study sciences.
16 - 19 is not just secondary school leavers, it's for the 'young' people who get free further eductaion. So that's you. I would guess that you'll be fine if you already have good grades (ABC at A Level is pretty good) and only the dropout thing would be an issue. You could tackle it by saying that you don't think you were mature enough when you were seventeen, and needed some time in the 'real world' before you got to grips with what you wanted to do; that you realised after your year out that education was the path you wanted to take. Tell them what career aspirations you have: seem enthusiastic. And that's all you can do.

My friends studied A Levels at college instead of school, and they said that in a few classes there were people who were a few years older. There was a guy in their Sociology who was 21. I'd just go for it: you have nothing to lose. Try to find an open day if you can, and ask any questions you have to someone there.