I went to a Sixth Form/College open evening and I'm feeling...
Many of you will be deciding which Sixth Forms and Colleges to go to after you finish GCSEs. We thought it'd be a bit of fun if we had a thread where you can share your experiences of any Sixth Form/College open days that you went to. It could also potentially be helpful to people who are unsure as to what sorts of things they are looking to see at an open day, or who are confused between two different choices.
I'll start of by sharing a couple of my experiences...
The deputy head was giving his presentation and he started off in the most negative way possible. He basically started off by saying how my generation were pretty much doomed for employment prospects and how life for the next few years would be very stressful and hard for us. He tried to turn that round into a positive by saying how the Sixth Form I was visiting had, despite that, had people produce some of the best results and all that typical selling type of stuff. Naturally though, the negative way in which he started did put me off a bit!
Contrastingly, at another Sixth Form I went to, we were visiting a Physics class and when the teacher was asked about how much stress is involved in A-Levels in general, he gave a very honest but reassuring answer. He basically said that yes, it can be stressful but that the teachers would do all they could to try to ensure that things would be as smooth as possible for us. Naturally, this reassurance drew me more towards this Sixth Form, despite the first one having slightly better results than this one. So for me, just having reassurance that I'd be at a place that seemed to have a friendly environment (both with teachers and other pupils) was the most important thing to see at the open day.
Oh, and in another open evening I went to, the head girl mistook a chemistry teacher (who was very short) for someone who she thought was looking around the school as a prospective pupil. That was awkward.
Anyone else have any good/bad/weird/funny experiences? Feel free to mention any experiences that you had, what subjects that you plan on doing etc. but I'd recommend not posting any names of Sixth Form/Colleges in case you're worried anyone could identify you through here. 
I'll start of by sharing a couple of my experiences...
The deputy head was giving his presentation and he started off in the most negative way possible. He basically started off by saying how my generation were pretty much doomed for employment prospects and how life for the next few years would be very stressful and hard for us. He tried to turn that round into a positive by saying how the Sixth Form I was visiting had, despite that, had people produce some of the best results and all that typical selling type of stuff. Naturally though, the negative way in which he started did put me off a bit!
Contrastingly, at another Sixth Form I went to, we were visiting a Physics class and when the teacher was asked about how much stress is involved in A-Levels in general, he gave a very honest but reassuring answer. He basically said that yes, it can be stressful but that the teachers would do all they could to try to ensure that things would be as smooth as possible for us. Naturally, this reassurance drew me more towards this Sixth Form, despite the first one having slightly better results than this one. So for me, just having reassurance that I'd be at a place that seemed to have a friendly environment (both with teachers and other pupils) was the most important thing to see at the open day.
Oh, and in another open evening I went to, the head girl mistook a chemistry teacher (who was very short) for someone who she thought was looking around the school as a prospective pupil. That was awkward.
Anyone else have any good/bad/weird/funny experiences?
Feel free to mention any experiences that you had, what subjects that you plan on doing etc. but I'd recommend not posting any names of Sixth Form/Colleges in case you're worried anyone could identify you through here. (edited 9 years ago)
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I stayed (back in the day) in my old school for sixth form. Most of my classmates claimed that they were going to leave for another sixth form.
First day - most of those classmates stayed.
First day - most of those classmates stayed.
I stayed at my school's 6th form. Most of my pals went to the local college.
I stayed on because I was planning to retake my Maths & Science GCSEs and wanted to be "Hannah" rather than a number which is what I would have been if I'd gone to an external college.
I loved my school and knew I would have the support of my teachers which was really important to me. I passed my retakes! Phew!
Alot of my friends left to go another college to find new pals and have a new experience. They did make a few new friends but largely our friendship group from school has stayed intact and so the college friends were kind of temporary - it was fun whilst it lasted
Our 6th form was tiny so the yr12s and 13s were very close, the class sizes were super - there were 4 of us in sociology and 8 in English Lit. This meant the teacher's had a fair amount of spare capacity... I went through years of past paper's writing as many mock exam essays as I could and I would give them to the teacher's to mark
which they did happily.
For me that was the biggest bonus from staying on at my school.
I stayed on because I was planning to retake my Maths & Science GCSEs and wanted to be "Hannah" rather than a number which is what I would have been if I'd gone to an external college.
I loved my school and knew I would have the support of my teachers which was really important to me. I passed my retakes! Phew!
Alot of my friends left to go another college to find new pals and have a new experience. They did make a few new friends but largely our friendship group from school has stayed intact and so the college friends were kind of temporary - it was fun whilst it lasted
Our 6th form was tiny so the yr12s and 13s were very close, the class sizes were super - there were 4 of us in sociology and 8 in English Lit. This meant the teacher's had a fair amount of spare capacity... I went through years of past paper's writing as many mock exam essays as I could and I would give them to the teacher's to mark
which they did happily. For me that was the biggest bonus from staying on at my school.
(edited 9 years ago)
I had to choose between the school I had been at since year 7, and another local state school which was always seen as better and beat the other school in just about every subject. A lot of people in my school applied to go there and didn't get in, but I did.
I have to say, 7 weeks in and it is the best choice I have ever made. The people are so nice and polite and it is nice challenging myself. The people in my class get similar grades and it helps motivate me to work.
I've also met people with similar hobbies and interests and finally made some solid friends after being bullied for quite a few years.
I do miss some of my old friends though. However, I advise you to think of your future. My grades are way higher than a friend of mine who stayed at my old school and we were of a similar ability.
I have to say, 7 weeks in and it is the best choice I have ever made. The people are so nice and polite and it is nice challenging myself. The people in my class get similar grades and it helps motivate me to work.
I've also met people with similar hobbies and interests and finally made some solid friends after being bullied for quite a few years.
I do miss some of my old friends though. However, I advise you to think of your future. My grades are way higher than a friend of mine who stayed at my old school and we were of a similar ability.
I'm currently in my sixth form that is in my old secondary school. Prefer having a teacher I've known for years to teach me about economics and business
Original post by garfeeled
i just stayed at my old school. Regret it ever since.
How come?
Original post by garfeeled
i just stayed at my old school. Regret it ever since.
Most do.
I moved, because my sec. did only IB or the poorest choice of A Levels ever for sixth form study, so I moved.
Everyone who stayed agrees that they made the poorest decision of their lives.
Original post by usycool1
How come?
I think in part i had grown bored of the area, i grew up there, i went to school there, i worked there, things grew stale.
General standard of things was significantly lower than those of the original year 7 - 11 school.
Useless and detrimental bureaucracy, setting form group work that i was expected to do on top of A-Levels. I repeatedly got in trouble for not doing homework set during form time (work that i had done between year 7 - 11). And a huge argument with the school over what was a public humiliation and then being expected to work with those responsible.
Original post by Guills on wheels
Most do.
I moved, because my sec. did only IB or the poorest choice of A Levels ever for sixth form study, so I moved.
Everyone who stayed agrees that they made the poorest decision of their lives.
I moved, because my sec. did only IB or the poorest choice of A Levels ever for sixth form study, so I moved.
Everyone who stayed agrees that they made the poorest decision of their lives.
That's the general consensus with those i have asked. I think i stayed because it was expected
Original post by garfeeled
That's the general consensus with those i have asked. I think i stayed because it was expected
by who?
Original post by Guills on wheels
by who?
not by anyone in particular. Most likely it was imaginary peer pressure.
I went to a really good sixthform for the first year and received an unexoected set of results of just two E's.
Biology- U
bUSINESS-U
cHEM-E
PHYSICS-E
and then i was sooo disappointed.
I never attended the open days of this sixthform or anyhing, But i went to another 6th form open day's induction days, results etc,, but unlucky(didnt get in).
So. in my opinion, by all means go out there and see for yourself but remember you may end up somewhere else.
Now after a devastating set of first yr results I am doing a BTEC at college.
Biology- U
bUSINESS-U
cHEM-E
PHYSICS-E
and then i was sooo disappointed.
I never attended the open days of this sixthform or anyhing, But i went to another 6th form open day's induction days, results etc,, but unlucky(didnt get in).
So. in my opinion, by all means go out there and see for yourself but remember you may end up somewhere else.
Now after a devastating set of first yr results I am doing a BTEC at college.
who are you?
Aww, thats a pity... but nevertheless many options are available to you so don't get depressed or anxiousjust smile your way across it
just smile your way across it
I didn't go to any open days or anything like that - my Sixth Form was chosen for me -.-
And I hated both years of it.
And I hated both years of it.
Original post by She-Ra
I stayed at my school's 6th form. Most of my pals went to the local college.
I stayed on because I was planning to retake my Maths & Science GCSEs and wanted to be "Hannah" rather than a number which is what I would have been if I'd gone to an external college.
I loved my school and knew I would have the support of my teachers which was really important to me. I passed my retakes! Phew!
Alot of my friends left to go another college to find new pals and have a new experience. They did make a few new friends but largely our friendship group from school has stayed intact and so the college friends were kind of temporary - it was fun whilst it lasted
Our 6th form was tiny so the yr12s and 13s were very close, the class sizes were super - there were 4 of us in sociology and 8 in English Lit. This meant the teacher's had a fair amount of spare capacity... I went through years of past paper's writing as many mock exam essays as I could and I would give them to the teacher's to mark which they did happily.
For me that was the biggest bonus from staying on at my school.
I stayed on because I was planning to retake my Maths & Science GCSEs and wanted to be "Hannah" rather than a number which is what I would have been if I'd gone to an external college.
I loved my school and knew I would have the support of my teachers which was really important to me. I passed my retakes! Phew!
Alot of my friends left to go another college to find new pals and have a new experience. They did make a few new friends but largely our friendship group from school has stayed intact and so the college friends were kind of temporary - it was fun whilst it lasted
Our 6th form was tiny so the yr12s and 13s were very close, the class sizes were super - there were 4 of us in sociology and 8 in English Lit. This meant the teacher's had a fair amount of spare capacity... I went through years of past paper's writing as many mock exam essays as I could and I would give them to the teacher's to mark
which they did happily. For me that was the biggest bonus from staying on at my school.
My sixth form experience was exactly the same!
Original post by Gax
My sixth form experience was exactly the same!
Ah that's good to know
Did you enjoy it then? It was tough but looking back it was the perfect place for me and I did have a couple of great years. I'm still in touch with my favourite sociology teacher who wrote my UCAS reference
Wow I've had a completely different experience to most on this thread. I stayed at my schools sixth form and genuinely believe it was the best thing for me to do. First of all, I went to an all girks school but the sixth form merges with a local all boys school so its about 50/50 so there was loads of new friends to make. Also, my closet friends moved on so you kind of make friends with people you'd least except which is great like people you never used to talk to. Its just easier when it comes to settling down you know the teachers so you can just crack on rrather having to spend time getting to know everyone. A lot people I know that went to very, big "social" colleges or sixth forms had to retake yr 12 as they got too distracted. Me on the other hand, I've just send off my UCAS and am awaiting my references, I've gotten so much support and I feel comfortable and safe, that's what's most important. Sorry for the essay lol.
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