Am i too far from Woodhouse??

My predicteds from my year 11 mocks are 999988887.. however I live in Ware which means it’ll take me around an hour and a half to travel to Woodhouse. Is it even worth it to apply? I really want to get into the Royal Veterinary Uni or Cambridge so I’m looking into more competitive sixth forms.

Reply 1

The :3

Original post

by Minnie8

Speaking as someone who has a pretty terrible 1.5h commute to sixth form (it's about 1.5h in rush hour, and the bus is unreliable at best), it very much depends, generally it's not worth it unless that particular sixth form has something that's really really good, while it's fine for the first bit, having to get up at 06:00 to catch the bus was pretty damn awful (although I definitely don't regret my choice of sixth form). Unless there's something really special about a sixth form, it definitely isn't worth a 1.5 hour commute, especially if there's a good alternative nearby (although there may be none, depending on area), it was very much worth it for me, since even though I had a very good school about 20 minutes walk from my house, but my sixth form offers aspects which are make it much better for me personally.

As for admissions (at least for Cambridge) entrance exams are well more important than the school you go to, which has little to no effect (unless you're going to one of the toff private schools that Trinity goes 'scouting' to, like Eton and the like). Interviews are the other most important thing if you get through to them.

Reply 2

cleanMeteor26

Original post

by Minnie8

Honestly, distance is a pain but it’s not the villain people make it out to be. I go to a school pretty far from my house and yeah, the commute sucks sometimes, but it’s also kind of… fine? You get used to it. Revision, playlists, zoning out, whatever.

What actually matters is whether the school fits you. Do you vibe with the classes, the teachers, the people? If the closer school feels meh and the farther one actually excites you, I’d pick excitement every time. Two years is a long time to be stuck somewhere you hate just because it’s convenient. Also, being farther can be weirdly freeing. You’re not constantly running into the same people from secondary school, you get a little independence, and it feels more like your own choice instead of default mode. Just be real about the downsides. Early mornings, less spontaneous hangouts, probably more tired. If you can handle that and still feel hyped about the school, go for it. If the distance is gonna make you miserable every single day, that’s not worth it.

Convenience is nice, but vibes matter more. Pick the place that feels right, not just close.