Just a quick question for anyone who has done/is doing A Levels... my friend was telling me today that she's applied back into our current school for A Level, as well as into a college. Would anyone recommend applying to more than one place?
Printable View
Just a quick question for anyone who has done/is doing A Levels... my friend was telling me today that she's applied back into our current school for A Level, as well as into a college. Would anyone recommend applying to more than one place?
I only applied to my current school for A Levels as I was confident I would meet the criteria to get in (5 Cs or above in GCSEs) and I was happy to stay on at my school anyway..:) But it depends, would you be happy just applying to your current school and staying on? Does it offer the courses you want to do? Are you confident you would meet the criteria to stay on?...if so, I wouldn't bother applying anywhere else. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Kim
I have mixed feelings on the school really. I don't make friends easily and I don't want to have another 2 years with no friends if I go to Sixth Form somewhere else and I'd have to get subsidised transport and to get that I think there have to be children of compulsory school age in the taxi, so I don't know if I'd get it if I changed schools. However the transport is driving me up the wall so I don't know. I want to get busses but there's only 1 school I can think of that wouldn't require me to get more than one bus and I was thinking of applying there as they do the subjects I have applied for at my current school, but I don't know. It's bigger than my school and I really hate the fact that my school is so big...
I'm confident of getting the 5C's to get in though. I already have an A in Science from last year and my predicted grades and mocks would be enough to get the rest if I got those grades in my final exams.
I onlt applied to the one place, the one college I go to now. I didnt want to go anywhere else and I thought I would get the grades I needed
I haven't done A levels but..
Is there a college near you Kim??
People who I know are really shy and don't make friends easily even made loads of friends in college. It's completely different to school. They treat you better as well. And from my experience, no one cares about how you are, what you look like, what kind of person you are..
There are 3, but they aren't very close at all. Closest is probably 6 miles, which is probably a bit less than my current school, but they're still 2 busses each as I live out of town and would have to get a bus into town before I could get there. Two only do BTEC's and Diplomas though..
The other is probably about 10 miles, and is the one my friend has applied to. At one point I was sure I wanted to go there but they only do three of the four options I've put down for at my current school, and my fourth subject at the college would be a blacklist, so I don't know. It's also the place I know least well out of the three and I would still have a transport problem. The bus is horrendously expensive to go up there and I don't think it stops anywhere near the college...
I only applied for one place, I don't know anyone who has been rejected from a college on the basis of their results.
Things you need to consider are location/transport, the courses you want to do, timetable, quality of teaching and how you feel about moving on to a new place.
I stayed at my school because I couldn't be bothered getting up at 6am every morning to get the bus at 7.30am and not get in until 5pm. I get up at 8am to be in for 9am and I finish at 11am in the morning and 3pm in the afternon. I also get one full day and two half days off per week which I wouldn't do if I went to a college.
I already knew most of my teachers and was used to their teaching style. There is still that boundary between student and teacher but its not as defined as it is in the lower school.
If you do decide to go on to university then you will have to meet new people and get used to a huge campus, depending on where you go.
Do what feels right for you and not what other people are doing.
I don't know the statistics for the college, but out of my school and the massive, one bus ride one, my school does have the better statistics. The options I want could be done at both though, it's just the college I'd have to have different ones. I'm pretty much stuffed for transport wherever I go and won't get home very early at all. I don't at the moment and it's really getting to me.
PLus the great thing about colleges are free periods, that means you may get an afternoon off which means you will be home early at least one night.
With the big colleges like mine 2000 students in both year groups then there loads and loads of people desending on the town centre and the getting buses into college, thats waht it was like near me and where my cousins live in Birmingham.
I had to leave my school as our borough council haveno sixth forms in school (unless its private grammer) and therefore the only option is going to college, i applied to two and made my mind up nearer the time, they are nt that strict on places either, i had a friend who went to do a vocational course and hated it, about 4 weeks in they let her in at my college as by this point they know how many students as you will be surprised as to how many drop out and get a job once realising college is not for them.
As for the friends thing, at college there are tons of people who you will find that are like you, whether it be the same course, or groups. Its easy to make friends in college as there are people you sit next to, those in your form who you see every day. I found it one of the best things i also felt that by havijng more freedom and the teachers made you call them by your first name things like that i had an easier time settling to Uni, as they did not spoon feed you we had to work really hard at A Levels and the jump has not been as great for me as it has some people.
What ever you decide it's got to be right for you, i dont think it matters what other people say.
as people have said, most people will get a place at the school/college they want to go to so as you said your predicted results are good then you shouldnt worry about applying to lots of different places just in case you dont get in. however i do suggest going to the open evenings (if they have them) of the other schools/colleges so you can look around, meet some of the teachers etc. i applied to 3 different schools so that i could decide nearer the time where i wanted to go. i think if youre unsure about where to go then apply to different places as then you can decide later and arent stuck with the school you dont actually want to be at. and as others have said, making friends is quite easy, new people will be joining the school/college who wont know anyone and people will be leaving the school youre at now, you should base your decision on where your options fit and which place would be best for you