Guidance by young people for young people getting into college

Students in one of the 6th form colleges in Hampshire were asked to give their advice on getting into college. This is their feedback, collated by Hampshire EMTAS.

Students at a 6^th form college:

Why?

In this college you just want to work. You’re doing what you want and you get on with it.

You can be confident there’s less bullying, racism at college. People who were trouble at school have matured if they’re here.

Think selfishly….

Ask, ask, ask  Keep asking.

Do what you love not necessarily what your grades say.

Be yourself. Be confident. Be positive. Try your best.

If you’re not on time now (at school) what’s the point of coming to college?

What you can do at school…..

If you haven’t got good grades they’ll say no.

Get good grades, it makes it so much easier, just get Bs and Cs rather than Ds.

Just don’t muck around with your GCSEs, get on with it.

Study hard, you’re going to regret it a lot later on if you don’t.

Don’t be satisfied with the low level you’re placed in at school.

No-one pointed out the problem of being in low set at school - waste of time, tend to stop studying, have to make up time, move up sets.

If they put my sister in foundation tier I’m going to fight at the school, I don’t want her to struggle like me if she’s good.

If you get C in English but lower in others you’ll still get a place.

Check which GCSE courses you’re doing eg is your Science GCSE modular? - Do you realise your first modules count towards final grade?

Revise to get grades, then you can get any course you want, no barriers.

Plan….

Do research on colleges.

Ask friends already at college.

Find out in advance what happens if you don’t get C in English.

Getting first choice of college is competitive.

Have a reserve choice.

Start reading prospectuses and work out which college is good for you.

No-one is going to search for you.

Go to open days, open evenings. Go to more than one college-online if necessary to check courses.

Do research on universities not just college.

Applying and Starting……

Good grades make a difference to choice of subjects.

Apply in good time. Apply early, you might regret it if you leave it ‘til later.

You have to let college know why you should have the place eg accounts with D in English because you’ve done subject before in Nepal.

If you’ve got C for coursework but D for English Language tell them because then you can just re-sit in November.

Think about choices beforehand so that you don’t get confused at enrolment.