College or 6th form: choosing where to study
If you want to stay in full-time education, you will need to choose where to study. There are a range of things to consider, such as:
- course choice
- entry requirements
- do you want a new start or to stay with what and who you know?
- travel – is it a journey you can manage every day?
- class sizes
- facilities
- atmosphere
- teaching.
Always go to open days to check out different schools and colleges. This is useful for getting information, but also, it means you get first-hand experience. You may feel more comfortable in some schools/colleges than others.
Something else to consider is that many colleges are more of an ‘adult’ environment than schools. They may have more adult learners. They may also expect you to get on with your work independently.
Here are some other resources:
- Government school performance tables – compare different 6th forms and colleges near you
- Which? University A-level choices – help with choosing A-level subjects
- Informed Choices – very useful if you’re planning to go to university in the future and want a summary of what A-level subjects (or equivalent) ‘top’ universities want.