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Originally Posted by Mindinpieces
Hi PsychiatricEnigma, the colleges from where I am from in Sussex, down south there are two types of colleges. Sixth form colleges that are for 16 to 18 year olds and then there’s colleges that offer that as well as full time type of courses like BETCS etc. that mainly take on people of 16 to 18 ages as well but also offer places to older applicants. Also as many people come into the area for some of the better colleges they do offer halls for those people so they can actually attend the colleges due to travel and maybe this college is offering other courses that colleges near them may not offer.
It’s good you know what you want to do and I am sure when your time comes you will do great at the course of your choice. As for average grades, that means nothing because it’s what you learn next that counts and even then you can still add to that knowledge. So that mark you got really it’s not a true picture of what you are capable of throughout your life. When I started high school my predicted grades for when I finished GCSE were D grades if that. Only because of my middle school life was hell. Really it comes down to you just giving it a go and doing the best you can do. I am sure with the attitude you are taking you can get the grades you want and go to uni for sure, anyone can achieve what they want with the right support and self input. What I got at GCSE was 3 B/ 5 C/ 2 D still pretty much average however an achievement for myself personally. I still however some days feel so stupid and worried that people who are younger than me are probably a lot cleverer than me. I am worried that in college I will make a fool of myself and they will show me up. Oh well they are fresh from school and I have been doing nothing much apart from dwelling in negativity lol. Although actually in reality that is not the truth we all learn at different levels and time in your life so really, that’s just my negative self talk making excuses and making it harder for myself to do what seems so scary. However like you said it’s a lot better than doing nothing and stuck in this rut and actually it probably isn’t as bad as I think and I can make things turn out better than they have been going, all I need to do is lock me thoughts up for a bit and actually apply lol. I am sure it is worth it we can learn and better ourselves and even if you or I don’t take it further we can still learn some skill and techniques you wouldn’t get from everyday life unless you were in those college situation and lessons. Wishing you all the best.
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Oh yeah, where I live there's only two colleges, they're both regular FE colleges, but only one of them offer A-levels and they're strictly for 16-18 year olds except for expensive night classes for adults which are expensive and have about 1/3 of the options. Only nearby Birmingham has all the proper Sixth Form colleges and stuff, but yeah neither colleges have halls or anything like that. I got similar GCSEs to you, basically. Bs and Cs (although one A as well, but that's in Religious Studies), I had no idea what I wanted to do, school was a very hard time for me (like you), and I didn't pull my finger out til the last minute. I did attempt A-levels in my schools sixth form but failed them, except for AS History where i managed a C (and that was just because my teacher was really good with notes and things), that year was bad for me. I am hoping to pick myself up, but my education has been seriously messed around since that year in sixth form, I did a science BTEC when I was 18 and whilst I enjoyed it and made a good friend I didn't continue it after one year.
I think you're right, we all get better at different ages and what happens at school isn't the end of the world. Have you considered doing an Access to HE course like me? It's more limited than A-levels, but it's a fast-track route to uni and you can pick different pathways, such as science, engineering, humanities, law, etc. The course also has a much wider range of ages since they're strictly 19+ you get lots of people in their 20s and 30s in them and they're often endorsed by local universities. I got the idea off a guy from a student forum who was at my college last year (I met him in real-life briefly) who went to Cambridge after his Access course to do Law. However, I'm not sure if they're good for getting on careers, but they're worth UCAS points. There's more funding options available as well.
Might be something to look into? x