Deciding where to go after you leave school can be a pretty big decision. There are so many options out there! Take a look below to see how College vs Sixth Form stack up.
With everything that has happened over the past year, you might not want the upheaval of starting at somewhere new, so may be considering going to your school’s sixth form. But don’t write-off going to an FE (Further Education) college just yet!
As much as we’d love for you to find your place at #TeamKC, sometimes that might not be the case. We’re not here to convince you to come and join us, we’re here to help you make a pretty difficult, big decision and be confident in the choice you’ve made!
Whether you choose to go to College or a Sixth Form depends on a couple of things:
Up until now, the way in which you learn has always been up to your school, they’ve been setting you up with all sorts of skills and techniques to help you in the real-world, but now is the time to take a moment to think how that works for you. So, here is College vs Sixth Form.
Choosing to go to a College changes things; it’s your first step to being independent, you’ll meet new people, join a new community, get a change in scenery and get ahead with learning valuable skills and confidence for when you take your next step!
Deciding to go to an FE College basically means that you take more responsibility for yourself and your learning, which sets a great foundation for your future! At KC, we can take you right from Level 1 all the way through to university level qualifications!
College is also a lot less formal than a sixth form: you’re likely to be on first name terms with most of the staff, whatever their age, and it’s unlikely there will be any dress code – definitely not a school uniform – depending on what subject you take at #TeamKC will depend if you have a uniform, so for example, our Dance students all have IGNITE DANCE hoodies, our Hair & Beauty Students all have their salon uniform.
Vocational courses combine practical learning alongside theory; so they’re perfect if you have a more hands-on approach to learning.
“A vocational course is a training programme which focuses more on practical work, rather than traditional academic exams. The ‘Vocational’ part of the name refers to the fact that this course prepares you for a vocation – a particular skillset required in different types of jobs.“
If you feel your skills are more suited to do practical assessments and coursework assignments rather than exams, a vocational programme may be the best route for you.
You can check out our guide to all the different levels HERE
And, despite what you may have heard, vocational courses are a sure fire way to get into University! Think about it, instead of spending two years on three separate subjects, you spend two to three years concentrating on one specialism, which gives your skills a huge edge compared to someone who has done A-Levels. (KC run HND and Degree level courses, so if that’s the route you’d decide to take, we’ve got you!)
If you’re not quite sure what course you’d like to do with us, you can also check out KC Online and try your hand at our huge range of subjects to see which one fits you best; there’s all sorts of resources, tasks and research you can have a look at, so click the link and have a go!
Also, make sure you check out the KC Career Coach, which can help you discover courses and in-demand careers and education based on your interests! You can also find out how in demand the certain jobs are, what salaries you can expect to be paid and the career progression once you start!
At the end of the day though, you need to do you. Not what your friends want, sometimes not even what your parents or school want. You need to make the choice for you. Which can be a little scary. But it’s totally worth it! And here at KC, we’ll support you every step of the way!
Don’t forget to stay social and to tell us your thoughts on College vs Sixth Form.
Check out our range of full Time Courses, read about what our past students are up to now and find out the latest about what is going on at KC!
Sixth Form’s usually specialise in A-levels, which are much more theory and exam based than vocational courses. These are great if you want to get into something like Law or Medicine and if you do well with exams (not all of us do though). But, if you’re after a more skills-based, hands on career and work better using your hands and being practical, vocational courses and going to an FE College are definitely the route for you.
Sixth Form’s are great; you already know everyone, you’re used to your routine, you know the building…it’s a safe bet, and if that’s you for you, ace. You’ve got to remember though, you’ve been at school since you were 5 years old, maybe it’s time for a change?
Kidderminster College is a lot smaller than some other college’s out there, which means we’re able to support you and get to know you as an individual, you won’t get lost in the cracks.
Here at KC, we specialise in vocational courses. Rather than choosing three subject areas, vocational courses allow you to specialise in one area; this means that you will get devoted time, expertise and industry knowledge on that one subject that sparks your interest; giving you the ultimate edge when it comes to seeking employment.
College vs Sixth Form….Ask yourself the following questions:-
If you’ve answered yes to one or more, you should definitely check out going to an FE College! Make a list of all the colleges you like the look of, note down their Virtual Open Evenings or Days and log on to have an online look around!
