College or Sixth Form?

[Excellent2]

Personally, I love college. Anybody I know who goes sixth form says they would rather be at college.

What's your opinions? :)

[Alkaz]

Ive never been to a college so I cant really say. I like 6th form, its a much more academic atmosphere which helps me learn more. I know that if I went to college I would be messing around alot more which in the long run of things wouldnt help me at all. Its just personal preference really of how you like to learn.

[Misawa]

Sixth Form is the better of the two, but if you can't get in or you decide against it, college is the next best option as you can work your way up. A few years slower, but still.

[dirrty]

sixth form.

[Fifteen]

I got to a Sixth From College but it is just a college without a school :P

If my school did have a sixth form I would of left, college - new place, new teachers, new people funfunfun :)

[Immenseman]

Well I can't really judge, I went to the 6th form attached to my school. It's a 6th form but it's still really laid back with all our own facilities. It's not attached to the school, it's up the road. I love it :)

[Jorc]

Well we don't have sixth form here, so my next step after high school is college.

[drama]

I go to a sixth form college, no schools around (apart from one) have sixth forms in cambirdge, so Hills and Long Rd are the two 'sixth form colleges'.

[Fehm]

I go to sixth form, which is a part of my school. I've only just started, like last monday, and already I've noticed how different the school is. The teachers genuinely treat you as adults, and the atmosphere is just alot happier, because its alot more relaxed. You've not got to worry about punishments or rules because we have barely any. I dunno, I find college something for drop outs, although.. it could just be my area :L

[Charlottay!]

erm im at like 6th form/college. cause like its a college but it has a 6th form centre which im part of.

Its really good cause there is a gd balance of academic and freedom

[cocaine]

id prefer sixth form.. all the thick and lazy people, rebels and rejects seem to go to colleges around here.. while the more intelligent people attend sixth form. plus, at college the youngest people are 16 - and share the same priviledges with everyone. at sixth form, there are year 7s and up, and as we get special priviledges that the lower years dont, it makes the atmosphere a lot nicer knowing you are more priviledged than the lower years.

[PaulMacC]

id prefer sixth form.. all the thick and lazy people, rebels and rejects seem to go to colleges around here.. while the more intelligent people attend sixth form. plus, at college the youngest people are 16 - and share the same priviledges with everyone. at sixth form, there are year 7s and up, and as we get special priviledges that the lower years dont, it makes the atmosphere a lot nicer knowing you are more priviledged than the lower years.
This.
The only thing I dislike about my sixth form is that we aren't allowed to go home even if we have no class after lunch. We have to go to study which is basically were we have our frees. Although we don't do anything there we're allowed to chat and stuff despite the name study.

[luce]

Sixth form because the one college over here doesn't do A levels and i'm an accademic not a practical person. Although i could do it i would enjoy my brain being worked to it's limits much more.

[H0BJ0B]

Sixth form is definitely the way to go. Colleges tend not to be anywhere near the quality of a sixth form.

From around my area, college is for the less-able students, where as sixth form is for those who want to work hard and get good marks.

That's my opinion anyway.

[Shockwave.2CC]

I'm at College

2 days a week baby

[ifuseekamy]

Sixth Form is the better of the two, but if you can't get in or you decide against it, college is the next best option as you can work your way up. A few years slower, but still.
In terms of prestige, not sure in terms of practicality. Unis are full and they are now putting caps on the amount of British students allowed in because government cant fund the number of places being taken up by home students. Considering there are, on average, 50 graduates going for the same job, I think it would be better if people were shown more options during school.

[Kyle]

Sixth form is pretty much school with more laid back teachers whereas college is some kind of social club, people go in when they want and leave when they want and nobody gives a toss. College is more focused on practical skills and sixth form is focused on academic subjects. I'd prefer sixth form to college.

[Cysne]

This.
The only thing I dislike about my sixth form is that we aren't allowed to go home even if we have no class after lunch. We have to go to study which is basically were we have our frees. Although we don't do anything there we're allowed to chat and stuff despite the name study.

Your post 16- you can't be forced to stay in school.

Fyi. ;)

[Aces]

wait a second, I always thought 6th form was for those who didn't make it into college.. UK school system confuses me.

Here in sweden we have something like Sixth Forms but they are for people who have decided what they wanna do and the schools have a reputation of being for those with bad grades.

[Glitter]

I go to sixth form, and although id rather go to college cause they dont seem to care if you fail/dont turn up i think a sixth forms probably better cause they push you to work and do well!

[BoyBetterKnow]

Mine is Sixth Form College. So it's two in one I suppose? It's a different place from my school. Like a mile away :)

[Andeeh]

The school i go to doesnt have a six form so i got to go to college but thats next year

[colourpot]

Deffo College, ive just started and i loveee it. my friend goes to the Sixth form that is at my old school and she said its ****

[Technologic]

6th form, but we get our own half of the building, 3 common rooms, our own canteen/shop thing + a gym

[RandomManJay]

I've never been to college, but its is easier to get to Uni with Sixth Form since Sixth Form is especially for A-Levels and hold the highest success/acceptance rate in comparison to Colleges. I have heard that College is much easier and enjoyable that Sixth Form, but it depends on the person, also if you go to Uni, people say (as well as I :P) that its a lot easier than Sixth Form whereas to people who went to College, its harder, not by much though.

[Neversoft]

I went to college after leaving school instead of sixth form. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. I went to sixth form for one day just to see what it was like, I didn't enroll or anything but it was boring as hell. No BTEC's or any subjects I wanted to study, the same teachers I had already had for three years, annoying little kids everywhere. Glad I didn't waste my days away there. College is a much nicer environment. A better variety and choice in subjects to study, the teachers and more intellectual, treat you like adults, aren't afraid of you and you're able to have a laugh with them. You also get much more privileges and you're able to go off campus whenever you want with no hassle. College also has much, much, much better facilities. Although I am comparing the best college in the county to the most failing school/sixth form in the area, so I didn't have to contemplate much when I decided where to go after leaving school.

Also, the people saying colleges don't care if you don't turn up are fools. If you didn't turn up to the college I went to without a valid excuse you'd get kicked out.

[Toughened]

College for me.

Couldn't stand going back to school for another two years. Five years was long enough.

[Soy]

sixth form

i either go home or use the gym when i have frees

[Arron]

I hate sixth form


quick frankly i wish i went to college or did an apprenticeship

[Josh-H]

Sixth form but I did switch schools for sixth form so got the benefit of a new start, new teachers, new people anyway!

[uje]

I chose college, mainly because I am a musician who wants to teach music to others. The only sixth form near my area uses the secondary schools rooms and equipments and is also a sports school. That said the facilities for music were horrible, there were no drum kits, no pianos or anything and really after asking a teacher what grade she was I was shocked to find I was the highest grade musician in the whole department (including the teachers) which really swung my decision.

I am at a college with its own two buildings for music and creative arts, studios, the latest software by logic and Protools and Reason and other great mixing programs, and EVERY teacher has a degree in music, a grade eight qualification in an instrument and also has had some professional musical background.

So my choice was…. A school with no musical facilities, low rated teachers and the only courses available were A levels or a Business course OR a college with great facilities, amazingly qualified teachers and the best equipment you could ask for as a musician. Oh and a course that not only covers music theory, composition, background work into music and performing, also covers in recording techniques, mixing and mastering and that’s me only saying two days of a weeks timetable.

I think the decision I made was the right one, but really for other places it could be the other way round, your sixth form may have better facilities and teaching standards than my one. I am just merely stating my experiences.

I also thought that going to college would give me some life lessons, meet new people and possible future contacts in the music industry (since we are all out to be in that industry one way or another be it teaching or making music) and also to make new friends than to be stuck in the same little bubble I was in for about five years.

[Immenseman]

I don't think the question can really be generalised. In some regions, colleges are seen as being less academic and for people who want to do more hands on courses. There are two colleges in my region, one which is more BTEC and hands on practical approach and another which is a mix. There are obviously a variety of 6th forms. I just chose to go to 6th form because it wasn't attached to a school so there are no children because I couldn't deal with that and it was practical for me to do so as well as matching my criteria for a good place to study.

[uje]

I don't think the question can really be generalised. In some regions, colleges are seen as being less academic and for people who want to do more hands on courses. There are two colleges in my region, one which is more BTEC and hands on practical approach and another which is a mix. There are obviously a variety of 6th forms. I just chose to go to 6th form because it wasn't attached to a school so there are no children because I couldn't deal with that and it was practical for me to do so as well as matching my criteria for a good place to study.

Yeah exactly, at the end of the day it does come down to matching the criteria, I would find it very odd for a musician to do sixth form and for someone who wants to do business to do college (well were I live that is) because to be honest, the sixth form I live near does a great business course. Also a flaw at my local sixth form is that they do not do as many a levels as my college does, they are very basic doing English, English lit, the sciences, maths ect, most of them were what you could also pick as GCSE because this is what they had the staff for. However at college when I originally applied to do A levels I saw there was psychology and photography and many different history courses, there was also computing which the local sixth form does not have.

Immenseman, your lucky your sixth form is not attached to your local school. If I were to go to a sixth form with kids everywhere I would have lost the plot. I guess when a teacher treats five years of students the same way and then try to say they will teach sixth formers differently I thought it was a sham :P But with a sixth form that is JUST for sixth formers they have no excuse not to treat you like you want to be there and with a little bit more respect. Because to be honest when it comes to Key Stage 5 most drop out.

[Immenseman]

Yeah exactly, at the end of the day it does come down to matching the criteria, I would find it very odd for a musician to do sixth form and for someone who wants to do business to do college (well were I live that is) because to be honest, the sixth form I live near does a great business course. Also a flaw at my local sixth form is that they do not do as many a levels as my college does, they are very basic doing English, English lit, the sciences, maths ect, most of them were what you could also pick as GCSE because this is what they had the staff for. However at college when I originally applied to do A levels I saw there was psychology and photography and many different history courses, there was also computing which the local sixth form does not have.

Immenseman, your lucky your sixth form is not attached to your local school. If I were to go to a sixth form with kids everywhere I would have lost the plot. I guess when a teacher treats five years of students the same way and then try to say they will teach sixth formers differently I thought it was a sham :P But with a sixth form that is JUST for sixth formers they have no excuse not to treat you like you want to be there and with a little bit more respect. Because to be honest when it comes to Key Stage 5 most drop out.
Yup, for sure. I couldn't hack that for any longer. The atmosphere around the 6th form is much more relaxed and people generally get on with things. We have a bit of a poor reputation but it didn't stop me and others who attend from getting 3/4 As, thus it can't be that bad.

All of the chavs and people who can't string a sentence together stop education as it is no longer compulsory and go and do their apprenticeships or hairdressing, depending on their gender :P

[ifuseekamy]

Yup, for sure. I couldn't hack that for any longer. The atmosphere around the 6th form is much more relaxed and people generally get on with things. We have a bit of a poor reputation but it didn't stop me and others who attend from getting 3/4 As, thus it can't be that bad.

All of the chavs and people who can't string a sentence together stop education as it is no longer compulsory and go and do their apprenticeships or hairdressing, depending on their gender :P
Plus it lets you experience independence before going to uni. My school had its own sixth form but I went to a sixth form college instead. The people I know that stayed at the school's sixth form aren't really independent; most of them didn't get good grades and do foundation courses or they're staying at home to go to uni.