Alternative routes for school leavers
Alfie Akers describes his experiences after leaving Heathfield CC in 2019 and going onto Eastbourne College to study Music Production.
I’m certain that for many Year 11s, the change that is going to take place in September is ever-present in your minds. You have just finished secondary school, and now everything you know about school is going to change. Funnily enough, for most of my friends, things weren’t going to be that different after all. I even remember someone commenting how the prom didn’t feel like a big deal to them, after all they’re just going to see most people again in September. For me, however, this was not the case. Like Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi said to Luke Skywalker “You have just taken your first step into a larger world”, because I had decided to take a different route. I was moving onto college.
College for me was a no brainer. For several years I had been fascinated and dedicated towards the world of Music Production, and more specifically, audio engineering. I had no desire to do A Levels after GCSEs, as they just weren’t for me.
College certainly isn’t for everyone and is a striking difference to that of sixth form. If you are interested in learning a trade or a more specific skill like Media, Construction, Music Production or Animal Management, colleges such as East Sussex or Plumpton can be incredibly well facilitated, with both fantastic teachers and a good range of equipment. If you are interested in more academic subjects, a more structured education, or specifically A-levels, then staying on to Sixth Form would be a much better call.
Transitioning to college was something of a massive culture shock to me. Everything about it was fundamentally different. Free periods do not exist for me; the hours are set for when the lessons are, and then we go home. I have long lessons from usually four to five hours. Two on Monday, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. Also, my Tuesday lesson starts in the afternoon, meaning I don’t have to go in in the morning. Another thing that was very different was the relationship I have with the teachers here. All the staff at my college insist on being called by their first name, so ‘Ben’ instead of ‘Mr. Grant.’
These things, however, were not as significant. One major thing that I had to get used to was loneliness. There was a massive abundance of time where I found myself alone. I travel an hour and a half each way to get to college. To overcome this, I tried using my time to read or do work on my laptop. The journeys are long, and it is something you will get used to after a while. The best thing to do is occupy yourself. I also found myself at a new place without many of the friends I had been with at Heathfield, and I knew I had to start to make new friends. Making friends was quite easy, but it took me a while to become very close to some. The most important thing to remember when going into a new setting, is to have confidence in yourself, be open and warm. People on your course are there for the same (or similar) reason as you, so you already have something in common to talk about. It is possible to keep in touch with your old friends too. I found that with nearly all my old friends I made the time and effort with them and our friendship continues to persevere.
College is one of my favourite places to be. It was scary and new, but with the right people and the right course, it can be one of your favourite places too. So, if you want to do something more coursework based, more hands on, and less structured, a college course could be for you. However, if you enjoy a more structured school day, more written and research work, and you want to do something more academic, then Sixth Form is the best fit.
Best of Luck!
By Alfie Akers, former Heathfield student
I’m certain that for many Year 11s, the change that is going to take place in September is ever-present in your minds. You have just finished secondary school, and now everything you know about school is going to change. Funnily enough, for most of my friends, things weren’t going to be that different after all. I even remember someone commenting how the prom didn’t feel like a big deal to them, after all they’re just going to see most people again in September. For me, however, this was not the case. Like Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi said to Luke Skywalker “You have just taken your first step into a larger world”, because I had decided to take a different route. I was moving onto college.
College for me was a no brainer. For several years I had been fascinated and dedicated towards the world of Music Production, and more specifically, audio engineering. I had no desire to do A Levels after GCSEs, as they just weren’t for me.
College certainly isn’t for everyone and is a striking difference to that of sixth form. If you are interested in learning a trade or a more specific skill like Media, Construction, Music Production or Animal Management, colleges such as East Sussex or Plumpton can be incredibly well facilitated, with both fantastic teachers and a good range of equipment. If you are interested in more academic subjects, a more structured education, or specifically A-levels, then staying on to Sixth Form would be a much better call.
Transitioning to college was something of a massive culture shock to me. Everything about it was fundamentally different. Free periods do not exist for me; the hours are set for when the lessons are, and then we go home. I have long lessons from usually four to five hours. Two on Monday, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. Also, my Tuesday lesson starts in the afternoon, meaning I don’t have to go in in the morning. Another thing that was very different was the relationship I have with the teachers here. All the staff at my college insist on being called by their first name, so ‘Ben’ instead of ‘Mr. Grant.’
These things, however, were not as significant. One major thing that I had to get used to was loneliness. There was a massive abundance of time where I found myself alone. I travel an hour and a half each way to get to college. To overcome this, I tried using my time to read or do work on my laptop. The journeys are long, and it is something you will get used to after a while. The best thing to do is occupy yourself. I also found myself at a new place without many of the friends I had been with at Heathfield, and I knew I had to start to make new friends. Making friends was quite easy, but it took me a while to become very close to some. The most important thing to remember when going into a new setting, is to have confidence in yourself, be open and warm. People on your course are there for the same (or similar) reason as you, so you already have something in common to talk about. It is possible to keep in touch with your old friends too. I found that with nearly all my old friends I made the time and effort with them and our friendship continues to persevere.
College is one of my favourite places to be. It was scary and new, but with the right people and the right course, it can be one of your favourite places too. So, if you want to do something more coursework based, more hands on, and less structured, a college course could be for you. However, if you enjoy a more structured school day, more written and research work, and you want to do something more academic, then Sixth Form is the best fit.
Best of Luck!
By Alfie Akers, former Heathfield student