If I Had to Choose a College Course Again, Here’s How I’d Approach It

Choosing a college course feels like a big decision - because it is.

When I joined year 11, a lot of things dawned on me all at once.

There was a lot of pressure to make choices about what happens next in your path and it feels extremely overwhelming. I am very happy with my choices and enjoy my time at college thoroughly, but if I were to have to choose again, based on everything I have now learnt, there are many things I would consider.

How do you like to learn?

It was a big jump from secondary to college, and I felt a lot more freedom to pursue things I am interested in and choose from different ways to approach learning based on what I find most useful to me.

There are many courses to choose from so a few things I would consider when making the decision would be:

• Do I prefer pen to paper or hands-on learning?
• Do I like exam based subjects or coursework?
• What are my potential aspirations for the future, and how might I start the journey to reaching them?
• What is my passion? What do I enjoy learning about? Am I creative, practical, digitally-minded?

Looking into what the subjects entail is a huge factor in helping you choose. I chose to take an English Language A-Level because I got a really good result for it in my GCSE, but the A-Level is a lot different.

I really enjoy the A-Level, luckily, but if I had looked a little deeper into each subject I had chosen, considering the questions above, it would have helped a lot to narrow down my options.

It’s your life - enjoy it!

Asking for advice from parents, teachers, or even friends is extremely useful and allows you to identify options you may not have considered before. But ultimately, make sure you keep to what feels right for you.

For example, my friends said they thought it was too much to take two English A-Levels but you shouldn't let that deter you if you have always been passionate about the subject and feel you can handle it. The same goes for any other course, not just A-Levels.

Look into the subjects you're considering, weigh up your options, and choose what feels most like something you would enjoy. It isn't just about what things look like on paper, if they're “smart” or “cool” subjects, what matters is whether or not you are liking the path you're on, or about to go on.

If you don't know, find out

There are plenty of websites that you can find information on, but asking in person is always better!

There are lots of open evenings hosted where you can meet the teachers of the subjects and delve deep into understanding the subjects.

When you're having a conversation with someone about it, you are free to ask a lot of open questions about what the days might look like, how many lessons there are, how much independent study is expected etc.

It isn't as scary as you think!

Joining college feels like a huge jump when you first start looking into it.

When I got into year 11 and my teachers were going on about choosing courses and making it sound like the be all and end all, it was really intimidating.

Knowing what I know now, there is no reason to be scared of it. Try not to focus too far ahead in the future, keep your attention on the subjects you enjoy now, what sort of things you like to do, any hobbies or interests you have that might pair well with things you can pursue at college.

I have always loved writing my own novels, poems and reading a lot, so choosing Literature as a subject meant that I could turn up and do what I enjoy doing every day.

You do not have to get it right the first time - I didn’t!

I originally wanted to jump straight into the world of work after finishing secondary school but found that that wasn't the right path for me, so I joined later in the year. I was worried that I would be behind and that everyone already knew each other and it would be difficult to make friends, but it was the best decision I ever made!

Many of my friends have also decided that the courses they chose weren't right so they changed to something that fit them better later in the year. Knowing what I now know, it is never too late to discover that you want to change your direction.

Nothing is completely fixed, which is a comforting fact I’ve learnt from experience: don’t be scared, follow your passion, and focus on what you enjoy doing!