Advice for School Leavers
Summary: Answers to the most frequently asked questions about leaving school to go to college.
So, you're leaving school this year and are looking for something that will
provide new challenges and open up exciting opportunities - where do you go? College
provides a more relaxed, community-based resource for learning - allowing you to
learn and develop both personally and professionally.
Q: What's the difference between college and school?
Further education colleges provide opportunities for students who wish to progress
to university education, or simply find a job. With the formality of a school, or
the intimidating vastness of a university, college is the ideal choice for main
students. Courses and qualifications at college are different to those you might
have taken at school as they are geared to meet the needs of industry. Qualifications
therefore tend to be more work-related than most university courses. All training
is aimed at increasing the career opportunities available to students on completion
of their chosen course of study, giving practical, hands-on experience to take to
the workplace.
Q: What about attendance and timetables?
As a college student, you will be expected to take responsibility for your attendance
and completing course work on time. Our typical college day at James Watt College
starts at 9.00am and ends at 4.20pm, although we do run some twilight classes. Morning
classes run from 9.00am until 12.00pm and afternoon classes form 1.10pm until 4.20pm.
There is a short fifteen-minute break midway through the morning and afternoon sessions.
The times for thse breaks are displayed inside each classroom.
Many of today's courses at college involve work placements, which provide you
with added practical skills and experience in your chosen field. Such experience
also looks great on your CV and will impress employers when you're job hunting.
Q: Will I have to sit lots of exams to gain a qualification?
Very few college courses actually require students to sit end of term exams these
days. Most courses now involve continuous assessment, which spreads the workload
throughout the year.
Q: I recently sat my Highers and am not sure I have done well enough to gain
entry to the course I've applied for. Is there anything I can do?
We recognise that successful completion of courses is not only dependent on having
formal qualifications. Everyone who applies for a course at the college is interviewed
so you will be able to discuss your options any alternative entry routes. These
may include starting on an alternative/lower level qualification in order to gain
access to your chosen course at a later date.