Starting Out
When you first arrive at your College in order to start a new course it will probably seem much different to your previous school. Sixth Form Colleges tend to be very busy places, full of people from schools all over a particular catchment area. At first you may feel overwhelmed by new courses, new places and new people but you will soon realise that your College is not that complicated and that there are many people who are keen to support you and provide you with help and guidance. Many Colleges have senior tutors, personal tutors and subject tutors who are always willing to give you the help you need to succeed. There are a great many support systems in place to help you.

A guide to studying
Your success at any College depends in the end on you and your attitude to your work. You are the only person who can ensure that you work to the best of your ability and that you make the best use of your time.

It is important, therefore, that you learn early on in your time at the College to organise the way you work and plan, and change where necessary your present methods of studying. This is particularly important for many who opt to study AS qualifications because your first exams could be as early as three months into your course.

Following are some ideas of methods that have proved to work for other people. You will need to talk to your tutors to find the most effective methods for the particular courses that you are studying. The key is planning to take in important dates and events and to talk to tutors to find the most effective methods for the particular courses that you are studying. The key is planning to take in important dates and events and to have a timetable of the way in which you use your non-taught time. Most important of all is that you stick to the plan enough to make it work, not rigidly, as there are always things which mean plans need to be altered, but so as to get done what does need to be done to get you through the course with the best grade you can achieve.

When not in class you should make use of the facilities at your College such as the library and computer networks. You need to learn how to use this time and acquire the self-discipline needed to settle down to private study.

Study hints
• Don’t rely on your memory alone to remember what needs to be done. Make a note before you forget and keep all of this information in one place.

• Set priorities and deadlines for yourself and be realistic in estimating how much time it will take to complete each task.

• Try to do one thing at a time and learn to stick to the job. There is nothing worse than being halfway through a number of different pieces of work and not being able to see how they are all going to get finished. Plan to get the job done.

• Don’t postpone unpleasant tasks – set a timetable and stick to it. Give yourself a small reward when you have finished something.

• Don’t let problems mount up. Seek help from your tutors and if you don’t understand something, say so. Your tutors are there to help you to learn.

• Make a weekly timetable of your work. In your timetable give yourself at least one complete day off at the weekend. You should be studying for at least 15 hours outside the classroom. With this in mind you should not accept part-time employment which will stop you doing this.

• Make sure that you use the non-taught time in College. Use the resources available to you in places like Learning Resource Centres. Make a realistic allocation for each area of your course. There will be a lot of reading for some courses and this needs to be planned for.

• Use your time efficiently–don’t try to write a long assignment in bursts of 20 minutes. Set aside a long period of time for it.

• Always review your work after each day, this helps you to remember it. If there are things which are not clear make a note and ask your tutor about them in the next lesson. Don’t imagine it will come clear later. If it doesn’t, you may not understand the work which follows.

Adult Learning Grant - alg.lsc.gov.uk
This award is available to full-time students who are over 19 and are studying towards their first Level 2 OR Level 3 course. Like EMA, the ALG is linked to attendance and performance, and is subject to eligibility criteria.

Educational Maintenance Award - ema.direct.gov.uk
This award is available to all students whose household income is below £30,810. Students on this award have to maintain excellent attendance and excellent work rates otherwise the allowance will not be given. If you have any queries about this please seek advice from your College.

Enrichment
To gain an overall experience your College is likely to offer you the opportunity to complete enrichment courses. Each of these courses generally allow you to develop new and existing skills as well as meet new people. Although what is offered will differ from college to college some general examples include Sports activities, languages, driving courses and Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Fees
Students aged 16–18 are granted full fee remission for all nationally accredited courses approved by the LSC. For these students there will be no charges made for books and equipment in connection with these courses. Students are, however, generally expected to provide their own stationery, writing materials and USB memory sticks. Examination and assessment fees for students are also generally paid by the College, where a full course of tuition has been followed. Students who retake examinations in order to improve their grades will usually be expected to pay the fee for the retake.

HE/Careers advice
Students who want advice on career options can usually make appointments with a personal adviser from Connexions or the College Guidance Worker. All students will generally be given guidance on progressive routes by their personal tutor. Second year students will be given guidance for employment if not going on to higher education. Your College will usually have well-stocked sections in their library or Learning Resource Centre.

NUS membership - nus.org.uk
As a student of a sixth form college you may also join the National Union of Students. Membership entitles you to discounts in a number of shops, theatres, clubs etc. Membership cards will usually be issued on site

UCAS - ucas.co.uk
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Services can be accessed online during the summer term of your first year of advanced level study. You will be given advice and guidance on how to complete your university application by your College. During the autumn term of your second year you will submit your application to UCAS. You should plan your higher education path carefully and seek help from college staff.