Sixth form at my school or sixth form at college?

[Emma]

Right, I'm currently doing my GCSE's and my grades aren't that bad (first ever A* student in french in my school) and others are around B's. All of my friends are staying on at my school's sixth form because they haven't bothered looking at any other colleges and it's easiest; however I've looked at 2 other colleges and looked at our own sixth form too. I get along extremely well with my media studies and french teacher and I know everyone and everything in my school but even though change scares me, I kind of want a change. Going to college is a new exerience, apparently you gain more confidence, more independance and especially more friends so I'd enjoy meeting knew people. But I have bad social anxiety when it comes to meeting and talking to new people, that's the only reason why I want to stay at my school for their sixth form - if I was confident I'd go straight to college!
I would take French, Media studies, Psychology and English language, all A level and non BTEC. My school or Liverpool Community College? No one I know is going to this college so I would be completely alone (at first hopefully..) but I struggle making friends because of my extreme lack of confidence. Liverpool Community College is also further away from my house, there's a 5 minute walk to the train station, get a train and then another 5 minute walk up a hill to the college or I just get the school bus with my friends if I stay on at mine. Please help. I'm only avoiding going to college because I'd be alone and I'm scared of new change, should I risk it or stay safe in my school for another 2 years? Travelling to Liverpool Community College would be more expensive or would it be worth it? I am also hoping to go to university in Liverpool. Thank you.

[K]

I think change might be good. You said it your self, you want to gain confidence and a wider circle of friends. This would also help prepare you for Uni (when you'll be doing the same thing really)! I say go for it, What's the worst that can happen?

[Joe]

School has the advantage of you knowing all the teachers & a lot of the pupils. You know all the routines & the sort of behaviour expected. You also know the facilities & resources available to you. So school is 'safe' because you're familiar with it.

The downside of school is you may feel you're still being treated like a kid. And some schools make you come in for the whole day when you may just have one lesson on that day.

College makes you be a lot more independent. You may be left a lot more in charge of disciplining yourself to do what's required. There may not be the extent of pastoral care offered. But you don't have to be there when you don't have lessons.

A disadvantage of college might be if you're starting there without any of your friends or other supportive network. Once you stop seeing your friends at school the chances are you'll stop seeing them out of school too as your lives branch out in different directions.

One important thing to check is which establishment gets the best grades. Closely tied to this will be how big are the class sizes? Bigger classes means the teacher has less time to spend on individual pupils.

College will have a much wider social sphere for you, so the chance of meeting many more people your own age. College will be much more adult oriented than school.

In school your age group will be the oldest, & will be looked on to set a good example to the younger students, many of whom may not want to be there, & some of whom may be disruptive for that reason. In college everyone will be there from their own personal choice, so you may find all students are more highly motivated. You may find people older than you in your classes & these can add to lessons from their greater maturity & experience of life.

My advice would be unless your school has really good teachers & really good exam results to go to college. Since college will be full of people like you there will be lots of people in a similar boat, all looking to make new friends. But I think there will be many more opportunities & experiences awaiting you from college than from school. And if you do go onto higher education after A levels then the way of studying, & the general college experience would prepare you much better for university than school would.