College A or College B?

So, which college FTW?

  • College A ([url]http://www.shrewsbury.ac.uk/[/url])

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • College B ([url]http://www.hereford-tech.ac.uk/[/url])

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

mrapoc

New member
I am hoping to take "ICT Practitioners level 3 award (national diploma) when I go to college in September but I have a bit of a crisis. My hometown college doesn't offer courses like this but there are two in my area (both 40minutes train journey away, almost same distance) and I need some guidance on which to choose.

I have a DEFINATE place at College A as there were so impressed by my initial test and interview they definately wanted me so the necessary four grades above C (which i should deffo get) wont apply here.

Whereas College B have offered me a place dependant on the grades I get so I will need C or above in 4 subjects inc. english and maths (which again I should get)

Now this is where it gets interesting :rolleyes:

College A offers the exact same course as College B only there are some differences in possible awards. College A offers "Cisco qualification", whereas College B offers "Compti A+ and Network+". Cisco is apparently quite a good qualification granted Cisco is popular in your working area but you are not qualified for the majority of generic equipment (anything else) whereas you would be with "Network+". Anyone have any experience with these awards and which would be best to choose?

Also I prefer college A aestecially although they may not have as good access to equipment as College B charges £50 a year for newer equipment (although this adds to costing).

Another major thing to consider is that College A offers an additional 2 years onto the course (via a university partnership) to make university a one year affair, but College B does not offer this, making me go to University for 3 years (after the normal 2 year course)...adding to cost and inconvenience.

I dont really mind the travel side of things as its gonna cost whatever and I wouldnt want it to affect my education which is what matters most to me.

Please take this as seriously as I have (my future!! :eek: ) and please vote by what you would choose taking into consideration anything I have said and ask away at any questions. This is no means a determining result, more of a influence from guys who know their stuff :D

<3
 
Interview?

Wow, i just turned up on reg day and singed a few forms.

Doing that exact course btw. Trying to write an essay now but these forums are dam distracting:).
 
which one is more recognised as a college, if any?

if you are into networking then definately take the chance to get a cisco qualification.

and what the hell does "aestecially" mean? lol. did you mean aesthetically?

at the end of the day its all about what you want, personally I can't see anything being a worthy substitute for A levels
 
Thats because youve done nothing else dave. bTec is alot less stressful but more work.

Don't knock it till you tired it.
 
ive seen my bros BTEC, to me it seems like a huge amount of very easy work...

a levels is a smaller (but still huge) amount of very difficult work, imo anyway

dont kill me
 
A Levels are harder than a BTEC, but I have to say that if you want to focus on something then they are pretty damn good and not worth wasting time on A levels
 
Having worked with some big firms and knowing a few friends working for Investment Banks, I'd say the money is with Cisco and that would be my choice!
 
name='Kempez' said:
A Levels are harder than a BTEC, but I have to say that if you want to focus on something then they are pretty damn good and not worth wasting time on A levels

Amen to that. Thats totally the reason i'm sat here now, this is the equivelant to 3 A levels in computer related subjects rather than being stuck in 6th form where the teachers were power mad witches and expected you to work even harder in your free periods than you do in your lessons.
 
College? Bah who needs that! Only reason i am where i am today is from hard work, and catching the linux vibe just as it was becoming a new thing for companies :)

TBH I know nothing.. ;)
 
If i went to 6th form i would be mainly doing it for computing and taking other subjects just because i'd have to.

Ahh yes, aesthetically - was writing it fairly late at night ;)

Deathwish - Apparently BTEC courses are better for getting work further up the chain or something :rolleyes: not sure but I kind of cast apprenticeships out once I saw this course.

My friends are quite naive when it comes to this (sorry if you read it :p) but they all seem to be going to College B (or that area...6th form is next to the tech college) and it seems to me that they are influenced to this fact, even though with this course you have to go to uni 2 years earlier than college A which will mean massive costs - im guessing
 
name='Kempez' said:
A Levels are harder than a BTEC, but I have to say that if you want to focus on something then they are pretty damn good and not worth wasting time on A levels

Roger that, and old A levels used to be harder than todays.

I`m happy for u that u have the choices to make :)
 
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