By A Level student Katie Winrow

The choices for what to study can be quite overwhelming when coming into college compared to choosing your GCSEs.

You can decide on all your subjects, your ideal learning style and type of assessment. If you fancy a route that carries similarities to GCSEs with academic study and exams, A Levels are a good choice.

Or maybe you prefer coursework and smaller assessments as you go along? In that case, a BTEC course would have you covered. If you would rather learn what the workplace is like immediately, apprenticeships are a good way to go. But for a combination of learning in the workplace and the classroom, Wigan & Leigh College has a variety of T Levels to choose from.

When choosing a course, it’s helpful to think about both what you currently enjoy and are good at. This doesn’t just mean thinking about your favourite GCSE subject though! Think about what hobbies you currently partake in and how you might be able to pursue them in college. For example, I always enjoyed reading about current events and global issues. Therefore, I decided to take A Level sociology where my interests appear on the course.

Level 2 Floristry student Sophie suggests avoiding choosing a subject just because you think it will be easy. After taking the course you might find it isn’t as simple as you would think. Otherwise, taking a challenging subject might help you more in finding your right career path in the future.

T Level Teaching and Education students Mia and Imani recommend being brave about choosing new subjects. They met during their course and suggest picking a subject that you enjoy and will have the motivation to study for at least 2 years – not picking one just because your friends will be on it.

Level 3 Art and Design student Megan was home schooled before starting her course. Her advice would be to: “Pick a course you are interested in and can see progression in – you don’t need to have a career in mind, but work with your skills and interests and be realistic.”

During the summer between Year 11 and college, you might receive some work to do before the new year. This can be helpful in giving you an idea on what will be on your course of study. If your new course will involve work placements, Mia and Imani recommend emailing employers or getting in contact with people you or your family know during the summer so you can get a placement ready for college. Don’t worry if this isn’t possible since college can help set up placements for you! with their dedicated work placement team.

Whether in terms of subject or course, Wigan & Leigh College offers many exciting choices for you to take during your journey in further education. If you would like to view the full range of courses check out the prospectus or pick a copy up from your school.