College or 6th Form?

[Stressed92]

I need some advice about what to do next year. For those of you who don't know, I'm in yr 11 but not at school at the moment cos of anxiety and i've been off for about 6/7 months. I'm getting help with my work from a home tuition place near me and am predicted to get good grades.
Any way, I need to decide what I want to do next year, as my mum keeps asking me and I know I need to make a decision soon to apply for college or sixth form. I have quite bad anxiety and got panic attacks at school, but since I left I haven't had them. I don't want them to start again as soon as i go back or start college, but i know I have to do one or the other if I want decent qualifications for a job.
What I want is some advice from people like me who have been to college or sixth form with anxiety and what you think I should do, bearing in mind, if i go to 6th form I probably won't go back to the same school, cos of the horrible memories.:unsure:

Thankyou so much
Amy
x

[janeybaby25]

Hi Amy, well for me when I was your age (14yrs ago!) I went to college as 6th form just didn't appeal to me at all. To be honest it was the best thing I have ever done. I was a very shy person at school & it gave me so much confidence & they treat you like an adult not a kid like they do at school. But end of the day its what you want to do, but when anyone ever asks me, I always say, leaving school at 16 was the best thing I ever did.

What is it that you are wanting to study? xxx

[Stressed92]

Thanks for the advice:hugs:
I'm not sure really, probably graphics or photography.
There's an art college down the road from me so I would go there, it's just making friends and the crowds that would be hard, wherever I went :weep:
Amy
x

[kate]

My daughter has OCD and missed a lot of schooling in yrs 10 and 11. But, she passed 10 GCSE's and went back to school for 6th form. She absolutely loves it, it's nothing like being in mainstream school and is doing really well there.

[janeybaby25]

I went to Art School to do Fashion but then I took a break from studying when I finished my course & now just finished my degree in Art. Where are you from?xxx

[Stressed92]

Thanks Kate :hugs:
I'm from carlisle in Cumbria.
Amy
x

[janeybaby25]

If you want to PM about anything hun you are more than welcome. But how one choice might be ok for someone it might not be for you. Sorry I know that doesn't help but I can only tell you what I experinced. At the end of the day though, if you do make one choice, say go to college & you don't like it, you can always change & go to a sixth form college. These things aren't set in stone. Let us know how you get on hun. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[lennons_mammy]

College definatly its more relaxed.

[Jan63]

Yes my two teenagers are both at college and love it. My daughter is on a travel and tourism course and my son is in his 2nd year and is on a multi media course. They are both glad they didn't do sixth form because they have friends there that hate it.

[mike83]

I quit school half way through year 11, I had home schooling but I only remember doing English with the tutor. I think I dropped a lot of the subjects for GCSE, I don't think I completed half the coursework either. Anyway I did my tests in a nearly empty room, there were just a few people there. I only got 2 passes so I went back to do a GNVQ Intermediate in Business studies which would give me enough grades to do an A level. That year the year 10 students were given a choice to do same course, we must of looked really dumb! Suprisingly I dont think anyone ever asked me where I was during year 11 when I went back in 6th form!

I did the course, it wasn't too bad. It was a fairly small class and we didn't have to stay in class all the time. I did panic sometimes though and during one test I filled it all out with random answers, I got about 3 out of 40! I was annoyed about getting the anxiety and couldn't concentrate. One of the teachers wanted to film us doing a presentation, luckily me and some other person did it without anyone else in the room but the teacher but I still paniced.

Once we were going to walk into town, I think they were going to interview some people in a supermarket so I just skipped that lesson. We had work experience too, I had to cope with doing that and it wasn't too bad, I just stayed at the building when they all went for a pub lunch.

I used to skip assemblies and my form tutor never really told me off, perhaps she was told I had anxiety. I used to hate going to assembly when I was at school cos of so many people in the same room and you can't get out.

When I got my results I was a few marks off the top grade, so I had to live with a pass, it got me enough to get to college though.

I went for one induction day and couldn't take it, the classroom was so big with so many people and I would have had to use a bus for over an hour to get there. In the end I didn't go.

As your college is close to you it might work for you, I think they probably have better and more courses than 6th form.

[Stressed92]

Thankyou all so much for the advice
I'm still not sure though:doh:
I hate making big life decisions when I know I'll change my mind:mad:
Well, I'm gonna steer towards college, but apparently they're closing down the one round the corner, so I would have to travel across town:weep:
Do you think I should take a year out, then go to college, or just go next year and get it over with lol?
I'm so scared I'll make the wrong decision:scared15:
Take care
Amy
x

[janeybaby25]

aw honey, I know its a big descion but the whole part of making it is a part of growing up. Its horrible & doesn't really get any easier as you get older! Like I said before though, if you do make the wrong descion these things are not set in stone & you can change your mind. When I went to Uni, I moved away & then after 3mths decided it wasn't for me so I came to one closer to home to do a different course & it was no big deal. If I was you, I would get it over with as taking a break will just give you longer to try & decide what to do. Just do what you feel is right in your heart, don't be swayed by what anyone else says & do what YOU want to do & don't be scared. You will feel so liberated for making your own choices. xxxxxxxxxx

[Stressed92]

Thankyou jane, your such a help:D
I'm gonna talk to my mum and maybe go to an open day in Feb at the college I want to go to. Hopefully I will like it:unsure: and I won't get anxious and I'll feel fine and really relaxed, haha fat chance, but hey:)
Take Care
Amy
x

[janeybaby25]

hey you never know! pm me anytime you want chick. xxxx