Many young foresters will be completing their formal, mandatory education next year and will be looking at the next step in their lives. 

Once you’ve finished your GCSEs, there are a few options out there. You could go straight into work, continue your studies in a Sixth Form, or head to college - which is becoming a more favoured option. 

Gloucestershire College has given its verdict via its website. It rounded up the key reasons for why it may be better to choose college over the traditional Sixth Form route. 

Everyone is different, but generally speaking, people prefer to have flexibility with their work and studies. Gloucestershire College said: “Moving out of the structure of school can give you a lot more freedom, too. 

“At college you’ll find your timetables are a lot more varied. You may not start classes until 1pm. You may be on campus 3 times a week. By their nature, college courses have fewer exams too, and a lot of work is assignment-based to reflect working in a real setting.”

One of the biggest cons for traditional academic settings is how removed it is from the real-world work setting. Whilst it is perfect for those who wish to move onto university, it doesn’t give you the same experience you’d expect in the real world.

Additionally, college can help you get “real world ready” by providing useful skills and resources. Gloucestershire College said: “With industry-focused assignments, dedicated Student Mentors and an Employability team, you’ll have lots of support at college to make sure that you’re ready to take your next step.

“College gives you a great chance to build confidence and prove your skills if you’re ambitious to succeed. We’ll help you to find work experience and create a strong CV to stand out from the crowd.”

It’s a common misconception that A-Levels are a “higher” qualification than those you can achieve in college. In fact, level 3 courses are equivalent - and in many circumstances, college level 3 courses are industry-recognised, meaning the qualification is sought after by employers.

But why does it matter that it is equivalent? Well, if you choose to head to university after two or more years of college study, you will still have attained enough UCAS points to apply! 

One example of this is Charlie who studied Level 3 Forensic Computing and Cyber Security at Gloucestershire College’s Forest of Dean campus, and is now completing a degree level apprenticeship with one of its employer partners.

He said: “I was told college wouldn’t take me very far, but the Level 3 course is equivalent to A Levels. My course also offered AS Maths alongside the college course, so I got extra UCAS points.  

“I’d definitely recommend the course if you know you want to get into computing, and if you want to go to university to study computing. Before I started my apprenticeship, I had applied to other courses through UCAS, and was accepted into all the universities I applied to.” 

One area that is often overlooked with college study is the new experience it offers. Often, students will stay in the same school if it has a Sixth Form, and therefore will not experience anything different. 

Heading to college can give you the experience of travelling to site, finding your way around, making new friends and studying independently out on the road - all skills which are essential for university, if that’s your thing. 

Your future is in your hands and there is no “one size fits all” decision to make. It’s important to think carefully and thoroughly about what you want to do - but more importantly - why you want to do it. 

Do not choose options because you’re being told to, or your friends are doing them. Always choose what is best for you. If you’re not sure, advice is always out there.