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"A PERFECT BALANCE OF SUPPORT AND FREEDOM" - WHY I CHOSE ST DAVID'S AS MY SIXTH FORM

After undergoing my GCSEs at Corpus Christi Catholic High School, I had to make a important decision in terms of my educational and career aspirations: do I want to go to college? If so, what college do I want to go to and why?

After discussing it with friends and family and attending numerous open evenings, the decision become easier for me: I wanted to continue my education - in St David's. Here are the reasons why I knew the college was a perfect fit for me.

It welcomes and supports a diverse range of learners from many different backgrounds.

The college supports and teaches students of all different backgrounds and abilities, which is something I respected straight away. A lot of schools will turn down a student if they simply do not have a certain grade or fit high standards, which was something I was scared about when applying. St David's ensures that all students have the chance to succeed. The college even offers safeguarding, exam support, financial support and even has a Learner Support Centre dedicated to helping learners.

St David's has a very welcoming and helpful enrolment process.

It is easy to feel confused and lost when applying to college. However, during my enrolment process, I received a lot of support from the college and I never once felt unsure about what was going on. After filling in my application online, I was invited to a interview session where a staff member discussed my application with me and gave advice on the type of courses I should take for my desired career path. Any queries and concerns of mine were answered in detail. I also had a day of taster sessions for my chosen courses so I could see what I would be learning throughout the year and see if I enjoyed the idea of what my lessons would consist of. After collecting my GCSE results, I had another interview at St David's to discuss my results and courses. The college helped me make decisions which would be difficult to make without being supported.

St David's has a large variety of exciting courses to choose from.

The college definitely has a great choice of courses to choose from, which fit my career aspirations and interests. The college offers traditional academic subjects (English, Maths, Languages, History etc) as well as offering subjects I wasn't able to study before in high school such as Criminology, Photography, Health & Social, Sociology and many more! I was able to study subjects such as Psychology and Law, which was not a option in Corpus Christi. I was also able to drop and swap courses that I picked which I didn't enjoy.

St David's is a college with an atmosphere of love, service and respect inspired by Christ - everyone is respected!

I went to a Catholic high school and faith was a important factor for my parents in choosing a college which is another reason why St David's appeared to be the best option to me and my family. The college has its own chapel where you can attend masses. It also organises retreats, pilgrimages and quiet days. The chaplaincy offered at the college allows me to strengthen my faith and spark up different interests and beliefs. However, a Catholic College is a community which strives to be genuinely human, where people can grow and develop while feeling valued. Therefore, it doesn't matter what your religious background or perspective on faith is - everyone is welcome and it engages and accepts all beliefs.

The college is the perfect bridge between high school and university.

In my high school, I wasn't given much freedom - whereas in university, you are given a lot of freedom. St David's is the perfect school to develop the independent learning skills I need for university. It is a school environment, but unlike most colleges and sixth-forms, I am given a substantial amount of freedom to complete work and participate in activities. I am allowed to wear what I want and I am allowed to express my opinions, which are valued and considered. The college offers a perfect balance of support and freedom.

The college offers a good range of student facilities.

When visiting the college for the first time, I was shocked with the amount of facilities offered to students such as the sports hall, cinema, theatre, media suite... and so much more! The Learning Resource Centre particularly attracted me to this college as its the perfect environment to study in (be it computer work, group work or silent study) and has hundreds of resources for you to use. The canteen and coffee shop serves freshly prepared breakfast, main meals and snacks. I was pleased to find that Wellfield Road and Albany Road was within walking distance of the college, giving me access to more facilities such as coffee shops, sandwich bars and shops.

To sum it all up, I chose St David's because out of all the sixth forms I was interested in, St David's was undoubtedly the most supportive and stimulating choice and was the perfect step up from Corpus Christi in order to strengthen my faith as well as develop my important independent learning skills. Applying to this college will not be a waste of time, as the college will encourage you to make the most out of your abilities and allow you to become a more confident and well-rounded person - as well as offering you a fun and exciting student experience.

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