Want to study in Shetland Islands

If you want to continue studying after age 16 then you need to know what choices are open to you. What you can study may depend on your exam results.

 You should be thinking about your future career and what skills you need.

• Choose a course, which you have an interest in, as this will keep you motivated.
• Speak with your teachers, family or a Careers Adviser to gain information, advice and guidance.
• Attend open evenings and gather prospectuses
• Use the resources in your school's careers library to research the choices available to you.
• Note closing dates for course applications and apply early.

Where can I study?

You can choose to continue your education at:

 Anderson High School/Brae High School for S5-6

• University - here you can study a wider range of topics than many school sixth forms can offer
• Further education (FE) college - an FE college usually offers specialist courses, many with links to industry
• Adult learning

Choosing the right place to study

Before you decide on a place of study ask yourself the following questions:

• What are the entry requirements and are they achievable?
• Does the subject interest me?
• How is the course assessed?
• Is there a lot of coursework, exams, lectures, group work?
• What are the facilities like that the provider offers?

Understand the 'terms' used by different qualifications.

Academic - This means that a course is mainly based around a method or steps you would undertake to solve problems. These are theory based. Subjects like History or English would be classed as Academic.

Vocational - This is more hands on work, learning by the use of practical training of specific skills which is required for a specific career. Topics like ICT and Motor Mechanics would be classed as vocational.

Applied - This means a course is Vocational based (see above). Courses, which are applied, are more specific career focused. Find out what the entry requirements are.

Different courses require you to have achieved certain grades or have taken certain subjects, before you can start a course. Therefore always check what you are required to achieve before applying. As an example it maybe that you want to go on and study Physics after your standard grades but the course states that you need to have achieved a minimum grade of C at standard grade Maths.

Find out how a qualification is assessed

All qualifications are assessed differently, so make sure you find out first, before you start something you don't like! Many qualifications require you to sit an examination at the end of your learning; this can often account for 70% of your final grade. Not all qualifications have exams like this; some of have unit tests which support coursework. Other courses may involve group work or be heavily based on coursework.

Opportunities

Colleges offer many opportunities for people 16 or over by offering a wide range of full and part-time courses. At 16 you can apply direct to Shetland College. To find out about course information in Shetland use the links on the left hand menu.

Entry requirements

For some courses you must have specific entry qualifications and sometimes there are closing dates for applications. Early application is essential and you should check the details in the college prospectus about courses that interest you. It is also a good idea to visit college open days before you choose where and which courses to study. This is so you can ask any questions that you may have about the course or college.