“I began at Selby College as an A Level student, following onto a Foundation Degree in Learning Support. There were four factors which influenced my decision in choosing attending Selby College rather than a university: The first is the reduced price which the course offers compared to universities; the second is the location of the college, living just a 20-30 minutes’ drive from the college means I can access campus quickly and cheaply, which meant I did not require the maintenance loan; the third is the small course and campus size, which means relationships with tutors are closer, meaning feedback is timely and issues are resolved quickly; the final factor, and most important influence to my decision, is the way the course is set up – due to being evening classes and a more vocational course (requirement of 240 hours working in a school environment), I can work in the industry I am training for whilst working a part-time job, which means my course acts like an apprenticeship (or as close as I can get to this for teaching), providing real insight into what working would be like in the industry and experience which will be important when qualified and applying for work.”