A few years I embarked on a 2 year National Diploma course at New College Durham, studying a couple of A levels alongside. I was a terrible student and played truant constantly - but even so, I received a lot of support from the lecturers on my courses, and eventually passed everything. The courses were all expertly laid out, something that I've since found doesn't apply to all learning institutions, and even now, I remember the gist of my modules studied, and just how much the lecturers put up with.
In one of my modules, the lecturer would drone on and on whilst the entire class surfed the internet and talked amonst themselves. I wonder if he cared - he must have known. He was obviously knowledgable about his subject, so I don't quite understand why he even bothered with a class that wasn't paying attention.
Many of my lecturers had a lot of qualifications - PhDs and Doctorates and the likes.
The college offers many courses of further education, from GCSEs and A levels to vocational courses in Computing, Beauty Therapy, Health and Social Care to day release NVQ schemes and has dedicated areas for most of them. The facilities are excellent - there is a library the size of a university's, a large refrectory canteen as well as a few coffee kiosks and a shop for purchasing stationary. The college also offers part time courses and now, higher education as well.
The college is set among some large playing fields and has many sporting societies. There are a few pubs, cafes and supermarkets in the street immediately to the outside of the college, and Durham city and the Arnison Centre are about a mile either side of it. read more