Alumni Spotlight: Aaron Godman

Since I left Long Road, I have been training to be a primary school teacher and have done 1 year of a Primary Education Degree at Liverpool Hope University, and I am now doing an undergraduate in Childhood and youth with Education for the remaining time of my undergraduate degree. Also, during the summer just gone, I had the opportunity to take part in a Global Hope project where I showed some Japanese students around Liverpool and took part in a number of different activities.

I chose to study at Long Road Sixth Form college because I really enjoyed the atmosphere and speaking to the teachers and other students gave me the opportunity to try new subjects that I had never done before. My favourite Memory of Long Road was when I got the opportunity in Year 12 to take part in a creative workshop day at Cambridge Junction. During that day I got the opportunity to learn about lighting sets for shows as well as take part in a workshop about dance.

The first piece of advice that I would give to any new students joining or considering Long Road is to make sure that you ask a lot of questions to current students or teachers. This is important because you will then get the required answers that will help you to make a decision. Another key piece of advice would be to pick the subjects that are most interesting to you. This is important because if you do not find the subjects interesting, then you will not be motivated to complete the sixth form experience. The most important advice I can give for new students would be to make sure that you revise for any exams that are involved in your course. This is important because certain exams will be included in your final grade. The final piece of advice I will give to any new students joining Long Road or studying at Long Road is to take any extra opportunities that get given to you and enjoy every moment.

The first piece of advice that I would give to current students about to sit their exams is to make sure that they read each question more than once. The reason why this is important is because if you do not read the question more than once you might fill the answer out incorrectly, which will mean that the marks you gain will be reduced. Another key piece of advice to give the current students about to sit their exams would be to make sure that they get a good night's sleep. This is important because if you are tired it could hinder your chances of gaining the grade that you are wanting. Another key piece of advice for current students about to sit their exams would be to make sure that you start revising earlier than when the actual exams are. This is important because if you do little, but often, you are more likely to gather knowledge over time rather than trying to cram all the knowledge in the night before an exam. A final piece of important advice for current students about to sit their exams is making sure that you can talk to your families or teachers if the exams are worrying you. Communicating how you are feeling with people means that you can get the necessary support from teachers, your friends or any mental health specialists if that is required.

Long Road helped me build my confidence at meeting new people. The college also helped me get ready for university life by discussing the importance of the next steps in my future career. Long Road also helped me learn the key skills for interviews and what questions would be asked in a job interview scenario. This was an important skill that I learnt at Long Road. Long Road also helped me develop first aid skills and how to use a defibrillator correctly. Long Road also helped to develop my other skills, such as effective communication, teamwork, resilience and responsibility for the different environments and situations that will occur in the future.