Try after you apply with our College Taster Sessions

If you’ve been offered a place to study at one of RNN Group’s three Colleges from September 2024, then you should have been invited to a taster session taking place this summer term.

You might have seen the email and thought “I’ve already applied and got a place, so why do I need to go to a taster session?”

And we get it. You’ll have just finished your GCSEs and you want to enjoy the summer before the next chapter starts.

But taster sessions are a crucial part of the admissions process here at RNN Group. They only last for two-and-a-half hours and are a chance for you to get your bearings around campus with a quick tour, meet your new tutors, take part in hands-on elements and ask any questions about the course before you enrol.

Some of you will have been to one of our open events and already had a look at our facilities. So you might be wondering why you need to come along again.

But taster sessions are different from open events. Here’s how.

For applicants only

They’re exclusively for applicants in Y11 who’ve already received an offer to study at either Rotherham College, North Notts College or Dearne Valley College. Whereas open events are for those thinking of applying.

More details about your chosen course

You’ll get to find out more about the course you’ve chosen and visualise what your first year at College will look like. Your tutor won’t go too deep into the curriculum, but you’ll get a taste of what’s to come. Open events don’t have the same level of course detail.

It could be that, after you’ve heard more about the course, you decide that it isn’t really the right fit for you. And that’s fine – you’ve still got plenty of time to chance to something more suitable.

Maybe you know what subject you like but you’re torn between which specific course to do. You’re really creative, but should you take art, fashion or graphic design? You know you want to get a trade under your belt, but will that be bricklaying, plumbing or joinery?

As well as the taster session for the course you’ve applied for, you might be able to attend another one in a different subject to make sure you’re happy with whatever course you settle on.

Find Your Feet around College

If you came to an open event, you might have brought an adult with you. They might have done a lot of the talking for you and navigated the College campus.

Taster sessions are just for students who are starting with us in September. Our current students will have finished for the summer, so you’ll be the only ones here.

You’ll get to see where you’ll be studying – be it a workshop or classroom – and also where to hang out in between lessons. Coming to a taster session should help you know if our Colleges are the right place for you. Do they feel like home? It’s hard to imagine what it’s like just from the prospectus or looking online.

It can also help you prepare for that transition from school to college. The thought of starting college can already feel daunting to some. But imagine turning up in September and it’s the first time you’ve ever step foot in the place?

Meet your potential course mates

You’ll get to meet other people who might be on your course and weigh up who you might be friends with.

Taster sessions are capped at 20 students, on a first-come, first-served basis, so there won’t be swarms of people like at open events making it less overwhelming.

Feel part of the RNN family

Most importantly, taster sessions are your chance to know you’re making the right choice about college. You’ve had a lot to think about this year, with GCSEs and thoughts of your future. Things can change so quickly – and that applies to your decisions about colleges or courses you applied for all those months ago.

We want your college experience to be an enjoyable one. Nobody wants to spend a couple of years taking a course they didn’t really like. Coming along to a taster session should help you know in your mind that you’ve made the right choice and are excited for September to arrive!

Find out more about what you need to do at your upcoming taster session.