Your opinions needed about college websites!

[CharlieDelta]

Hello everyone!

So I'm doing a bit of digging!

Put yourselves back to when a career in the Merchant Navy was but a twinkle in your eye. Did you visit college websites? Did you find them useful? What aspects, specifically, did you find most useful? Case studies? Accomodation details? Course details? Links to sponsor companies? Is there anything you really wished you could have found on the college website? Or anything that would have just made the experience of finding information nicer or helped you along the way to your decision?

What about when you got a position and you were preparing to start college? Anything you would have liked then, or anything that you found useful?

I'd really appreciate a few thoughts on this!

Thanks!

CD

[Ash]

Few things just off the top of my head.

• Downloadable prospectuses
• More videos and piccies of facilities
• Links to sponsors or the careers at sea website
• Examples of what you do while at college e.g. specific tasks

[CharlieDelta]

Thanks Ash

[Lewisscott22]

I agree with Ash. More videos would be nice, links to sponsors and a link to this website would be very useful too!

Something which I couldn't find on most websites was how your qualifications are linked to the career. I know some of it is obvious, but to people who are looking into it may want to know why they need Maths or Physics. What part of that qualification would you use when you are on the course.

I'm sure I will end up thinking of more later...

[size4riggerboots]

[CharlieDelta]

link to this website would be very useful too!

Would be great but unlikely to happen. As much as the colleges may find the site useful in answering cadet questions and even companies have been known to point people our way "off the record", few organisations are willing to link to user-generated media that they have no editorial control over. It's a pity, but people seem to find us anyway which means those who seek find, we're not overly influenced by the organisations and the organisations remain independent of us. In saying that, as many will have noticed we do have rules about posting grievances here, as much to protect the poster as the organisation. It keeps our relationship with the colleges and companies on good terms and keeps the place generally positive. I know some might not like it, though it seems to have worked well so far.

[jc173]

Something they need is joining instructions that are correct... bitter much?

[MEJG]

i think you'll find the joining instructions were perfectly accurate

[Louii]

Everything was explained to me pretty fine for STC, phone numbers of the people to contact was abit of a pain, but with the main switchboard and some perseverance it was fine, the only issue I had (mainly my fault anyway) is that I didn't find out about costs until I got my joining instructions, which was 5 days before the start date, but I didn't apply til a few weeks before the start date, so partly my fault.

[dawg]

How much are we charging them for this market research? ;p

[CharlieDelta]

How much are we charging them for this market research? ;p

Nothing - it's in the interest of prospective cadets to have the best possible information available.

[dawg]

I wish you wouldn't take everything so literally... :/

[Lewis]

I hate case studies.

They are completely anecdotal with no way to test their claims. When have you ever read a negative case study?