Well, chances are the course content is going to be different than at Sparsholt, Denny. Are you going to be studying Conservation and Wildlife Management and at what level?
I've had a look on the Hadlow website for Level 3 Extended Diploma in Countryside Management (mines is called Conservation and Wildlife Management) and it looks fairly similar, with the notable exception that farm habitat management isn't included in year 1, but is in year 2 at Sparsholt. Not sure what age you are and if this is your first college experience, but my I'm going to guess 16 to 18, so I'd suggest just keeping your head down and don't pay any attention to the people who won't take the course seriously. Ask as many questions as possible of your lecturers and don't be afraid to ask. When I first started my course I felt I had a lot to prove in terms of my existing knowledge of ecology, and so I was constantly talking to the lecturers about these things and it seems to have worked out in my favour. Taking a genuine steps to show what you know and being open to discussion will show your lecturers that you're willing to learn. And that's the best thing. Another thing I'd do is try and talk to the older folks. Most of my colleagues are in their mid 30s to early 50s. The rest of them, the young ones, are falling by the way side. Basically, stick with the people who are interested and keen and you'll be in a much better learning environment.
From what I've written above you can see the sorts of stuff we do. Year 1 has been split into most of the primary habitats, such as woodland, heathland and grassland. The assignments usually follow a similar structure, that is one on ecology and then one on management, although there can be assignments on threats and legislation. A bit of advice... Try not to write too much. When I first started my course I was loosing sleep because I would be writing on average 8k words for each assignment. For one assignment, a healthland management plan, I wrote 25 pages. This shows the lecturers that you're interested in the subject, but it's best just to tone it down after a while and focus your count in a bit more so that your energy is spread out on various other bits of work.
All the best,
Taylor.
Edit: Also, I would highly suggest being as open to sharing what you know and to helping others as much as possible if you can. You can create a bit of a "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine" sort of relationship. That way once you get to know your new colleagues you can circulate information and progress on the course will go a lot smoother as you're not just working by yourself. So yes, just try and build up a good rapport with people as you're going to be spending at least 2 years with them.
Just because I'm in a chirpy mood, here's that heathland management plan. Do your work to a high standard, but don't do this if you want to live!
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