Advice on joining the right course and making the most of it

Read full course details before enrolling

Make sure you fully understand the nature of your course, what topics will be covered and what level it is before you enrol by reading the full course outline. Simply search for the course online, and each course page will contain every thing you need to know about the course content.

Trying out courses

Visitors’ passes are available for many courses. Please contact the relevant department.

Advice, interviews and auditions

Drop-in advice
You are welcome to talk to programme area (department) staff about your choice of course. Most departments
offer set times and dates when you can just drop in. Occasionally, if you have a very specific enquiry that can’t be answered during this meeting, we might need to speak to the tutor on your behalf for a more detailed response. In this instance, we will aim to get back to you a few days after the meeting.
Tip: You may find that most of your questions may be answered by reading the full course outline on our website.

Alternatively, you can contact our Advice and Guidance team for general information on courses at City Lit and across London and to discuss additional support which might be available to you. For some areas e.g. courses for adults with learning difficulties and courses
for adults who stammer, a personal assessment is always offered to guide you onto the correct course.

Telephone advice
There may be times when you prefer to call the department by telephone for advice rather than coming into the college. If you can’t get through straight away (we may be talking to other students or teaching), please do leave a voicemail message and we will aim to get back to you within 2-3 working days. Alternatively please email us (see page 32 for contact details).

Interviews and auditions
Some courses require an interview or audition with the relevant programme area before you can enrol (these courses are marked with a * after the course code e.g. PC303*). This is to make sure that the course is the right level for you, and sometimes there are formal
requirements which need to be verified. The specific details will be described in the course outline for your course.

To arrange for an interview or audition, please call the relevant programme area or refer to specific audition times as printed in the course guide and listed on the course web pages. In some programme areas, the interview can be done during the general advice times, but we would strongly recommend you check this in advance as different practices apply in different areas.

Tip: A successful interview or audition does NOT guarantee you a space on a course. Once you have been accepted by the programme area, you must enrol if you want to secure a space on the course. In general, you will need an enrolment form that has been stamped and signed next to the course details.

Application forms
Some courses require an application form and this will be indicated in the course outline for your course. If you are successful, you will be contacted by the relevant programme area to advise you on the next stage. Some courses then require applicants to attend an interview. Places are offered to successful applicants on a first-come, first-served basis, so early application is recommended.


Waiting lists for full courses

City Lit uses waiting lists for full courses to capture expressions of interest from students. You can join a waiting list on the course web page, by contacting the relevant department, or by ringing the enrolment hotline.

If a place becomes available, we endeavour to contact those on the waiting list and the place will be available on a first-come first-served basis. However, our website is updated every 15 minutes with course place availability and therefore you are strongly advised to also check the website regularly.

Adding your name to the waiting list does have the additional benefit that if extra dates are arranged you will be contacted and offered a place and we may also be able to suggest alternative options.

Attendance: does it matter?

You will gain the most from your course if you attend every session. Missing one can make it hard to take part fully later. Course outlines tell you what you can expect to achieve – this assumes that you are present throughout. However, we appreciate that absence is
sometimes unavoidable. We recommend you contact the department running your course if you will be absent.

Some courses may have a minimum attendance requirement – please check your course documentation.

Statements of learning: what are they for?

At the start of your course your tutor may ask you to complete a Statement of Learning to assess yourself and highlight what you would most like to learn on the course. At the end of your course you will be able to evaluate how much you have learnt on the same form (the tutor will
indicate on the form how many of the course aims you have achieved). You may ask your tutor for a copy of the Statement of Learning once the course is completed.

For us, Statements of Learning are an important tool for improving the quality of our courses, as they show us how much each student has gained from their course. Our funding body, as well as Ofsted inspectors, use it as a proof that students achieve their learning aims.

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Why City Lit?

If you are looking for a great choice of inspiring courses; a bright, modern environment to learn in located in central London; the opportunity to have fun and meet like-minded people, we look forward to seeing you at City Lit!

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