Hurn-ia
It doesn't matter where you end up, you will have a fantastic time; this is a great job.
Aerodrome is fun and has a lot of benefits: you feel part of the aviation scene. On the way home you can recall a good days work which can be as varied in nature as the seasons. It's nice to be able to intermix with the whole spectrum of the industry.
Area is as different as it can be, and at times resembles a giant video game. There is much more emphasis on teamwork, like links in a chain; you depend a lot on your buddies and they on you. The satisfaction is different in nature, more of a commercial achievement.
I miss seeing the planes on my way to/from work at the old West Drayton centre....this new place at Swanwick is a bit sterile. There used to be a programme of Familiarisation flights and liaison visits for operational staff but financial cutbacks some years ago removed the easy availability; now the monies have been re-directed to management training [ this is in direct contravention to a CAA directive that controllers should have the opportunity to become familiar with the type and operating characteristics of the traffic they are responsible for]. I have never seen over half the planes I control......this suits some people: I am surprised how many of my colleagues have only a passing interest in the aviation "scene".....but the professionalism is very very high with rigid adherence to competency-checking standards....it's just at the end of a shift you can just oull out your plug and go home never having seen an aeroplane.
At an aerodrome you feel that you belong somewhere!
Keep up with the bookwork down at the college, you're in the real world now....70% pass means 30% wrong.....and in this job you can't afford to be wrong!
My respect for having gotten this far.....good luck.