Gonzo,
the opposite happened to me. I did the APR course after Area 2, which gave me an advantage over the other students. As I hadn't done aerodrome for two years, when we were given the list of available units, I chose radar units, including Heathrow Approach.
However, after watching me on radar, the head of training at EGLL decided I would be a good candidate for Heathrow tower (He said I handled busy traffic well!) so they paid no attention to my choices, and sent me to LL.
After 2 years of radar, I wasn't quite up to speed on aerodrome, which put me behind the curve. (13 different mentors, all with different standards, didn't help!) I was the first to admit that Heathrow wasn't for me, and luckily I got out. NATS seems to insist on silly postings.
Proper selection could have saved a wasted year.
Sonic
Ps, I was there while you were training!