Chrisy,
Your thirst for knowledge is admirable, you are obviously keen on a career in aviation/air traffic control. I have noticed that you have only been a member of these boards for a short period yet you have asked many questions and responded to/started many posts.
Whilst I am not an employer, interviewer or a superior I suspect that a keen willingness to learn is something that employers look for in TATC's.
However, I KNOW (because i was told and asked about it at my stage 3 interview) that NATS are particularly keen to find out how you respond to criticism before they employ you.
For exmaple I was asked what I would do if one of my tutors kept giving me bad marks or rubbishing my work even if i was doing my best and believed my work was to a great standard.
The answer is I would ask to speak to them alone and discuss my short comings (if indeed i had any
). The answer was definately not, 'I would stand up infront of the rest of my peers and tell him that even with all of his experience I knew better.
The reality is I am a poor speller and my grammer is pretty shocking too (as it happens i had an A at GCSE in English to go along with 4 A*'s and 3 more A's, I personally do not think school exam results tell us an awful lot about anyone in the real world). I still managed to get through the interview stages and I hope to cope at the college, in fact i hope to excel at the college.
Back to the actual thread and the crux of most of Chrisy's posts and threads. I actually live about 2/3 miles from the cwmbran trainning school and never even considered it an option. It is pretty obvious to me that NATS affords you the best and most ecconomical route to becoming an ATC. It also offers you a route to the major areodromes if that is what you want.
I get the impression (and yes I know that i do not know you personally) that the reason you are looking at Cwmbran so much is that you dont want to leave Wales and whilst I niether wish to leave GOD'S OWN COUNTRY
in this case trying to get a place at NATS is the best way of going about achieving your dream.
All the very best with what ever you do I honestly do think that your eagerness to find out all you can is admirable, however I do think you have a few years of growing up to do before you can really consider a career as an ATC.
Remember dont take things too personally and heed any advise you recieve it could prove to be very valuable in the future.
Good luck