Reading all of the posts, it's an interesting debate - I'm training in area and we are going to sit in on an aerodrome 'run' - I bet I am baffled senseless watching it, yet if aerodrome sat in on one of our 'runs' they would be too. It's what discipline that you train in that you'll always understand\get the easiest - as for the difference in courses, area does have too many pages of MATS Pt 1 to learn verbatim and aerodrome has none, but i'm definately not going to say the aerodrome course is easier, at the end of the day, everyone is different and learns in different ways and if you pass the college and validate in any discipline, you'll be happy!