General word about LGU & Distance Learning
I am currently on the 3rd and final phase at LMU, and the only gripe I've had so far has been with Meteorology in this phase. I started doing the ATPL theories by distance-learning with LMU, but due to changed circumstances I then went full-time. I think that with Distance Learning it was a lot harder to keep motivated, as there is nobody to keep you going. However, with both the Distance Learning and Residential methods, I believe that the key is quality learning, not quantity. Hunched over a book for hours looking at lots of words on a page is not necessarily the most effective way of doing things. I have passed every exam that i've sat 1st time, including a 75% scrape in A/C Systems which i did Distance Learning, so I do speak from experience. The hardest thing is knowing what to concentrate on, and which bits you can leave out. With that in mind, I personally found the full-time residential easier, though commuting has been a nightmare, particularly since the hot sticky weather began!
In response to comments about Performance at LMU.... actually, i find that Peter Knapp is one of the most knowledgable of the tutors around. He knows the subjects inside out and knows exactly what to home in on, and what can be skipped. He's really friendly and is always most helpful. People who make Chief Ground Instructors can't be muppets can they? So unless people have actually experienced Knappy first-hand, I'd encourage you to keep comments about him and his teaching to yourselves. You never know who reads these boards, and the "old-boys network" stretches further than you'd think, and with powers beyond imagination. Being a slanderer isn't the best reputation to turn up to an interview with.....