Starting ATPL Tomorrow!! Any Tips??
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Starting ATPL Tomorrow!! Any Tips??
ladies & gents,
i'm starting my ATPL Groundschool tommorrow at London Met.
Any tips or advice??? even advice on trivial things like what to bring/expect to happen on the first day???
any help would be greatly appreciated!
Steve.
i'm starting my ATPL Groundschool tommorrow at London Met.
Any tips or advice??? even advice on trivial things like what to bring/expect to happen on the first day???
any help would be greatly appreciated!
Steve.
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I've just finished at London Met.
On the first day, expect the morning to be a welcome chat from the lecturers, but after lunch you will be straight into the deep end. The first couple of days, I thought WTF have I got myself into, the sheer volume of info that comes at you is immense, but gradually it all starts to sink in and make sense.
In my group, most of us had taken a packed lunch on the first day, but everyone went to the pub over the road as people were too embaressed to say they had food with them !!. There are a couple of good food joints nearby, but depends on your budget if you use them - some of the guys on my course used them and were spending in excess of £5 every day but alot of us just took our own and ate in the refectory as it was obviously cheaper.
Don't bother trying to make too many notes, just get yourself plenty of highlighters. In my group we went from trying to write down every word in Phase A, to hardly writing anything in Phase C and just highlighting stuff.
They are a great bunch of lecturers there, you will enjoy it. I'm missing not being there now.
"Gentleeeeeeeeeemeeeeeeeeeeen"
On the first day, expect the morning to be a welcome chat from the lecturers, but after lunch you will be straight into the deep end. The first couple of days, I thought WTF have I got myself into, the sheer volume of info that comes at you is immense, but gradually it all starts to sink in and make sense.
In my group, most of us had taken a packed lunch on the first day, but everyone went to the pub over the road as people were too embaressed to say they had food with them !!. There are a couple of good food joints nearby, but depends on your budget if you use them - some of the guys on my course used them and were spending in excess of £5 every day but alot of us just took our own and ate in the refectory as it was obviously cheaper.
Don't bother trying to make too many notes, just get yourself plenty of highlighters. In my group we went from trying to write down every word in Phase A, to hardly writing anything in Phase C and just highlighting stuff.
They are a great bunch of lecturers there, you will enjoy it. I'm missing not being there now.
"Gentleeeeeeeeeemeeeeeeeeeeen"
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re:
thanks for the tips... its always helpful as there are little things that dont have much to do with the course content, but are important when starting a new course or college or something.
I finished my degree at coventry uni last year, so im reasonably tuned up on note-taking... and the likes! lol
the advice about lunch's aswell.. i think for the first day or two, il play it by ear, but a pack-up will definately be the most economical thing to do!
thanks again pal!!
I finished my degree at coventry uni last year, so im reasonably tuned up on note-taking... and the likes! lol
the advice about lunch's aswell.. i think for the first day or two, il play it by ear, but a pack-up will definately be the most economical thing to do!
thanks again pal!!
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I'm on phase B at the moment... My advice is don't pi$$ the security off on the door - they are what you would call 'jobsworths'! You can attempt to say hello in the morning but may get a grunt at best in return!
Course is great though and I'm one of the packed lunch mob! £5 a day x 6 months = some flying time!
Get used to these too - "Sh1t mike, you're right" and "56 Tons, tick next question!"
Ha ha.. Memories!
Course is great though and I'm one of the packed lunch mob! £5 a day x 6 months = some flying time!
Get used to these too - "Sh1t mike, you're right" and "56 Tons, tick next question!"
Ha ha.. Memories!
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I finished at London Met in the summer of 2003. The first bit of advice I would give you is enjoy it! As LJ has said, they are a great bunch of guys at London Met, and you will have a good time.
As well as the pub over the road, there is a Whetherspoons just around the corner, which is good to go to after a hard week of study, and is a lot cheaper than the pub over the road, which is Minories.
Work hard, and you will be fine. Mike Alderton will provide you with some very entertaining lessons, including cherry red turbo chargers, stories on when he was flying in his VC10 and stories about taking the aircraft batteries to the hotel in sub zero temperatures. It will all make sense when you start
.
Have a good time.
PS. The Daddy, I also seem to recall another one in Performance, 3100m tick next question.
As well as the pub over the road, there is a Whetherspoons just around the corner, which is good to go to after a hard week of study, and is a lot cheaper than the pub over the road, which is Minories.
Work hard, and you will be fine. Mike Alderton will provide you with some very entertaining lessons, including cherry red turbo chargers, stories on when he was flying in his VC10 and stories about taking the aircraft batteries to the hotel in sub zero temperatures. It will all make sense when you start
.Have a good time.
PS. The Daddy, I also seem to recall another one in Performance, 3100m tick next question
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Yep, the Minories is a bit more expensive, but not if you get the discount card
There are a lot of stories hidden in Mikes mind that come out a fair bit in class - the one that is most entertaining is how he got the Army to relocate his steam engine from Wales to Somerset (Or it could have been Devon, I switched off at that point!) Unbelievable! (Literally!) Ha ha.
Anyway Steve, just enjoy it - we all have to go through it at some point!
There are a lot of stories hidden in Mikes mind that come out a fair bit in class - the one that is most entertaining is how he got the Army to relocate his steam engine from Wales to Somerset (Or it could have been Devon, I switched off at that point!) Unbelievable! (Literally!) Ha ha.
Anyway Steve, just enjoy it - we all have to go through it at some point!
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LOL thanks for the advice.... aviators dont suit me anyhow!!
in other news: a Citation has just gone down near Biggin Hill.. killed 5 on board, sounds like an double-engine failiure at the moment....
in other news: a Citation has just gone down near Biggin Hill.. killed 5 on board, sounds like an double-engine failiure at the moment....
as to go for BGS or do the residential ATPL,s at london met. CheersJoin Date: May 2004
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"Bom bom bom, 56" thats how we got it!
And I think it came up in our exam too!
Mike stories are great as they break up the sometimes overwhelming info your getting as previously mentioned.
I could go on but won't!
Dress code is anything really, be prepared to answer some questions about your chosen football/rugby shirt etc.
Watch out for the crank-shaft (I think thats what it was), it'll wake you up real quick if you were dozing off, I was a regular target
The lecturers are great and mostly very helpful, and you get to meet some more great guys as you progress.
Bring plenty of coffee/ red-bull etc to patricks classes. He really is a great guy, knows everything about what he's talking about but does go into excruciating detail which can be painfully dragged out, commonly resulting in spontaneous narcolepsy (sp?)
100% echo the remarks about the door men, I tried to be nice at the start but gave up after a short while. Absolutely no coffee or tea allowed in the rooms, so if you want to outsmart the guys at the front, don't get in the lift to go to the fourth floor with your drink, (they'll waddle over and try to stop you) just walk up the stairs as they assume your going to the canteen, they're not that smart really! (I hate that refectory word!)
Shop across the road has cheap enough sandwiches (some under £1.50) if i forgot lunch or hadn't got much cash it was handy and did the job.
You'll be overwhelmed at the start but it will all start to come together a while before the first exams. Then for phase B and C, which I certainly found more enjoyable and interesting, your more comfortable with your surroundings, peers,more settled in the routines of studying etc, especially if your starting here and have been out of education for a while.
You'll love it and hate it in equal measures from time to time!
Just some of my thoughts!
Quotes:
"Bom, Bom, Bom,......56"
"I'm going to give you a Hand-Owt"
"You don't need to bother with bristol, everything you need is right here on our CD."
"ooooooooooooooooh. I'll have to get back to you on that one!"
"You da man!"
"IF YOU DON'T USE BRISTOL! You WILL fail!"
"Grand Mal or Petit Mal"
"Dear Mr Walker,
Re: Personal Conduct During CAA Examinations."
"NO BUTTERFACES" (Thats the most important one)
And I think it came up in our exam too!
Mike stories are great as they break up the sometimes overwhelming info your getting as previously mentioned.
I could go on but won't!
Dress code is anything really, be prepared to answer some questions about your chosen football/rugby shirt etc.
Watch out for the crank-shaft (I think thats what it was), it'll wake you up real quick if you were dozing off, I was a regular target
The lecturers are great and mostly very helpful, and you get to meet some more great guys as you progress.
Bring plenty of coffee/ red-bull etc to patricks classes. He really is a great guy, knows everything about what he's talking about but does go into excruciating detail which can be painfully dragged out, commonly resulting in spontaneous narcolepsy (sp?)
100% echo the remarks about the door men, I tried to be nice at the start but gave up after a short while. Absolutely no coffee or tea allowed in the rooms, so if you want to outsmart the guys at the front, don't get in the lift to go to the fourth floor with your drink, (they'll waddle over and try to stop you) just walk up the stairs as they assume your going to the canteen, they're not that smart really! (I hate that refectory word!)
Shop across the road has cheap enough sandwiches (some under £1.50) if i forgot lunch or hadn't got much cash it was handy and did the job.
You'll be overwhelmed at the start but it will all start to come together a while before the first exams. Then for phase B and C, which I certainly found more enjoyable and interesting, your more comfortable with your surroundings, peers,more settled in the routines of studying etc, especially if your starting here and have been out of education for a while.
You'll love it and hate it in equal measures from time to time!
Just some of my thoughts!
Quotes:
"Bom, Bom, Bom,......56"
"I'm going to give you a Hand-Owt"
"You don't need to bother with bristol, everything you need is right here on our CD."
"ooooooooooooooooh. I'll have to get back to you on that one!"
"You da man!"
"IF YOU DON'T USE BRISTOL! You WILL fail!"
"Grand Mal or Petit Mal"
"Dear Mr Walker,
Re: Personal Conduct During CAA Examinations."
"NO BUTTERFACES" (Thats the most important one)
Hi all!
Just a general question to everyone at London Met - what were your travel arrangements like? I live in Shenfield, Essex and am wondering how much it's going to cost me in the long run to get the train into Liverpool Street/Stratford and then the tube onwards. Part of me is finding Bristol Ground School more appealing as I wont have to travel at all (apart from the exams and the crammer courses) and I'll be able to study around my job.
Let me know what your experiences are/were!. Steve, how are you going to find travelling from Coventry every day!? I assume you'll be moving down to London?
S88
Just a general question to everyone at London Met - what were your travel arrangements like? I live in Shenfield, Essex and am wondering how much it's going to cost me in the long run to get the train into Liverpool Street/Stratford and then the tube onwards. Part of me is finding Bristol Ground School more appealing as I wont have to travel at all (apart from the exams and the crammer courses) and I'll be able to study around my job.
Let me know what your experiences are/were!. Steve, how are you going to find travelling from Coventry every day!? I assume you'll be moving down to London?
S88
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student88,
I think I took the shenfield train when i lived briefly in three kings, am I right?
I can't remember the exact cost but I know when at london met for this course you are eligible for a student oyster card which helps a lot.
Check out tfl.gov.uk and work it out based on the student rates.
I think I took the shenfield train when i lived briefly in three kings, am I right?
I can't remember the exact cost but I know when at london met for this course you are eligible for a student oyster card which helps a lot.
Check out tfl.gov.uk and work it out based on the student rates.
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We actually had "56 tonnes, tick next question" in our exam !!! brought a smile to our faces that did !!.
I purposfully said hello to the door guys every morning, and good night every evening. I think if you show them that basic courtesy, they are alright with you - or it really p's them off depending who it is !!.
There is a sandwich shop around the corner called "Hot Spot" which makes just about anything you want, but Oasis over the road from the Uni is cheaper. There is also a cheap chicken place that does chicken and chips for £1.40, it's round the back of KFC near the ticket booths for the Tower - I was sure they were just robbing the stuff KFC had thrown out and re-selling it, but it tasted ok !!. For beers, try Mary Janes just up the road towards Aldgate on a Friday around 17.00 - gets quite alot of nice office ladies in there after work
Patrick is an absolute legend - he even has his own Facebook appreciation group !!. He may go on a bit sometimes, but he has a heart of gold and will really try his best to find out answers if he doesn't know the answer immediately - ask him to take you on a trip to the science museum to the aviation section too - it's a great way of seeing what you have been looking at in a book. (if you read this - sorry Patrick !!).
Chris is a great lecturer - he really knows lots of ways to help people learn, any problems with the learning process - go see him.
Mike and Pete are like a comedy double act !!. I loved listening to their old RAF stories.
Washi and Geoff are also great blokes too who enjoy a laugh, so don't be afraid to crack a joke or 2 with them.
I started on BGS, but switched to LMU as I was just not getting on with self study (NO relfection on BGS or the quality of their notes I must add - purely me being too lazy to self study).
I do not regret making the change. The guys at LMU were superb and I had such a great time, I wish I was back there doing it all again - not often you hear that about the ATPL's eh !!.
It all depends on you as a person as to which suits though, I am not cut out for self study as I'm not disciplined enough to sit down and get on with it, although that probably comes from 15 years working with pilots on the ground who constantly tell you it's all a load of crap you don't need to know and after working 12 hours in the airport, going home and then learning about planes is the last thing you want to do !!.
With a residential, the lecturers will also guide you in the direction of the things you REALLY need to know, which really helps to focus your learning, where-as doing it yourself, you end up learning everything - some of which is never tested !!.
With regards to transport, I bought a 125cc scooter which was quicker than public transport and worked out cheaper too (100mpg/£15 tax/No Cong Charge) and is more reliable - there is a car park about 2 mins walk from the Uni that has a free motorcycle area too. As I don't need the scooter any more now I've finished the course, I'm selling it if anyone fancies it - pm me for more details.
I purposfully said hello to the door guys every morning, and good night every evening. I think if you show them that basic courtesy, they are alright with you - or it really p's them off depending who it is !!.
There is a sandwich shop around the corner called "Hot Spot" which makes just about anything you want, but Oasis over the road from the Uni is cheaper. There is also a cheap chicken place that does chicken and chips for £1.40, it's round the back of KFC near the ticket booths for the Tower - I was sure they were just robbing the stuff KFC had thrown out and re-selling it, but it tasted ok !!. For beers, try Mary Janes just up the road towards Aldgate on a Friday around 17.00 - gets quite alot of nice office ladies in there after work
Patrick is an absolute legend - he even has his own Facebook appreciation group !!. He may go on a bit sometimes, but he has a heart of gold and will really try his best to find out answers if he doesn't know the answer immediately - ask him to take you on a trip to the science museum to the aviation section too - it's a great way of seeing what you have been looking at in a book. (if you read this - sorry Patrick !!).
Chris is a great lecturer - he really knows lots of ways to help people learn, any problems with the learning process - go see him.
Mike and Pete are like a comedy double act !!. I loved listening to their old RAF stories.
Washi and Geoff are also great blokes too who enjoy a laugh, so don't be afraid to crack a joke or 2 with them.
im in to minds as to go for BGS or do the residential ATPL,s at london met.
I do not regret making the change. The guys at LMU were superb and I had such a great time, I wish I was back there doing it all again - not often you hear that about the ATPL's eh !!.
It all depends on you as a person as to which suits though, I am not cut out for self study as I'm not disciplined enough to sit down and get on with it, although that probably comes from 15 years working with pilots on the ground who constantly tell you it's all a load of crap you don't need to know and after working 12 hours in the airport, going home and then learning about planes is the last thing you want to do !!.
With a residential, the lecturers will also guide you in the direction of the things you REALLY need to know, which really helps to focus your learning, where-as doing it yourself, you end up learning everything - some of which is never tested !!.
With regards to transport, I bought a 125cc scooter which was quicker than public transport and worked out cheaper too (100mpg/£15 tax/No Cong Charge) and is more reliable - there is a car park about 2 mins walk from the Uni that has a free motorcycle area too. As I don't need the scooter any more now I've finished the course, I'm selling it if anyone fancies it - pm me for more details.
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first day.... (and 2nd and 3rd)
to all,
my first impressions are generally really good. The lecturers seem to know what they are talking about, and even tho ive only had peter, patrick and mike so far.. your descriptions of them have been pretty much 100% accurate!!
and the comments about the doormen!!!
im particularly pleased with the other students on the course, every1 seems to have got off to a good start, every1s go tthe same goal, and similar interests which is excellent!!!
my first impressions are generally really good. The lecturers seem to know what they are talking about, and even tho ive only had peter, patrick and mike so far.. your descriptions of them have been pretty much 100% accurate!!
and the comments about the doormen!!!
im particularly pleased with the other students on the course, every1 seems to have got off to a good start, every1s go tthe same goal, and similar interests which is excellent!!!
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I'm on ATPL 32 at London Met..........Bristol Bristol Bristol feedback!!!
Mike Alderton - "Sh1t Mike your right!"
Peter Knapp - "56 Tonnes tick next question", "chlong chlat", "northern hemisphere, southern hemisphere"
Chris Broad - "Everything in Airlaw can be learn't via Die Hard, Die harder, Die Hard with a vengeance and Die Hard 4.0"
Patrick Geary - "I'll get back to you on that one" " Can I just give you this handout"
Washington - "You da man"
Great bunch of people, do your self a favour crack on with Bristol feedback asap and the rest will fall into place
Mike Alderton - "Sh1t Mike your right!"
Peter Knapp - "56 Tonnes tick next question", "chlong chlat", "northern hemisphere, southern hemisphere"
Chris Broad - "Everything in Airlaw can be learn't via Die Hard, Die harder, Die Hard with a vengeance and Die Hard 4.0"
Patrick Geary - "I'll get back to you on that one" " Can I just give you this handout"
Washington - "You da man"
Great bunch of people, do your self a favour crack on with Bristol feedback asap and the rest will fall into place