I think I can help you here
(makes a change lol, usually just hinder threads etc)
I also had 2360 1 and 2 and recently 17th and I wanted to do a HNC (seems to be more in demand in my industry) I hadnt done ONC and hoped I could get straight on given my ten years experience and the fact that 2360 pt 2 is (in my eyes and c&g's too) equal academically to the ONC.
I applied to lots of colleges (HNC electrical engineering) and was told to do ONC (which I felt was a bit insulting due to being at a level with brand new students straight from school!) but I found that Open learning was much easier to enrol on, I had no problem at all getting info and the course providers were brilliant but I could'nt help feeling that they did'nt care whether I could actually do the course!.
I eventually decided to go for a different HNC (Mechatronics engineering) as it covered in depth transducers/actuators, electronics, PLC's as well as electrical and mechanical sciences, pneumatics/hydraulics and I thought that with my electrical experience would make me a more rounded engineer.
I got in touch with college (bridgwater) and spoke to peeps on phone and they were very helpfully, they suggested I put a letter from my employer in with my application showing my ability etc (which I did) and then I had a phone interview with my course tutor which went through my experience (I have a fair bit of control/PLC experience/courses etc).
The interview was hard work and the outcome was that basically the electrical side of things would be no problem but the science and espacially MATHS would be very hard work as I would be jumping to a high level basically from scratch!!! but agreed that as long as I am committed he would give me the chance (with a possibility of a maths/science bridging course dependant on how I got on).
Well I just finished my first year going once a week (long journey) and I love it!!! the maths was hideous at the start but slowly got better until after a few weeks I was at a level with all the ONC students (power station apprentices, all great guys) I finished year one with distinctions in MATHS
Science
business management, further mechatronics and electronics, cant believe it.
Cant wait for yr 2!!!
Go for it mate, you are good enough to enrol with the certs you have, I found the electical/electronics laughable at the beginning (resistors in series etc) so that gave me a boost
and just remember the maths will come together after a while.
Im so glad I did'nt go the open learning route as I think sitting in a lecture is a lot different to reading a book etc (talk from experience I have done open learning) I think open learning you learn just enough to complete the assignment etc but very little else, this course (well most of it) is very difficult and I would have sat at home slitting my wrists doing differentation with no face to face support.
Its not just the lecturers that make it easier, the resources that are avaliable to me are incredible, college has gone a long way since my apprentice days (long cold journeys to a falling down southampton city college or poole and bournemouth) we have the library there which have all the specialised books in stock (local library dont have any) and as a higher student I can take 9 at a time, I can renew them online, I get remote desktop which means I get to log on to my college workspace from home and use programs and materials I dont have at home (project etc) they even have a travel agents on site!!!.
I'd also miss the totty!!!!!
r
emember you get to wear a silly gown at the end too!!!
Anything else you wanna know im here to help and if you start i'm here for the maths too
Craig