Motorcycle Mechanics Course at College
Colleges across the country offer a wide range of vocational courses which are generally aimed towards younger people. This means that the majority of students will be under 20 and the learning environment will be geared towards that. The courses on offer are good at covering all aspects of motorcycle maintenance, but this often means there is less focus on suspension content. Class sizes are also often on the larger side, and teachers often work to a strict time frame, which will often result in you leaving with unanswered questions.
Our advice: College is a respectable option for younger people, and the access to grants and loans can make college a more attractive option for someone looking to start out in their careers. However, for more mature students, or those with work experience, an industry school with more practical based learning would probably suit them more.
Online tutorials/ YouTube
This form of learning can often be the most attractive to students because it is by far the easiest and most convenient way to learn. But as ever, convenience rarely means that this is the best way. The internet is dotted with lots of dubious and dangerous forms of information, so you can never really be sure whether what you’re learning is accurate. Furthermore, how can you truly trust the person running the tutorial? Do they really have all the qualifications and experience they claim to have?
Even if the person running the online course is a recognised professional, you won’t benefit from any guidance that they could provide if they were actually with you. There is a lot to be said for face to face interaction, not only does it provide more effective teaching, but it makes it easier to build relationships with your instructor and classmates. While many online courses provide forums for you to post your questions, as it is in an online format the answers provided will be limited and in less detail. The only way you can get a complete answer is through speaking face to face with an instructor, they might even provide you with a demonstration which you can take part in if necessary.
Our advice: While online courses can be conducted at your leisure in the comfort of your own home, is it really practical to put all your faith into potentially untrustworthy information? While many online courses can be run by professionals with lots of experience, you are much more likely to receive quality teaching if that professional is actually in the room with you.
What are Lectures, Seminars, Workshops and Tutorials?
The vast majority of suspension courses fall into the lecture category, however, in reality the difference between lectures, seminars and tutorials can be indistinct.
Lectures consist of large groups of students sat in a theatre or auditorium, watching and listening to presentations and analysis made by a member of staff. There is generally no practical work done by the students, unless one is selected to come to the front and take part in a demonstration. Lectures do offer a way of conveying large amounts of information towards lots of people at one time, but this isn’t always what you want as an individual student. The class sizes in lectures often prevents any form of discussion, and often makes the chance of getting your questions answered impossible. In many lectures there is also a lot of theatre involved, and while this is aesthetically pleasing it can often leave you short changed on useful information. And as much of the money is spent on large theatre spaces and comfy seats, this naturally means that less is spent on the practical equipment. It is proven that you are less likely to absorb information when it is simply explained to you, which therefore can make lectures a less effective way of teaching.
Seminars, workshops and tutorials are done in smaller groups, which enables more discussion and more focus based learning. They also consist of more interactive methods of teaching, such as student presentations, making them more effective than a lecture. However, they work in a similar way to lectures in that you are unlikely to take part in any form of practical work and will simply have the information demonstrated to you for most of the lesson.
So in conclusion, a these forms of teaching can contain a lot of useful information, but it isn’t necessarily conveyed in the right way. Yes, you’re not going to get dirty and oily while you learn, and yes it’s probably the more comfortable option. But if you want a more effective way of learning where you will get your questions answered then a more practical based course is definitely the way forward.
MCSS- Practical based learning
Many lecture based suspension schools like to emphasise that their students will not get oily or dirty while learning. In contrast, we actually encourage getting oily, as that is the reality of working in suspension. Practical based teaching is proven to be the most effective way of learning a new skill.
Courses available
You will be learning in a purpose built workshop by an industry professional with specialist training facilities and aides, such as a linkage simulator and a dyno. Unlike in most courses and lectures, you aren’t just told how to use these aides, you actually get to work with them. This is what makes MCSS such value for money. Furthermore, courses run by MCSS are recognised by universities, suspension manufacturers, component suppliers and related motorcycle industries. Courses that run at cheaper rates don’t have this level of distinction, and generally do not have the quality of content that you need to form a career in suspension.
Class sizes are kept at a maximum of 5-6, making it easier for you to put forward questions, which will be answered in sufficient detail. It also enables discussion within the class, in which you could pick up useful points of view from other students.
While courses are run exclusively in York, people have been known to travel from Singapore, Hong Kong and the Caribbean to attend MCSS courses. York is a vibrant and historical city, making it a popular tourist destination. With plenty of Hotels and B&Bs in and around the City, why not make a holiday of it?
Our advice: If you want more hands on practical learning in a professional work place environment, then MCSS is the place for you. It is suitable for beginners and mature students alike, you are sure to learn something new and useful no matter how much experience you have.
