In reply to peas65: I agree fully with you...
I started my career on a personal training course (SPA and Summer ML) to make sure that what I was doing in the hills was the right way of going about things. I thought I might as well get the Assessments done, and ended up gaining loads of time with different centres, and people, making the overall experience well rounded.
Be careful staying at one centre to get the group time as they tend to stick to the same venue, and your experience of rigging, sessions, etc could end up quite limited (No variety), which does show up on Assessment.Maybe do a few months at one then go to another. It's even more useful if you can get in one near a natural environment, like N Wales or the Lakes, much more use than any manufactured fast moving river or concrete climbing wall with bolts. Move North, it will be worth it.
As you said Peas, about not rushing through the awards, gain all the QMD's and time you want, enjoy it, it's the best excuse you'll ever have to get out and play...
Savour the whole thing, you'll talk about it for years, don't blitz it and scrape through it.
I'm coming up for Winter ML Assessment in Feb and I'm having a whale of a time getting out, meeting new and different people, worth every moment.
Rich