it's not the colllege that push you, it is you. Keep focused and do your work and you'll get your good grades dude. Just keep thinking about what you want from life and keep that as your motivation. It's hard, especially in Devon (I live in Totnes, near Plymouth) and it is testing but you'll get through.
Also from a fellow artist (yes people i do art as well as write, lol)
sometimes more people is better because if you can find something with your work which makes you stand out against so many people and it's good, then you beat the competition, which when you try make it in real world, becomes fierce, any art field is the same, be it writing, theatre, art, music, dance.
Keep your chin up and brush/pen down.