Apprenticeship openings for electricians and welders - any advice?

A local apprenticeship programme is taking applicants for the next intake. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. The application needs a diploma or equivalent, a driver's licence and a short aptitude test. What do you wish you had known?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 11 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.