BTECs starting 2015 - General support thread

Oh, I am so sorry to hear this.

Obviously discuss the support they can bring in but also, if they suggest a move to level 2, don't immediately dismiss it out of hand. My DD was told if she did cope they would move her to Level 2 and she would do that for one year and then move onto the Level 3. She was always aware the move might be necessary and if it enables the student to find their feet with independent study I think it must be a good thing.

My DD had quite a few friends that did it that way. They had three years at college not two but so did many others - some have a problem with AS levels and move courses, or change their course choices, and they do three years as well. It seems pretty common from what I have seen.

When is the meeting T&T ? Is it too late to ask if learning support could be present so that you can all discuss it with their input and find a way forward ?

I do feel for you

T&T Would your dd benefit from a scribe to take more detailed notes in class - lots of dyspraxic students at our college use them or a laptop which we lend out. Can she talk detail? Would speech recognition software help her with assignments? We also have an open door policy for students to bring assignments to have them checked through just to make sure that they have got things in the right order and it flows and answers the questions in the brief. You should ask if your place does the same. I would suggest having a list of questions ready for your meeting - I assume it is with the learning support dept?

T&T I am so sorry

I suspect this might happen to DD. She got quite panicked whenI looked through two of them with her on Friday (she's lost the other)and said made a few comments about reading it properly so she fully understands what is being asked of her.She's still trying to Catch up as well. The 3 assignments aren't due in until December and I'm worried she won't know until then that she isn't doing what she needs to be.

I'm wondering if this type of writing will be easier with practice? Looking at the brief I can see why Kez and others were saying I is really important they understand what they need to do do each assignment. College have said the first term is the hardest and I think maybe that's to get to grips with writing to the marking scheme and this will come in time. Assumably they will have come across this before with Dyspraxia, hopefully once they fully get the issue they will be able to find a way to help her .

Really feel for you, it takes so much emotional energy dealing with things like this,

Thank you Kez

I'll send you a copy tomorrow, no problem

Work might crossover but make sure it fits the brief as strongly as possible . Overload of projects is par for the course in pretty much all arts and design, they might as well get used to it now. The one advantage though is most of them love it - so the hard work isn't as bad.

Could you PM me too Kez if you don't mind ?

T&T, you're a star, thank you so much. I'm now up to date and need to get onto the College email system.

Stayathomegardener, I'm going to ask DD if she has been told anything about that (once she has got over the trauma of finding I am now properly informed about what she is supposed to be up to ). I know one assignment is to do with camera techniques or something along those lines so guess there could be a bit of crossover there ? Pitfalls Ivan see is her leaving things to last minute then not being able to get what she needs as it's dark, or raining.

I'll pm you stay-at-home

Hello Sugarplumtree, DD seems to think she can use some of her work for several different projects but in different forms. This would certainly be less work but am not convinced it would be allowed.

Any recommendations Kez?
We have just booked to go down to Falmouth Uni at the end of the month.
Looking forward to fish and chips by the sea

My DD started looking at open days in June of year 1. It was worth doing as they stop for summer and it meant she had some visits done before September when she went to some more. She ended up knowing exactly where she wanted to go (thank goodness she nailed an unconditional!)

By the way - a lot of photography degrees include film these days.

Things seem to be going smoothly for my DD. She seems so much happier than at school and says the people on her course are lovely, a real mixture of ages, several people who have moved from A level to BTECs and others who are older and have decided that they want to do something they really love (her course is conservation and the environment) and have given up office-based jobs.

I was really confused about how the assignments are organised but she seems to be on top of it. Most does seem to be done in class, which is a relief as she is so tired when she gets home.

I've also got her a Tesco Hudl to do her notes on, which means she's finding note taking a lot easier than in school. DD has terrible handwriting and gets painful hands trying to write fast - it was a real problem at school and with some teachers. Now for the first time she has neat notes - hurrah!

I'm a big more up to date now. Told DD she has to do the University talks next term.

She had 3 assignments (1 per tutor) to do in next 12 weeks. They're doing a lot of it during lessons. One is student life so around college which makes life easier on that one.

Hi Stayathomegardener My DD has gone from school 6th form and A Levels to college plus BTEC media and now onto BTEC photography this term. She does have a tendency to ge anxious but doing ok so far, finding the hour each way on the bus a bit of a shock . She has been a little vague on the assignments so reading your post I'm going to quiz her a bit.

Hello, can I join?
Great idea TeenandTween, I remember you from the GCSE thread!

DD doing a BTEC in Photography.
Started at one college and hated it so moved after the first week, much prefers the new college but struggling with anxiety with all the changes, bus etc.
Assignments have just been given out in four areas, some have multitasks meaning 18 different shoots/projects.
Thank goodness she has till early December to submit.
Interestingly she seems to have more work than the A level students but the way it is structured suits her far better.

Sorry to hear she's been unwell T&T, definitely a lot around. That is all sounding positive

Could I pick your brains as think DD is spinning me a line. She's trying to tell me that they don't have personal tutors as of this year. She also said the College are trying to get them to go to talks on Universities. I said she should go, she said she could just ask her friends. I said no, she will need college support with applications then next minute she said they are aimed at second years and on a Monday when she has no frees and on Fridays when she's not in. I believe zero of any of the above but thought I'd check that I'm not doing her a disservice! Thanks and sorry to ask.

Flipping heck, I feel tired just reading that Kez ! She is definitely glad she has switched.

She's found her arty side helpful as one of the Lecturers is very arty and has had them sketching and making collages. She did say she is rethinking University and might look at photography rather than film. Travel still wearing her out a bit but hopefully another few weeks and she'll have adjusted.

Are everyone else's DC on a fairly even keel?

Is she enjoying the move to photography?

It's good they get the chance to really get their head around a DSLR at college as if they go to Uni the workload is so intense it would be a bit of a baptism of fire. My DD has just been set 7 projects, 2 essays and a website to part design before Xmas!

That sounds very technical! DD pleased as they are learning how to use a DLSR and how to annotate photos property. Struggled with the annotation a bit at GCSE as they weren't taught how to do it properly .

DS seems fine. No assignments yet but lots of hexadecimal binary practice. Who said BTEC s were easy??????