BTECs starting 2015 - General support thread

How are they all doing ? DD was sick again yesterday, lots going around. She's already catching up as started late but I'm trying not to worry too much .

Bus didn't come this morning so DH ended up taking her. It might have come eventually, I saw lots of unhappy looking students over half an hour later who were clearly waiting. It might have turned up eventually, accidents on the road caused gridlock this mornings so guess it was stuck for ages. We need a plan in case it happens again.

Oh no teenandtween :(

Ooo, good idea, I wasn't aware of that. Sent her in with cheque for studio fees and money for note books.

She does have Dyspraxia and was badly affected when little but she had a lot of intervention - SALT, OT, Physio etc and over the years things have improved a lot to the extent I don't think current College are aware. But danger points are stress and tiredness so will need to keep an eye on her.

DD is very tired at the moment. She has one free Monday to Wednesday at the moment and finding it quite tough.

Oh T&T I'm sorry DD was saying that College have said the first term is the hardest. It is a lot to take on board plus the travelling. If she's like DD the Dyspraxia kicks in far more when tired or ill so I think a bit inevitable at the moment. Hope she is on the mend very soon.

Kez my mouth is firmly sealed from now on ! I have noticed she is starting to develop her own particular style which is intestesting to watch.

The problem with offering image advice is - we are thinking "oh, doesn't that blue lake look nice against the green park" whereas they are thinking "the brief is mother nature so I must include wildlife, park, lake and the sun in my image to meet the brief". I was forever being told to shut up! Now I don't even see her outcomes until she comes home in the holidays. I'm finding it difficult because she is specialising in her own passions and I'm having to let her get on with it, whilst I know the world of portraiture and event photography has lost a talent.

I also hope they are all enjoying their courses. My son seems to be settling into year two ICT, although assignment setting starts next week I understand.

Ds started on the A level route and then switched to BTEC applied science (forensics) after 3 weeks. . I was worried at the time but it was brilliant for him. Constant assignments with no let up (particularly at the end)..but really good. It was an excellent 2 years.
He enrolled at uni at the weekend on a forensic science course . He even got enough ( DDM ) to trigger an automatic scolarship.
What I hadn't really thought about was how the btec skills stand them in good stead for uni.. When we went around on uni open days, I realised he already had a lot of the specialist skills needed for the course under his belt.
Good luck to all of your kids.. Hope they are enjoying their courses??

Have to admit, I'm finding the photography quite exciting ! Think I was annoying DD with my suggestions for shots by end of our trip on Sunday.

Very grateful to you for having started this thread T&T. I'm so relieved DD isn't doing A levels as I think she would have struggled. Always felt 6th form will be the time she comes into her own with the right course, fingers crossed this is the one.

Lovely to have the support of those who have gone through BTECS with DC to give us a guiding hand

It's really exciting having others go through BTEC photography. My DD had a ball and I just hope your DC s love it as much.

Goodness yes, that would be a pain. It's quite an adjustment to the travel and length of day during the week without early start on Saturday.

DD is resitting Maths GCSE but not until the summer. She's having to sort herself out a bit as needs to get to places to doo her homework. Half day Thursday worked well last week as she caught train into Bournemouth and got shots of the pier. Yesterday I took her to boat yard so she could do the rest, then there was a slightly tense last minute printing situation.

I remembered you saying she struggled and feel for you both as DD did and DS does a bit now. That does sound encouraging, it does take time. DD has been very lucky and gone with some good friends from school so a security blanket for her.

I don't think she's gone in with her camera yet as only started Wednesday then that was it for the week apart from maths. But they are doing student life so suspect your DD will see her soon !

That is very good that your DD is doing the open day. I would be not keen on driving in on Saturday so can totally see where you are coming from.

Thank you both

Excellent news on the driving theory Kez Another big thing ticked off for him.

Tween that all sounds very positive. It is a bit of a learning curve on the standing back front I think. How is DD finding the social side of it?

DD was a bit nervous today as her first proper week in photography. Had n email this morning t say she was working during her free and wants to get a job on Saturday as has worked out this shoud fit around her workload.

Ordered a student railcard with Tesco Clubcard vouchers this morning.

That's good news. Once they get into the swing of assignments the course really progress. Hope everyone else's DC s are getting on ok.

My DS has just passed his driving theory today - not an assignment but a big :)

This is all very encouraging to read. Not sure how assugnmemts are arranged but she has 3 double lessons on a Tuesday for 3 weeks as catchup, another boy is doing them too. They have lost a large amount of people since the start of term and are down to about 16.

She was on a high last night about it which is very different to first day of media where she loved the college but was very Luke warm about the class.

DD1 did an extended Btec in creative media, no A Levels and enrolled in university this week to study editing and post production.

She averaged around 3 days a week in college and did a fair amount of editing and research on the other days.

She had a pastoral tutor whom she didn't find much use and tended to avoid. Fantastic support from the subject teachers throughout. Btec was a brilliant option for her.

Sugarplum, my DD did hers at an art college but they gave term long briefs and each brief covered three whole assignments. So catching up was really easy, so long as you worked at max when you got back. I don't know if this way is common though or just dedicated to that college. It was scary having it marked though with so much at stake!

They also did icebreaker things for the first four weeks as students came and went and the cohort settled down.

Thunderbird In our college each student has a tutorial once a week - usually in a small group but with a rota for 1:1s afterwards. Is your ds likely to speak up if specifically asked if everything is ok or will he just say he's fine even if he isn't?

That isn't good Thunderbird. There aren't any emails floating around you could try are there ? Hopefully he'll gradually make new friends fri his course. Friend saud it took time with her DS but it did gradually happen.

sugarplumtree that sounds very positive. Photography sounds like a really interesting course - lucky you living near the sea too!