Ds hates new college course - what to do?

[Thelonelygiraffe]

Ds has just started a college course doing subjects he thought he'd enjoy. But the course is being massively disappointing so far - lecturers ramble on and don't teach, ds is learning nothing, there are half hour gaps between lessons, other students have left already.

Ds is applying for apprenticeships and it's a struggle getting him to go to college each day.

Wwyd? Make him keep going in? Or let him stay at him and apply for more apprenticeships?

Stay at home, that should say.

The course is also only three days a week and ds has no homework for the other two days.

Is it worth talking to the college about it?

What is the level he is studying at? And does he need the qualification to get onto the apprenticeship? If so, is there an alternative college he could join?

It’s only the start of a new academic year - it may be that lecturers are reprising things students may or may not have learnt at school - before going on to more advanced topics.

And what’s the problem with half hour gaps between lessons? It’s not school - presumably students are expected to use those breaks for independent study?

It’s a shame he’s not enjoying it - but so many students realise years later that they didn’t actually know everything and should have just pressed on and got the qualification they needed.

Is the same course available elsewhere?

Is he meant to be studying the other 2 days?

If anyone should be talking to the college it's him.

You’ve several options here.

1. Some courses are bad but the end qualification is the same. Sometimes you just need to jump through hoops.
2. Is there a better course he could transfer to at the same college?
3. Could he talk to the lecturer and find out if things will improve?
4. Could he leave, get useful work experience and then start somewhere else?

I’ve always tended to stick out the bad courses. I’m not sure whether that was a good thing to do or not.

What kind of course is it. Typically college (post 16) timetables are about 15 hours a week, they are then meant to study for the same again. Homework may be set but private study isn't just set work, it's extra reading on the subject. They have gaps to allow getting between lessons on large campuses. Post 16 some courses have a lecture style rather than taught, it's not school.

Ultimately it might not be a good fit for him but he needs to adjust to the different environment before he can make a decision, it's not just "big school" it's college. My dd had up to 50 in some of her a level classes

He's studying for a City and Guilds Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma in his course subject. (It's a small course with under 20 students on it so I don't want to say what it is.) After one year he'd get a Technical Diploma in the subject.

The course also includes 150 hours in voluntary work for relevant organisations.

There are no other colleges locally that offer this course. He has looked at all other colleges locally and isn't keen on any of the courses.

The apprenticeships he's looking at are all in a totally different subject area. He decided over the summer that he didn't want to do the college course as there were no well-paid jobs in that area (fair enough), so he wanted to change focus, but he'd left it too late to apply for apprenticeships by then. Hence applying now.

Agree that he should talk to his tutor about the level of the course and any issues he has. I will encourage him to do this.

I really don't want to spend three days a week for the next two years jollying him along to go to college with him moaning that he's not learning anything.

He should have gone to sixth form and done A levels - got 6s to 9s in GCSES - but he wanted to get out there and work, and he liked the element of work experience in this course.

But the course is being massively disappointing so far - lecturers ramble on and don't teach, ds is learning nothing, there are half hour gaps between lessons, other students have left already.

/have you been in any of the lectures, or is this what he is telling you? I think both you and he misunderstand what college courses actually are, and you're not helping him by repeating these assertions as facts.

@boromu222 , of course I haven't been in lectures. I know that other students have left, though. I have seen ds's timetable. And I'm going on what he's telling me for the rest. He is my son; I do actually trust him.

What do you mean, we have 'misunderstood what college courses are'? In what way? And I'm not repeating these assertions to ds, I'm adding them here to give context and ds's pov.

DS is comparing college lectures to school lessons, and college is coming off worse.

How long has he been back at college , as it may just be bedding him in and starting off gently ? My son is starting yr13 and today is his first real day back. He did a couple of days last week but they didn’t do any work and he hasn’t been set anything yet.

so just wondering if his course hasn’t actually got going yet and if he’s actually given it enough time

@Imnoonesfool, that is my hope. They did two days last week and this is his first dauy this week...

DS is comparing college lectures to school lessons, and college is coming off worse

This is your misunderstanding. It's not school. Lecturers lecture (that's not rambling on, thats what they do), and if your son is not learning anything that is his responsibility, not theirs.

It's not school. At college you are responsible for your own learning, the you are expected to listen to the lecturers and learn what you need to from that and your own work, and whatever else is available such as tutorials, study groups etc.

Presumably he chose not to stay at school. College requires a level of independence and curiosity which can be a big transition. The early days are for tutors to establish the actual level of students which will vary and introduce basic study skills For some it may seem slow or different to what they expected. Encourage him to use the library and on site resources and activities to fill timetable gaps. Could he find relevant work or volunteering in the non college days.

Has he thought about contacting his old school and going to do A Levels, lots of movement in the early weeks.

His description of college is similar to what I've observed. It doesn't get students read for work, and the quality is often poor with low expectations.

I have to agree with above, college is a totally different learning environment than school and it suits some and not others. Much less directed learning and much more uni like in its approach.

Ha! You know what? I bet if you offered him the option of returning to school to do A’ Levels, he’d bite off your hand.

It’s not unusual for teens to imagine the world outside school is all green fields - until they see the reality.

Quite honestly, with good GCSEs he might profit more from getting his A’ Levels and looking to university. There a long life of work ahead and it sounds as if at the moment he’s missing the intellectual stimulation of an academic course.

I think he should stay until an apprenticeship comes up it's just started its not school the lecturing will be different and definitely not 9-4, 3 days a week is usual ime .

If too many drop out they might stop the course anyway.
Has he looked if there are any jobs locally related to the subject. Not an "official" apprenticeship -.just a job.
Despite what people think 16 year olds do not have to attend school or college until 18.
They can just get a job.

I have suggested sixth form until I'm blue in the face. He doesn't want to do A levels, no matter how much I want him to. It's his life and he has to make the best decisions for himself, not for me.

I did ask him at the college open day if he was sure the college would be stimulating enough for him, and he said yes, but the entrance requirements are lower than for A levels so I guess maybe the lessons won't be as fast-paced as those at school. And that's a learning experience for ds.

He has already arranged work experince in the field he wants to get into for his free days from college.

His description of college is similar to what I've observed. It doesn't get students read for work, and the quality is often poor with low expectations.

That's a shame, @WhoPutCrabsticksInMyBedroom

Ds is motivated and fine with self-directed learning, btw.

Lecturers lecture (that's not rambling on, thats what they do), and if your son is not learning anything that is his responsibility, not theirs.

How is learning about a lecturer's personal life and their previous jobs going to help ds, @boromu222? Because that's what one lecturer is talking about.

Can he really? Won't an employer ask him why he's not in school/education?

Only one person went on to do the second year of ds's course last year. That doesn't sound good to me.

Has he looked at 6th Forms in other schools that offer alternatives to A-levels?
Some offer Btecs (and I assume the new
T-Levels).

@Thelonelygiraffe option 3.
"In training" could just be learning on the job the way any other new employee would.

When I attended college many years ago , I absolutely loved it ( they offered A levels then). The environment suited me much better than school. If he isn’t happy , he definitely needs to do something else and it sounds like he is doing the right thing by applying for apprenticeships. They are very competitive though and it may take a while to get one. With that in mind I’d be advising my son to remain at college in the meantime.

Apprenticeships often involve 1 or 2 days college as well- my sons did- and he started at 16. I think he should stick it till he gets an apprenticeship