BTEC/T level/other vocational 25/26 - part 2

[BTECnewbie]

New thread for those of us with DC doing vocational courses (and for those with DC looking for an alternative to A levels next year and looking for advice).

My DC is currently doing a level 3 extended diploma. He struggled academically at school and was pretty miserable in year 11. With a lot of hard work he got the grades needed for the level 3 BTEC and is now thriving at college.

Hey, hmmmm. That sounds tough. @Raven08 has good advice re the spec. But, also, has your DS got a one-to-one contact he can speak to re these struggles? I’m just wondering if he has someone he feels comfortable talking to about it….

I’m sorry it’s all a bit stressful for you both at the moment. Good luck with it 🤞.

thank you @Sisublondie yes she wants something five days a week ideally.

We've been to a college open day and she's now wondering whether to switch to the A levels and do Textiles, Media and one other. I'm not entirely sure as she finds exams so stressful. But we have time to think the options through.

Dd is busy doing work experience and some sample work.
She wants to dye some fabric using grass apparently 😬🤣

Evening all! I hope you’re not having the “ Sunday Scaries”, or whatever they call them!

How was “Half Term”?! 🤷‍♀️ It was busy here, I had to work and there was a local annual event held, so DS ( and everyone else, seemingly!) went there for a couple of days, and had a friend staying. I saw pretty much zero work being done by him, so I’m plucking up courage to ask whether he did any! I have a feeling an assignment- or two- were due! Also awaiting his Mock GCSE results… ( am very much hoping for a Grade 4, at least. He was so close to passing last year, and I was so proud. He hadn’t complained once about his twice weekly English classes, so I’m hoping he doesn’t lose confidence abd motivation at this stage.

@Raven08

How did your week go? How is DD feeling about the holiday.. she has another week off? Is DD1 feeling any perkier? How is your Mum doing? ( been thinking of you, and sending positivity..)..

@CatrinVennastin

Oh, that sounds like a tough decision! Good Luck with that. When do you have to make the decision by?

Well! Going to try to get DS to sleep at sensible hour… he was on the hunt for Avocados at 2am… so it doesn’t bode well……..

Good Luck to those who are back tomorrow! 😻

Hi @Sisublondie
Pretty quiet here, as I had the mega cold from hell and am still feeling a bit 😷
Dd1 is on her way back from a weekend with uni friends so hoping she had a good time.
Dd has been busy doing w/e and making quilts (!)
Mum is still in hospital - no discharge date yet as she's still not medically fit.
My aunt died yesterday (not un expected) and I also found out that someone I went to school with died back in 2013...he was a lovely lad and its all made me feel very melancholy -
I shall raise a toast to both of them later 💙
I think dd will get nervous on Tuesday, before her first day back as I assume that's when they'll get their first Y1 block marks 😬
Apparently, one of dds friends was in during assessment week to complete the work - but that means he is capped at a pass grade.
She's read a few of the novels she got for christmas, so she's been happy enough. I feel a bit guilty as I haven't felt well enough to do anything/take her anywhere 😕

@Raven08

Oooooh nooooooo, I’m so sorry to hear about MegaColdHell! 🤒.. you must have wanted to just climb into your pit like a hedgehog and not venture out… are you dosing yourself up on vitamins and lovely food, once you get your appetite back….🤞🫶…
Hopefully DD1’s weekend was fab, and a good reminder to her that she’ll get through the current heartbreak 💔…🤞. A good weekend of chat and fun was good timing!
Wow! The quilt making! Are you taking photos at stages? That’d be cool to look back at later! It must take patience, but super cool, it’s very impressive!
I’m so sorry to hear about your Aunt, that’s upsetting even given the expectation…. Finding out about your old school friend is sad, too, I’m sorry. I’m not a Facebook person ( tried it and ditched it way back when I saw how toxic it can be), but have an account the boys set up. I went on one day last July to wish my old work mate Happy Birthday as we’d lost touch since I moved up from London. I was choked to read realms of messages marking her birthday, and realising she’d died of cancer in 2019 ( younger than me with younger DS). It made me think the social media can be positive in some respects.. I wish I’d been active sooner, and known. Anyway. Yes. Raise a toast to them later.. X
I am sorry your Mum is still in hospital…. Sending 🤗 🫶💖. I’m back off Oop North to see mine for a few days tomorrow……
Good that your DD’s friend has been able to complete his work to pass, I guess. That must be stressful. I hope she is able to keep calm and positive going back in, and that her results are good 🤞🙏 🍀!
I bet she’s loved catching up on new novels!!! My dream! I’ve got a new book as my friend just set up a new Book Club.. stress is that I need to read it! Got just over a week! I’m really sorry you weren’t up to taking her out, though, I know what you mean, but I’m sure she just hopes you’re better soon…

Well, the Sunday Scaries hit! DS has “ lost” his uniform hoodie! Clearly has to be in the house, but he won’t let me look and has just yelled at me, as clearly my fault! 🤦‍♀️ Whilst I’m now washing the rest of his stuff he needs for tomorrow… having had ten days to bequeath them upon me………….🤔🤯🙀!!

Oh gawd...uniform woes! I don't miss that. Although it often takes dd 30 mins or more to decide on a "fit" each day (outfit apparently...?)

Oh crikey!! Well, I’ll take the being yelled at for “ losing” his hoodie, then! I’m sure I’d get blamed far more if the “ fit”, ummm, “fits” ! were being decided upon instead!

🙄🤔🙀🤯😹!!!

Dds first day back today after 2 weeks, so I hope its going well 😬
She hasn't slept well the past couple of nights.

Hey, been thinking about her/ and you, hoping it went well… so…. How did it go?! 🤞🍀🙏💖🤞🤷‍♀️

Hi @Sisublondie
It went ok! She got a merit for her first assessment, which was what she was aiming for ☺️
So...on to the next assignment 😬
How's ds?

Hurrah!!!! That’s what we like!!!! 🌟 .. excellent! I hope that’s given her a huge boost of confidence!

DS is happy as he has a “ field trip” tomorrow, well, a “ leadership and navigation training session” that lasts all day., so I’m hoping it doesn’t hammer it home!

I’ve just got back from my Mum’s.. sister was over from abroad too.. and she ended up being admitted to hospital instead! Couldn’t make some stuff up! 🤷‍♀️😹.. she’s back out now. And back to the uncertain new same old same old post diagnosis. I feel like going on DS’ navigation session and navigation myself off to a Spa for a few days instead! 😈😈😈

.. ps.. hammer it DOWN 🌧️! 😳

Hope you all doing well, I can't believe how quickly this term in going!

Mock interviews next week - not sure what for! - DS trying to decide whether or not to wear a suit. Very Important not to make a different decision to the rest of the class! A clothing error would be catastrophic for all the aura farming done thus far. Interview performance a lesser worry.

Evening all!!!

Well! On a positive, DS has his first job! Starts in a couple of weeks, he is working as a “host” at a place in town, helping out at evening events, welcoming guests and selling snacks and drinks… which he’s very excited about!
On a negative, he got his English Movk results… he was 1 point off a Grade 4. I know you will all have consigned it to memory ( like I had!), but he dropped points on Paper 2 and the creative part.. ( he’d got a 5 on Paper 1). Oh, and his college trip that he worked SO hard at applying for, interviewing for, getting a place and all his travel vaccinations? Leaving in a couple of weeks, with layover in Dubai …….So…………. Waiting to see what update his college will no doubt give tomorrow. It’s just so awful what is happening, and his trip is a mere drop in the ocean of horribleness, I know. It was already doing so much for his confidence, getting accepted, and two weeks of volunteering would have been amazing for him. It’s a wait and see, I guess! 🤞

@LarkspurLane…. Oooohhhh that’s nerve wracking! Guessing mock interviews for any possible interview in the future?! Oh yes, I should absolutely imagine that clothing is of much more importance… ( I had similar stress as a recent work event, couldn’t gauge what “ champagne thanksgiving” warranted, as it was at awkward 5.45/8pm time!)… Does he have a close mate on his course he can run it by? If not, perhaps an instructor who has sat in on previous years? I did as my DS for you! I got the “ half term?! Stare”… and a “ Ummmm, you DO know I wear a uniform, don’t you?”…..🙄😹!!, so sadly that didn’t help!
I really hope it goes ok! I’m loving their term “ aura farming”, tho, and I shall be stealing that- if that’s ok!

@Raven08

Hows you? DD’s doing ok, after first half week back/ Uni weekend away?
How is your Mum doing? Is she still in hospital? 🤗

Well! Hope no Sunday Scaries out there! Off to check DS has unearthed his clothes for tomorrow. I gave him a final “ Laundry is Shutting” at 9pm! 🙄…

@Sisublondie
Great about Dr's job! Well done to him.
What a shame about the trip...lots being cancelled, I imagine, due to the current geo- political issues? 😕
Dd seems ok, she's working away at her folders, shes 2/3 of the way through her w/e.
Older dd in a bad way, utterly heartbroken. I'm going to arrange for her to speak to a counsellor, I think 😕
Mum is back in hospital - as I predicted last week - so I'm currently trying arguing with the drs about another unsafe discharge.
I think I'm going to eat some biscuits🍪

ds's job, not drs job!

@Raven08.. I hope you are the biscuits!!!!🍪

Ah, I’m so sorry to hear both about your Mum’s return to hospital, and older DD. Re your Mum, that def sounds like it was a confusing, unnecessary discharge from hospital, followed by a swift yo-yo return! 🤷‍♀️🤯. That is surely detrimental to her mental health.., I wish you the best of luck getting heard successfully about that. 🤞
Hopefully some therapy, and speaking with a counsellor, will help with older DD. It must be so hard, seeing her suffering. Sending massive positive thoughts for her, too.
Yay for DD getting cracking on her folders! 2/3 way though, good going!
🙏re the job!! I’m hoping that this may be a teeny distraction, at least, for the trip if it is cancelled. The college have sent out a predicted letter, essentially stating given the escalating conflict, it’s pretty much a “ wait and see” approach… it’s so sad for all of them who have worked so hard to get a place… they all had to be interviewed, as it was well oversubscribed. It makes you realise how many thousands of others are having trios/ weddings/honeymoons et al. cancelled, in addition to those living/ stranded out in the areas currently . At least he is safe at home.

i hope things pick up a little tomorrow… x

@Raven08…..🙄🤔….ATE 🍪!!!!!! 😹

Happy weekend everyone! Nothing particularly interesting to report…. Still waiting to hear about DS Trip! But! Given it’s into and out of Dubai in less than two weeks on a Middle East airline it’s going be a- 💯 cancelled! And b- do I really want him flying in volatile airspace in any event?! NOPE! So, I’m anxious about how to deal with that once he’s aware it’s not going to happen. He worked so hard to be accepted- did the application all on his own, and prepared for the interview and apparently came across excellently by himself too, as he “ wanted to prove he could”. He has always been in DS19 shadow, unfortunately, who sailed through school, no bullying, popular sports team member, tons of popular friends, good A” Levels, gap year, Uni, and this trip meant the world to him. He FINALLY had something in common with his brother.. it might only have been a “ vaccinations “ chat, but the only chat I’ve ever heard them have where they knew what each other were talking about 😼.

Anyway! Hope everyone has had a good week, and a well deserved rest 😸.

This is really hard.
I would be concerned about flying through the middle east at the moment - even if they open airspaces for him to go, you don't know what will happen when he needs to come back.
Is he going somewhere that reroutes might be possible? They can't leave half the world blocked off for the indefinite future.
(and it goes without saying that it's worse for those in the region ... but it is still hard for people indirectly affected)

However, he is young and there could be other trips.

No BTEC news here at all, we seem to be in a lull. Improved weather and daylight has improved mood - and only three weeks til the Easter holidays!

Hi @Sisublondie
I feel so bad for your ds...it's such a disappointment 😞
You must be so proud of him 💙
We plod along here...
Dd1 is still heartbroken 💔 but has had some closure of sorts from her ex. She's been torturing herself with "what ifs" 😞
Dd is busy with her next project, which is two pieces of work. She may start training next week for a hobby event later in the year...
I think it might do her good as it'll mean shes busy 2 days a week during the summer holidays.
Hope everyone is ok x

@LarkspurLane
I'm loving the less rain and blossoms and bulbs appearing ☺️🌼
We are away for a few days after Easter 🐣
Very much looking forward to it

Happy mothers day to us all 💐
Dd has almost completed her 30 hours work experience 🙌
She's busy with college work, but also trying to see friends, which I'm pleased about.
Hope everyone is doing ok 👍

Happy Mother’s Day!!!!! 🌺 💖🥰 🌹!!

I hope everyone is having a lovely day! DS has had second day at local theme park, so just had lovely pick up in driving hail but he was buzzing with happiness, which is great as his Big Trip was cancelled on Monday, unfortunately after I’d gone up north to take my Mum to hospital ( not that I could do anything, but we all like to be in hand when our DC are upset, don’t we!) .

@Raven08.. WELL DONE!!! That is amazing!!! She must be so happy -you must be so relieved!!
How is DD1 doing? Did she have a good weekend, all considering?
And, how is your Mum? Thinking of you. 🤗

Well, I hope everyone is happy and had a fun day, whatever you have been doing! ( other people’s laundry and taxi service, annoyingly round here, so sod all service or WiFi in order to catch up! ).

💖