DS1 has failed his first year of his BTEC course - any advice??

[littlemissbossy]

We're completely in the dark TBH. He's been notified today that he's failed the first year - very disappointed - him and us, although reading between the lines he didn't do hardly enough work to pass. Where to from here - he thinks he can retake the first year in his second. We tried to contact the college today and they were really unhelpful - suggested we speak to the tutor, but he's not available as it's the holidays. Anyone with any experience of this - bloody teenagers - sigh

TIA - BTW if I don't respond straight away it's because I've got to take/pick up DS2 somewhere. Thanks v much.

You need to find out what subjects he failed and how much he failed by. Not worth retaking unless he is likely to pass, he will probably be even more demotivated if he has to do it all again.

What about switching courses? What was he studying for?

I agree with reeth - do you think he will be motivated enough to catch up on all that work if he wasn't motivated enough to do it in the first place? IME learners who fail the first year have to be grimly determined to pass the second time around(some do, if only to prove their tutors wrong !) Is he enjoying the course?

Is he 17 now? Is 1st year of BTEC like AS levels?

If he's not bothered much it sounds as if he was never engaged with it in the first place so resitting a bit pointless.

Are you subsidising him? I'd suggest sending him out to do a tedious pointless badly paid job for a year or 2 to concentrate his mind & think about what he does want to do with his life