End of A level 1st year - poor grades - carry on??

[Jungfraujoch]

So DS started 3 A levels, flunked one of them and has now dropped it. The other 2 he got an E and U in the mocks - resitting the U tomorrow.

He wants to start another A level in September plus carry on with the current 2. He is adamant that he wants to do A levels and go to uni but clearly this won’t happen at this level! He admits he is lazy and tutors say he doesn’t apply himself in class.

We are soooo frustrated with him- do we just let him carry on and hope he pulls his finger out or just fail?!

He’d need a BTEC Extended Diploma in Creative Media - does his current college offer that?

A BTEC extended diploma is a 2 year course equivalent to 3 A levels. You have to work fairly consistently all the time. A much better course for those who struggle with exams and revision. Ideal if you aren't particularly high achieving in exams but willing to put some effort into coursework. Looks better to get merits and distinctions in a BTEC than to completely bomb out of A levels.

My son didn't do well at end of first year A Levels. He was lazy not incapable. We told him it was entirely up to him what he did with his life but if he carried on being lazy we would not carry on supporting him. He sold his PlayStation on EBay and got really good grades in the end because he put effort in. He went on to get a first class maths degree. The choice between A Levels and BTec really depends on his ability and what he wants to go on and do. Try and take a step back and let him make decisions. It's really hard as a parent but teens have to start taking responsibility for their actions at some point.

His college offers Media Level 3 Extended Diploma. I’m trying to step back but it’s so hard - I know he’s capable of doing well if he puts his mind to it!

I don't really see the point in Uni if he can't even pass any AS levels...

Reasons for going to university with very poor qualifications include:

a) Delaying decisions
b) Going with the flow
c) Institutions want your money (3 x £9)
d) Idiocy

Some folk would benefit much more from getting a job earlier, with no debt.

Although it's encouraging to hear about dcs who have taken BTECs and then obtained good degrees, this isn't guaranteed.
I know at least one former BTEC student who is having to retake units just to pass the first year.
Sorry if that isn't what you want to hear but you need to find out about student drop out rates for some courses before applying for uni.

My friend's DS was doing a media degree at Portsmouth. He did well in his first year, high grades, but he's dropped out as student life wasn't for him. So many DC go to university now, around 50% so it's seen as the thing to do. There's a much higher drop out rate these days, though, than when I did my degree. And it could be an expensive mistake, unlike when I did my degree...

He might well be better doing an apprenticeship. Some kids just aren't academic, and some just can't be bothered. Looking ahead, what is he actually interested in as a career? My DS dropped A levels - he's a plumber now (the other one did too and he learnt engineering on the shop floor - got a well paid job now.

Has he had the chance to do any work experience in the type of industry he wants to go into? Or met anyone in the industry to understand what it will require in terms of grit etc as a poster mentioned upthread?
It must be so hard for you. Much sympathy.

Some people take longer to find their way. My younger son did a diploma at college and then worked in a garage for a while. Finally he started an engineering apprenticeship which felt a bit like a step backwards at first as he was 20. He absolutely loves it and excels at it and he has an excellent career path ahead with no debt!

An update - so today was D-Day. He has just emailed college asking to restart on the BTEC Level 3 extended Media course.

He said it was partly his pride that was stopping him from dropping A levels, despite us saying we weren’t bothered what he did as long as he was happy.

So, fingers crossed for September and onwards, he knows he needs to work harder and prove to himself that he can do it.

Thanks everyone for all your comments and support and good luck to those who are going through something similar!

Sounds like he took responsibility! Wow! Good luck to him and to you!

Great news your son has finally woken up. So has mine, he is now doing some work experience during the holidays. As well as his holiday job. He admitted to us and his brother that he was drowning in one subject which is when we all put our heads together and came up with a plan. He is so much happier now that things are out in the open.

Mine read 10 pages of a book yesterday !

Mainly because he's had his laptop confiscated but oh well...

That's good news OP. He's been a bit of a fool but having a flakey year 12 is not exactly unusual. I know a lot of kids (mostly boys) who did the same.
There is no reason he can't do really well now and that his year 12 mess up was just a blip.

The flakey year 12 is indeed common : it was big issue years ago, the ASs came in and year 12 became more focused. Now they are gone again the old problem is back. My jitters (and I am sure OP's!) are now about predicted grades for UCAS. To be fair to the school the only evidence they have are 'Minimum Expected Grades' of Cs for each subject(and these are based on under achievement at GCSE and the Spanish one doesn't build in his A* at GCSE!), a dodgy work ethic, a poor attitude to one (now departing) teacher and a child who couldn't even sort his own work experience out!

I think I'd be cautious with predictions under these circumstances!

I am also worried because he is getting new staff in 2 of the 3 subjects...

I teach a Level 3 BTEC course (in Performing Arts) and this year, have 5 students who started A Levels and dropped them before starting again with me. I suspect that 3 of them were pretty flakey but for me, are really hard working - never missed a deadline and achieving Distinctions in every unit. I think starting again can sometimes absolutely make a student. Good luck to your DS, OP.

Evening everyone - so now the dust has settled on his decision I’m thinking he should perhaps just go over his Media notes to date? Presumably he’ll be covering similar content in the BTEC - anyone know?

He’s also contacted a couple of local Film/video production companies today to see if he can bag a day or two for experience - unpaid, happy to be the runner. I did have to encourage him though but will keep fingers crossed.

He’s actually not been 100% since last Wednesday with an awful cough - doctor says virus - so he’s struggling on. Missed work last week so hopeful he’ll be up to it this week but as it’s a telephone based job not ideal!!

My flakey yr 12 going into 13 on his second day of work experience was asked to spend two hours on bubble chart. He said "But its boring" was told yep but to get on with it. He is on a steep learning curve

What on earth is bubble chart??

Aren’t they all Welshmist!

Piggy, he did something like this.

archtechstudent.weebly.com/uploads/8/0/3/5/8035034/3695832_orig.jpg

I see...looks fun... everything is more fun in multi coloured circles, I guess?

Glad to see he's dropped the A Levels and is starting again with the Btech. I guess this also means he won't be getting uni predictions now, but will wait until this time next year to apply for uni, after his second L6th.

Another useful thing for him over is summer would be to look at uni courses and requirements from Btechs. If he gets a sensible idea of where he would like to go and what he will need to achieve, he will have a good focus from the start if the new course.....this is what he was lacking this time round. Seeing his friends who are in Yr13 applying to uni and being stressed about applications and results will be no bad thing either, as it's all a wake up call to what will happen to him the following year.

Other things which might help, include him saying to his Tutor at college that he is keen to avoid a similar thing happening this year and would like regular meetings to honestly discuss progress - perhaps weekly or fortnightly - wanting this would be a real sign of growing maturity. I know colleges are more 'hands off' with parents than schools, but as parents Inwould also be looking to be in more regular contact - so when he's heard back about the Btech, as parents I would also send an email and copy in all the relevant people, saying how it is a real shame he wasted this last year, you are glad he's taken advice to do the Btech and is hopefully going to be more mature in his approach, but you would also like to keep in touch with college more to check things aren't slipping.

It is about being happy.....but also about being productive. It's great he's getting a second chance, but really important he doesn't squander this as well.....it's very easy for weeks to slip by without really knowing if things are going well or not and a crisis forming before you know it's starting, so I would say it's worth talking with him about the danger of this and the importance of both him and you being in regular honest conversation with the college to avoid it. Has he had a genuine scare from what has happened recently, or is he still happy-go-lucky head in the sand and likely to be similar?

Once you hear back about the Btech, you could always ask if there is any preparatory reading - that would be more focused and useful than returning to stuff from a different course.

Glad things are moving forward in the right direction....now to keep them going that way....