Year 12 decisions & lastminute changes

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Following on from the GCSE threads - as we await results is anyone else's y11 teen having massive doubts about their previous plans for next year?

I'll probably post more detail in the morning (hence the name change as I don't want this linked to my other posts), but my DC was set on a vocational non-A-Level course that seemed to me a good choice, and has been really enthusiastic. Did a taster day today and is now having huge doubts - apparently because all the other students on the taster day seemed more capable and experienced so it seems to be self-doubt as much as anything - and wanting to rethink and possibly do something completely different. I have no idea what to do, I really want it to be their choice - I was railroaded into A-Level choices that my dad wanted me to do and while they weren't disastrous I don't know how to help support a teen to make a confident choice that's really right for them rather than just my idea of what's right.

Think about how you would like to be supported to make the right choices.

I would discuss the options with your DC and go through all the pros and cons - listing them can help. Also ask them how they feel about the options, and why they think they might be feeling like that, and ask them to consider whether those feelings/reasons are good ones on which to be basing their decision.

You are then helping them with the process of decision making rather than making the decision for them. If you have an opinion you can give it, but present it as a view rather than “I am telling you to do this”.

I would also challenge them on those thoughts like “everyone seemed more capable than me” as this seems unlikely to be true and is likely more driven by your DC’s self-doubt. I would discuss that with them and try to get them to really think about where those thoughts/feelings are coming from. Is it that literally everyone there wall more capable, or is there another reason you might have felt like that!? Ask questions to get them to come up with the conclusions themselves. And ask them if they want self-doubt to drive their life choices? And potentially limit what they are going to do/be?

And even if everyone on the course was better than them, so what? What matters is if they are capable of the course, which presumably they are if they meet the entrance requirements. They just need to pass the course , they don’t need to beat everyone on it!

Thanks that will be helpful.

This may be inappropriate for lots of reasons but would doing a year at level 2 first before the level 3 help?
That could give a better grounding? (Would also help in understanding what is needed to do well on written assessments).

He/she shouldn't be put off because others appear to know more already. If it is what they want to do then go for it