DofE: worth it or just another brick in the wall?

[momb]

DD1 already very committed to lots of activities. Fortunately it looks as if all of these will count towards DofE and all she'ss need to add is the expedition. DH thinks it is therefore worthless as it won't push her harder than she's already working.
She's quite keen to do it but not if she willhave to give aup anything else.
Have your teens done it? What do you/they think about it?
Thanks

My DS has done Bronze and nearly finished Silver but probably wont do Gold. I like DofE because DS wouldn’t have done most of the activities without it, and the expedition was something he needed to organise for himself with the other kids rather than rely so much on me. And DS was very keen to go on the expeditions as he doesn’t get to camp out with other kids. But if your DD is already very active and independent then really I don’t see much benefit for her.

They are actually supposed to try new activities and learn new skills, not just use the ones they already do to tick the box !

Both mine really enjoyed the expedition. It really pushed my daughter who is a couch potato and she finished it with a real sense of achievement.

I was a well committed teen and used my hobbies to tick boxes. I did it for the expedition stuff. Loved it.

My DS has done bronze, silver and gold and now works as a young leader, he used some activities to tick boxes but also did new things such as volunteering. He learnt a lot and I'd say it was worth it for him!
DD1 has also done bronze and decided camping out and walking with a huge backpack was not for her so hasn't done the rest. But it was still worth it.

Worth it. Gold looks great on university applications.

I think DofE is great - I am a parent helper on the expeditions - but it is not for every child.

Most children get a lot out of it, the expeditions are progressively more stretching and they really have to work as a team in the wilderness. It can also a foster a love for the great outdoor and hiking that will last a life time. Pretty amazing stuff actually.

But it isn't compulsory and a child shouldn't be pushed to do it - it is usually oversubscribed in any case, so no point going forward if you aren't really keen.

My daughter is just completing NCS The Challenge. It is less intensive with a strong emphasis on learning new skills, teamwork and community service. It is well worth a look, my daughter loved it and grew in so many ways from it. We would recommend it to anyone and it only costs £35 (no strings attached)
I thought it was too good to be true at first but it was all it claimed to be. There was a thread on here this summer where others had sung its praises too. Worth checking out.

My DD1 has just completed Bronze.
She got a lot out of it, particularly

• volunteering which she hadn't done before
• expedition - perseverance and teamwork skills

We were keen for her to do it as her academics aren't great, and she hasn't got any things she could show long term commitment to (i.e. no musical instrument, sports teams, guides).
She was keen as we bribed her with ice-skating lessons for her physical activity

We were very proud of her achievement.

For a high-achiever who already does loads they may not get any new skills but if they will enjoy the expedition side (my DD didn't really) and have the time then it is a well-recognised and respected qualification so not much to lose really.

Yes, its worth it.
Although the aim is to gain new skills and experiences, using the existing one to achieve the Gold is well worth it.
It still sits on my CV, and is usually commented on at interview. Other activities whilst young, unless certificated, tend to dissapear, where as this can stay for years.

Both mine are doing/completing Gold and, although it takes a lot of juggling at times, they are very pleased to have been through the process.

Yes worth it. Especially good to get credit for things your already doing, and makes a busy person able to do it. My Dd was like that.

The expedition even at Bronze isn't easy, and teaches quite a lot (getting on with others, and for my dizzy DD map reading etc.).

Getting to Gold still stands out on CVs.

something like 1% of everyone who starts Bronze completes Gold - it's a very good thing for your CV, less so for UCAS I'd say. It shows commitment and perseverance even if the majority of activities are ones you'd've done anyway. The Gold expeditions are really tough - two nights of wild camping, night navigation - and there's also a residential section, which is 4 nights/5 days long, with people you don't know.

"Worth it. Gold looks great on university applications."

No it doesn't. It makes no difference at all, and neither should it.

It looks great on your PS, gold is a great achievement and was commented on by all unis DN had interviews at.

Not many get to gold apparently.

Honestly, it might give you something to talk about at interviews! but it makes absolutely no difference to university admissions.

I did DofE Gold through school a very long time ago.

Like your DD, I had an activity every night already, and I did use some of those to 'tick the boxes', though I also had to add some volunteering and over the years I added new sports and skills as I was discouraged from using the same skills/sports for Bronze, Silver and Gold.

Through DofE I managed to become a certified scuba diver, completed an aerobics course, learnt to dive (from a board), spent 12 months mentoring a younger girl with special needs, completed a first aid qualification, and of course all the stuff you learn through expedition (camping, cooking, independence, relying on a team, basic first aid in the field, working with others under pressure, planning, map reading, compass reading etc etc). Despite having a lot of activities before I started DofE, there is no way I'd have learnt those things, or been as equipped for life after school, without DofE. It was brilliant.

The fact you get to spruce up and visit the Palace to receive Gold from the Duke himself makes a young person feel very proud of what they have acheived, and recognises the effort and commitment that is neede to finish Gold level.

I would encourage anyone who is thinking about DofE to give it a go :)

DD has just done Bronze and plans to do silver. Yes she has used some existing activities to tick the boxes but has done extra volunteering and really enjoyed it. The trial expedition was a total nightmare as it rained for the whole 36 hours but she got through it and it made the real thing a doddle in the sunshine.

I would recommend it to anyone.

DD1 did bronze, silver and gold. She loved it and I was very proud of her. When she first started she was lacking in confidence and so it was great to see her confidence growing. She did use some of her existing activities to tick boxes but the expeditions, volunteering and some of the skills and sports were new to her. She still returns to her voluntary position in university holidays because she loved doing it.
It DDs case it undoubtedly looked great on her UCAS application as she was able to use examples of the skills gained in her personal statement. It's not just as straightforward as listing it as a qualification.
DD2 didn't want to do it. She did do the NCS thing this year and enjoyed it but it is very short and not much of a challenge.

Interesting- were the skills directly related to the course she wanted to study?

I have the Gold Award and it has been commented on in every job interview I've had, as well as in my interview for Cambridge all those years ago (and yes, they did make me an offer!)

As a DofE leader in a school now, I always say to students not to enrol to do their Gold just because they're looking for something to put on their CV or on a UCAS form. As so many posts on this thread testify, the DofE is much more about personal development of the individual and the ability to commit to something and see it through. The expedition at Gold (four days, three nights in wild country) is hugely challenging and character building. University admissions may not care about it any more, but it certainly helps develop strength of character, determination, mental stamina, perseverance, all qualities which never did any university student any harm!

Hakluyt I agree, I was told it was a myth that DoE made the slightest difference to uni applications.
DS decided not to do it after a talk at his school by admissions tutors who made it clear it was AS grades they were judging not mountaineering or violin playing.

DofE opened doors for me. Helped with university applications, and the expedition experience got me on to bigger, more adventurous expeditions after I left school.

Hakluyt, no they weren't directly related. However, she was able to demonstrate that the skills and experience she gained were relevant. Obviously AS results and A2 predictions are very important but the personal statement is the only thing which differentiates the candidates. They shouldn't just be writing that they have completed D of E, but they can choose aspects of it to demonstrate experience or just simply committment. It's naive to think that only exam results count.

Have been chatting to DH about this, who has experience in the field of uni applications, and he says that while academic achievement is of course the primary concern (and at Oxbridge probably the only concern), if you have two identical applicants academically, the extra-curricular demonstrates the more rounded character, who has better time-management skills.

I don't think it's the mountaineering and violin playing per se, but what they reveal about that individual's character.