He starts college in september, I was just wondering if you help me give him tips since I never did. Is it different from comprehensive school? Lot less crap and more work done than secondary school? Lots more freedom?
He’s doing an AVEC in business for 2-4 years, I hope that Avec is not some course for the less bright pupils, has anyone done some thing like this and is it hard work?
Will it involve training outside college?
The most important thing is that your son will have more responsibility for getting his work done - there’ll be more stuff that he needs to do outside of actual classes and lessons.
I can’t find any information about the AVEC - can you get any more information from your son, and pass it on?
He’s going to college in the UK - any chance you could tell us which college he’s going to? They do vary a lot. Is it in Somerset?
To be honest, I’ve never heard of an AVEC. Colleges (as opposed to universities) tend to teach A Levels, GCSEs, BTECS, NVQs, City and Guilds. It might help to know how old your son is and where he’s going.
As Tansu said - the main advantage of college is that students get to take more responsibility for their own work. This also means they have to develop self-discipline. Will your son live at home?
Em, the Avec is a vocational AS-Level, and the college he’s going to is South trafford college, he’ll be living with my sister until I move up there, since house prices are cheaper in the north, and most of my family lives there. My son is nearly 17.
Lock up your daughters!
Best to paint the giant mural of Che Guevara now.
Ah, you mean an AVCE, Montezuma. A vocational A level should be the same level as an academic A level, although some employers think it’s not so good. One in business, though, should be very useful.
South Trafford College looks to be a higher education college, which will be pretty free, yes. Not at all like school. As the qualification’s vocational I imagine he’ll get to do training outside college.
The URL’s here if you haven’t got it: http://www.stcoll.ac.uk/
Is my son getting the right course? What does this Avce worth? He’s not stupid is he? Em, if he does a lot of work outside college, it won’t be at some dingy store will it?
What are the advantages of my son going to college than just starting work?? (panicing!)
A dingy store in South Trafford - surely not !
I don’t know if that’s a serious question but, assuming it is, I hazard it is worth going to college rather than starting work. Maybe you could also look at it as not the end but part of the process of education – for example, if he gets a taste for it and does well, he might want to go to Uni.
Even if he doesn’t, education is pretty much a continuing process in the workplace nowadays.
Yeah, he does want to go to uni, that he decided himself.
Nah, it will be fine. He’s probably doing an AVCE that is equal to two ordinary A levels and he could go on to do a business studies degree with that.
He’s doing a combined course of business and retail, what will that enable him to get jobwise?
He’ll certainly be able to get good retail management jobs (with good pay and prospects), and other sorts of management jobs. The job market these days is more keen on qualifications than it used to be, so it’s a good thing that your son is doing this course. Don’t panic!
Plus, because it’s a vocational course, he’ll get job experience while he studies, as an actual part of the course. This will be useful when he’s looking for a job.
Can you explain things for a dumb Merrikan? I have a internet buddy who just yesterday got her GSCE (?) results. She got 10 A’s. Are these like our SATs? They seem to cover much more material.
StG
All results don’t come out until tomorrow.(GCSE)
With my son learning that vocation, will it lead him to do things abroad , if he chooses?