If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
college
shannon_164
Community Connector Posts: 1,517 Extreme Poster
in Work & Study
hey🙂
soo i’m at college at the moment doing my level 3 health and social care, which i do really want to finish however college are making it impossible as i feel so so unsupported by them. i’ve been soo close to dropping out several times this year but then don’t because why should i drop out of a course i want to do because of them?
anyways, i then thought about transferring colleges - unaware of if that was even an option or not. i emailed another college and asked anyways - i just explained how im at the other college currently and feel so unsupported and was wondering if i can complete my second year at that college instead. their course coordinator had emailed me back and suggested meeting her today to discuss it - i was so anxious about that as it was a different college and new people.
today i then met her - she was actually super lovely! i also met another tutor that teaches on their health and social care course and she was so lovely too:) we discussed what units i will have completed in year 1 as they teach it slightly differently, we basically do an extra unit in year 1 so i will already have achieved sociology unit by the end of year 1 where as they teach sociology unit in year 2 but they teach the anatomy unit from year 2 where we start that in year 1 so ill be retaught everything we’ve done so far which im relieved about as i dont know anything about what we’ve covered basically lol they’ve worked out everything in terms of if ill have achieved enough to be able to start in second year with them which i will (as ill be a unit ahead of their current students due to the fact we do an extra unit in year 1).
we also discussed the support side of things too, they asked about my situation and seemed genuinely interested too which felt nice - the course coordinator then said if i’m happy enough with it all and do choose to transfer then i could come in on a level results day so they could arrange an appointment with learning support team so as everything can be in place and ready from september when we start, rather than how this year has been for me - i got a mentor as of yesterday for example, we have 5 weeks altogether left of first year with all our deadlines in 2 weeks time but it’s easter break so no mentoring - pretty pointless lol they also have a personal tutor at their college too, she said it’s kinda like a form teacher in secondary school, so that will also be really good too i think (we don’t have that at my college).
the other college already seems WAAAAY better vibes so im feeling better about second year now however, i am a bit anxious around the fact its a whole new class with a new teaching team but then i think even if i stay at my current college, its going to be a new class anyways as there’s only a handful of us left in my class so we would be spread amongst the other 2 classes and highly likely new teachers so its going to be a change for me regardless? another worry is the work placement - my current college leave it up to you to find a placement which i like, i get to choose what sort of placement i do whereas the other college i think they pick your placement for you so im really anxious that if thats the case, it will end up being something i hate so its kinda making me think maybe i shouldn’t transfer colleges? idk.
anyways, i do really want to transfer as they seem a much better college but im also anxious about it.
thank you for reading
soo i’m at college at the moment doing my level 3 health and social care, which i do really want to finish however college are making it impossible as i feel so so unsupported by them. i’ve been soo close to dropping out several times this year but then don’t because why should i drop out of a course i want to do because of them?
anyways, i then thought about transferring colleges - unaware of if that was even an option or not. i emailed another college and asked anyways - i just explained how im at the other college currently and feel so unsupported and was wondering if i can complete my second year at that college instead. their course coordinator had emailed me back and suggested meeting her today to discuss it - i was so anxious about that as it was a different college and new people.
today i then met her - she was actually super lovely! i also met another tutor that teaches on their health and social care course and she was so lovely too:) we discussed what units i will have completed in year 1 as they teach it slightly differently, we basically do an extra unit in year 1 so i will already have achieved sociology unit by the end of year 1 where as they teach sociology unit in year 2 but they teach the anatomy unit from year 2 where we start that in year 1 so ill be retaught everything we’ve done so far which im relieved about as i dont know anything about what we’ve covered basically lol they’ve worked out everything in terms of if ill have achieved enough to be able to start in second year with them which i will (as ill be a unit ahead of their current students due to the fact we do an extra unit in year 1).
we also discussed the support side of things too, they asked about my situation and seemed genuinely interested too which felt nice - the course coordinator then said if i’m happy enough with it all and do choose to transfer then i could come in on a level results day so they could arrange an appointment with learning support team so as everything can be in place and ready from september when we start, rather than how this year has been for me - i got a mentor as of yesterday for example, we have 5 weeks altogether left of first year with all our deadlines in 2 weeks time but it’s easter break so no mentoring - pretty pointless lol they also have a personal tutor at their college too, she said it’s kinda like a form teacher in secondary school, so that will also be really good too i think (we don’t have that at my college).
the other college already seems WAAAAY better vibes so im feeling better about second year now however, i am a bit anxious around the fact its a whole new class with a new teaching team but then i think even if i stay at my current college, its going to be a new class anyways as there’s only a handful of us left in my class so we would be spread amongst the other 2 classes and highly likely new teachers so its going to be a change for me regardless? another worry is the work placement - my current college leave it up to you to find a placement which i like, i get to choose what sort of placement i do whereas the other college i think they pick your placement for you so im really anxious that if thats the case, it will end up being something i hate so its kinda making me think maybe i shouldn’t transfer colleges? idk.
anyways, i do really want to transfer as they seem a much better college but im also anxious about it.
thank you for reading
5
Comments
This sounds really positive, I'm so glad that you are liking the vibe of the new collage and that the lady you met today was lovely! You seem to be taking some really pro-active steps to ensure you are getting the support you deserve.
It is also equally valid to feel anxious about transferring to a new college. It can feel scary going to a different collage, especially with the difficulties that you have expressed with your current collage, it is natural to feel anxious. I hear your anxiety around not being able to choose you placement, I'm curious to know if you feel you could express this anxiety with the collage and explore how they could support you? And how are feeling about all of this now?
Take care,
Lily and The Mix Team
I hear you say that it felt very anxiety inducing to go and meet the new college team, and yet - you did it! You went along, and you opened up about what you've been going through and your ambitions for next year, and it sounds so positive that they were really lovely, kind, and interested. That's wonderful, Shannon. And again, such a testament to the fact that you advocated for yourself.
You mentioned that some of the 'pros' about potentially transferring to this new college would be the opportunity to have support right from the offset in September, as well as getting the opportunity to be re-taught some of the material you have been going through at your current college. On the otherhand, however, I also hear you saying that it feels really daunting to think about having less choice when it comes to your work-placement. I hear you, and it sounds really hard to think about being in a situation that you really hate and that makes you unhappy. I wondered too as Lily said whether this might be something you could discuss with the new college team, or if they would perhaps be able to take your preferences into account when they are selecting a placement for you?
We're here to listen as you navigate this, Shannon, and are here without judgement regardless of which path forward feels best!
i’m really not too sure how to approach the whole placement situation with them:/ the only thing is, because they complete 50 hours of placement within year 1 and we do not, they’ll all have 50 hours left to do while i will have 100 hours just with how it’s taught differently, though they were asking me if i have any voluntary experience or anything which i could bank as my hours but im not sure if i can get any of my hours from places that can count as placement actually signed off by the company:/ i would need to ask them about what exactly i need to ask for etc to even see though it’s now easter break so i wont be able to ask until 28th april.
i think its kinda bad if they do pick your placement as there are sooo many different jobs you can go into with health and social care and within a class, there is such a variation with very few having the same goal - in my class for example only 3 out of 25 had the same career goal. i really want to do youth work long term so a placement in relation to youth work would be a dream for me, whereas someone else’s worst nightmare could be doing anything youth work related. it’s kinda unfair i guess to have them pick it for you since it is such a wide sector. i totally get at uni they pick your placements for you, but that’s different as you’re studying social work specifically or paediatric nursing specifically etc so if you’re doing social work for example, you’re not going to be sent on a placement with a dentist lol - the only positive of college choosing for us would be we don’t have the worry around getting it sorted ourselves as without the placement, you cannot achieve the full qualification. my current course coordinator said that are still people in second year who have not even got a placement sorted yet so the only way they can achieve the unit is to work about 50 hours per week over easter break then also have allllll the written assignment to do afterwards as well to ensure it’s submitted on time - that is a LOT.
thank you for your reply