15dec
ember in the dark
- Dec 7, 2018
- 1,550
tldr; Poor mental/physical health meant I rarely attended compulsory work experience, I was then not allowed to go to the next placement, and consequently I might fail the entire course.
So, I study Health and Social Care (Level 3 Diploma) and part of the course is a weekly work experience placement. Due to mental/physical health reasons I ended up missing a great deal of my first placement. I also missed the organisation of my second placement but I expected to start it later than my classmates when I returned to college.
My tutor (basically a teacher that helps you with your 'personal progress', like how you're getting on in college) said I couldn't start organising my placement until I 'prove' I can attend college regularly. Okay. Three weeks pass and I'm allowed to start organising my placement. Only one place replies and says it's too late to accept anyone, but they can accept me for a third placement next term. The work experience coordinator says that I'll have to skip this placement and start the next one. Fine by me.
Cut to last week, and I find out that a requirement of my course is that we do a minimum of three work placements, and have done 150 hours of work experience. It was the first time I knew we had to do at least three as beforehand I'd thought as long as we had 150 hours it'd be okay. Now I don't know if my first placement will count as I ended up not attending most of it, and of the days I did go to I only got one signed. If that placement doesn't count, I'll fail my entire course.
I guess it's my fault for not going to my first placement and forgetting to get it signed when I did go, but I still resent my college a little bit for not letting me start my second placement. Maybe if I'd been able to start organising it as soon as I was back in college it wouldn't have been too late for me to start somewhere, you know? There was also an issue with my whole class (not just me) not being told that we have to do a child observation at an early years centre until recently. This means a lot of people have to go back to an early years centre to do this in order to pass, even though lots of us went to an early years centre already, and that sector is only supposed to be 10% of our work experience (or just one placement). I guess what I'm saying is that the work experience aspect of the course could've been more clear from the beginning.
I also feel like my tutor didn't take my worries about this very seriously. I told her I was anxious to start a new placement as soon as possible because I didn't go to my first one much, and was worried it'd prevent me passing my course. I offered to do this on my day off but she said I couldn't because I need that day off to do my coursework. Except I can manage all my coursework to distinction level during class time, and even if I do need to do some at home, I have the weekend and after college to do it, which is more than enough time. I just wish I was allowed to do my last placement.
So now I don't know if I'll pass my course. If my first placement doesn't count (and honestly I don't think it is acceptable) I've automatically failed and everything I've done in the past year towards the Diploma is just wasted. Not to mention the money it costs for me to get to college which is down the drain, but that's a whole other topic I could rant about. I got myself into this mess but it still sucks.
So, I study Health and Social Care (Level 3 Diploma) and part of the course is a weekly work experience placement. Due to mental/physical health reasons I ended up missing a great deal of my first placement. I also missed the organisation of my second placement but I expected to start it later than my classmates when I returned to college.
My tutor (basically a teacher that helps you with your 'personal progress', like how you're getting on in college) said I couldn't start organising my placement until I 'prove' I can attend college regularly. Okay. Three weeks pass and I'm allowed to start organising my placement. Only one place replies and says it's too late to accept anyone, but they can accept me for a third placement next term. The work experience coordinator says that I'll have to skip this placement and start the next one. Fine by me.
Cut to last week, and I find out that a requirement of my course is that we do a minimum of three work placements, and have done 150 hours of work experience. It was the first time I knew we had to do at least three as beforehand I'd thought as long as we had 150 hours it'd be okay. Now I don't know if my first placement will count as I ended up not attending most of it, and of the days I did go to I only got one signed. If that placement doesn't count, I'll fail my entire course.
I guess it's my fault for not going to my first placement and forgetting to get it signed when I did go, but I still resent my college a little bit for not letting me start my second placement. Maybe if I'd been able to start organising it as soon as I was back in college it wouldn't have been too late for me to start somewhere, you know? There was also an issue with my whole class (not just me) not being told that we have to do a child observation at an early years centre until recently. This means a lot of people have to go back to an early years centre to do this in order to pass, even though lots of us went to an early years centre already, and that sector is only supposed to be 10% of our work experience (or just one placement). I guess what I'm saying is that the work experience aspect of the course could've been more clear from the beginning.
I also feel like my tutor didn't take my worries about this very seriously. I told her I was anxious to start a new placement as soon as possible because I didn't go to my first one much, and was worried it'd prevent me passing my course. I offered to do this on my day off but she said I couldn't because I need that day off to do my coursework. Except I can manage all my coursework to distinction level during class time, and even if I do need to do some at home, I have the weekend and after college to do it, which is more than enough time. I just wish I was allowed to do my last placement.
So now I don't know if I'll pass my course. If my first placement doesn't count (and honestly I don't think it is acceptable) I've automatically failed and everything I've done in the past year towards the Diploma is just wasted. Not to mention the money it costs for me to get to college which is down the drain, but that's a whole other topic I could rant about. I got myself into this mess but it still sucks.
