advice for ds been put off course after 1st lecture!

robpw2

if its loughborough he doesnt like he can always come for a drink with me

littlebird22

Nenen wrote: »

Thanks for your input Littlebird. As a teacher myself I am very keen to have more information on the research that shows that children who are told they have no talent in a subject achieve more. Whilst I think there are a few people for whom this might work, my experience would suggest the complete opposite in the vast majority of cases. Please can you give me any links to the research on this?

It was just a comment that he made without any referencing to back it up! I will be starting to properly research it for my essay in the next fortnight or so (working on a different essay just now) so I will PM you anything that I come accross. My friends and I started thinking after reading your comments though and whilst I would have always said that I didn't agree with telling children they have no talent, in practice it maybe does work. For example, my Biology teacher told me I could only hope to achieve a B in GCSE Biology and I went on to get an A*. Contrast that with Physics which was always my best science and I got an A* in my GCSE Mock and so thought I was home and dry and I dropped down to an A in the real thing because I didn't work as hard at it. I think a lot has to do with how this idea of "no talent" is said to the students.

kelloggs36

My teacher told my mum that if I got an o level pass in biology it would be a miracle. I got a B.

kelloggs36

I found on my course that they made it sound so much worse than it actually was! I guess it was to sort the wheat from the chaf - if you don't want to put in the work, then leave now sort of thing. However, reality wasn't that bad - breaking each bit down into the manageble chunks is the key. Do each bit at a time and don't worry about stuff that is months away (do it a little at a time) - deal with deadlines as necessary. Read lots in advance and take notes. Don't get too stressed!!! If you look at the big picture all the time, it will put anybody off, but break it down into stages makes it much easier.

robpw2

kelloggs36 wrote: »

My teacher told my mum that if I got an o level pass in biology it would be a miracle. I got a B.

my teachers and head teachers told m mum there was no point letting me do my exams as my handwritting was atrocious .. i passed every singlle one ..
and then 2 years later university discover im dyslexic .

Mrs_P_Pincher

For what it's worth Mr P P has just started a degree course and after the first week he is convinced that the teaching staff are doing their level best to weed out from the off the people who are not going to be able to cope with the demands of the course. The whole group is currently finding it hard going, but they are certainly full of enthusiasm.

I'd say stick with it a little longer, but if he's really unhappy and feels it is not for him, then he needs to deal with it sooner rather than later.

Mrs P P

Agent_C

I did a psychology degree at Loughborough, and my younger brother did an electrical engineering degree there about ten years later.

I really enjoyed my course and didn't find it too taxing. It was a science degree and had a lot of biology components (there is a separate social psychology degree at Loughborough). The only maths we did was statistics, which I personally enjoyed much more than bog-standard maths. But I haven't found that my degree has helped in the job market. All the jobs I've done since my degree could have been obtained without a degree. It also took several years to pay off my student debts, which were exacerbated by the fact that I'd already left home before going to Uni, so I had to support myself during the holidays as well. Despite the enjoyment I got from the course and the friends I made, I did sometimes wonder whether I'd have been better off getting a job straight after my A levels. I've recently gone back to University to do a Masters in psychology, because I enjoy the subject so much, but I can only afford to do it because I've been careful with money, and lucky in buying and selling a house at the right time. I don't see it as a career move to make more money, more a way of doing something I enjoy.

My brother, on the other hand, got a placement with an engineering firm during his degree, and when he graduated (with a first) they offered him a job with a starting salary of £24K. It took me over 10 years of working before I reached that salary. (The fact that my brother turned them down and has been sponging off my pensioner parents in the 18 months since graduating is a reflection on him, not the quality of his degree! I don't think you would let your son do this!!).

So if your son wants to make money then I'd say stick with the engineering. Alternatively, Loughborough do offer a degree in psychology with ergonomics. This sounds a bit more of a practical degree and will include some elements of engineering, so it might be a better choice if he wants to use his degree to get a career. If he can choose a course that offers a placement year, all the better.

Nenen

Many thanks to all who have posted... it is lovely to have so many people prepared to take time to help and I am so grateful! Agent_C, your experiences and insights about Loughborough were very useful indeed... I have been looking at the psychology with ergonomics myself and have suggested this to my son.

He had two more lectures today and seemed a little more positive about his ability to get through this despite meeting two students who both have friends who dropped out of engineering last year. I just wish he could meet some students who were able to give him a more optomistic view! He's just had the stuffing knocked out of him and it didn't help that he's had a heavy cold to cope with too... everything always seems so much worse when one has a cold doesn't it! At the moment he's decided to keep going to the engineering lectures until he can see his personal tutor on Wednesday.... hopefully he will begin to believe in his own ability and see the benefits of hard work!

princesslizzie

Didn't read it all, I'm knackered but just wanted to add;

I hated my first semester of lectures. Despised, wanted to change the course or drop out. But lots of people told me to stick at it. Seriously, the first semester is crap, but things do get better. I really enjoy my course now.

piglet_moo

Could your son get in contact with the lecturer who showed him round on the open day for an informal chat about things? There's some reason he has an interest in Engineering and maybe talking to the enthusiastic lecturer may help to spark off whatever made him take an interest in it in the first place.

Also wrt meeting other students - he could meet up with some of the students in later years via the Wolfson Departmental Student Committee as they will have been through it and give him some advice on what they felt at the time.