With an alarming 22% drop-out rate among students on university courses there are a lot of young people enrolling on courses that do not suit them, so it is important to think carefully about the type of course you want to do — and what will happen if you do not like it. As Arthur Boulton, vocational quality nominee at the Brit school of performing arts and technology in Croydon, says: "It is important that young people are absolutely sure they want to join us and can cope in a less unstructured environment. It is also telling that when we interview a prospective student if a parent tends to answer for them [it's] not a good sign."
"Students need to know that when they join a course, they are getting a relevant qualification and will emerge with an impressive portfolio," says Staffordshire University film technology awards tutor Peter Hughes. "Our students will typically make three film-based programmes in their first year — there's no hanging around."
At Reaseheath college in Cheshire, garden design lecturer Carol Adams knows her students are going to benefit from a succession of hands‑on experiences working to real briefs: "Today, I am with a team at the Tatton Park flower show creating a garden for the local BBC and a butterfly garden."
Of course, students do change their minds, and it is important for them to know that their college will be both sensitive enough to their needs to spot if they are struggling and flexible enough to offer options if they decide a particular route is not for them after all. At the Brit school, for example, it is not uncommon for students to realise that a hoped-for career as a performer may not materialise. "It is then important that we have an arts management course on offer for our 18 and 19-year-olds," adds Arthur Boulton, "which opens up new opportunities."
