This week my Word of the Week is:
It is exam season for lots of youngsters in education (I hope they are all doing well) and it's no different for Ellie. She has had a couple of exams this week.
The first exam Ellie had was for the electrical engineering course she is studying. It was all about the maths and science of electrical engineering. Those are Ellie's strongest subjects so she wasn't worried at all. She has already got her results and she passed! Hooray! It wouldn't have been a worry if she didn't as the pressure isn't there like with other exams, they get to resit it until they get a pass and it's only a small percentage of the end of year grade. After half term Ellie has her practical exam and I know she will do well at that. Ellie has always been better at hands on things rather than writing things down. She is looking forward to it, she has to build a whole electrical circuit on a board. Cutting wires, using conduits, making sure it works and looks tidy. It all sounds simple enough but I am sure there is more to it than I am thinking.
Ellie's second exam was her English Language one and that was yesterday. It is a rule that if don't pass your Maths or English GCSE at school you have to resit them in college and keep resitting them until you pass. Ellie got a 3 which is an old D last year and the same in school, she needs a 4 which is an old school C. She wasn't feeling very confident but I know she would have tried her hardest. She hasn't had the greatest English lessons in college, I am not going to go into why but I feel like it really isn't all her fault that she has struggled. She is trying her hardest and that is all I can ask. Ellie doesn't think she will pass her English so has been thinking a lot about what the future holds, not in a bad way, she has been making a plan.
Last year Ellie didn't need the English GCSE to continue her studies or even become a qualified electrician but in September things are changing and she won't be able to go onto the Level 3 electrical engineering course without the GCSE. My girl won't let something like needing a GCSE stop her though, she's thinking about changing career paths doing a Mechanical Engineering course. Ellie has already covered lots of the basics in the electrical course which will cross over to the mechanical side of it and has done plenty of research.
From what I have read mechanical engineering deals with the physical and mechanical aspects of systems, like engines and machines, while electrical engineering focuses on electrical circuits, power, and electronics so in the long run Ellie already has learned the basics on how to power the mechanical parts of whatever she's working on so that must be a bonus! I feel so proud of my girl, when things potentially won't work out for her she always finds a way to make things work!
I have been looking online and there are more opportunities out there for young adults just out of college with a mechanical engineering qualification. I actually found her an apprenticeship earlier in the week but she needs the mechanical qualification, maybe next year!
How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one! I am of course linking up with Anne who blogs at Raisie Bay for her Word of the Week linky!
Those exams sound hard. It sounds like Ellie is smart with a good work ethic- I hope she winds up with a certification and a job that suits her perfectly. We all learn/process information differently. I think success really comes down to work ethic. It's hard for students as there's so much stress about grades, exams, jobs, etc. But Ellie is lucky she has a great support system at home :).
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