College
Chapter three: Introductory level
Young people discussing their experiences of college
Instructions
Watch the video clip below. Several young people talk about their experiences at college, responding to a question asking them to tell the interviewer what they think about the post-16 years college which they currently attend.
The young people in this clip attend a specialist college for young people 16 years and over who are unable to access education within mainstream education. This is important because these young people are likely to have had more negative experiences of mainstream school in the past, and also because the college they are discussing provides specialist provision which may be unavailable to students in a mainstream college. Bear this in mind while watching the clips if you work in a mainstream setting.
Task
As you watch the video, work through the following questions:
What themes emerge about the young people’s experiences at college?
How do their college experiences seem to compare to their school experiences?
What factors do you think have influenced their experiences?
Is there anything which you now think is important that you can incorporate into your work to improve young people’s experiences?