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Duke of Edinburgh (Gold) Award
Poll
Do you have the Duke of Edinburgh Award?
I'm writing with regard to the Duke of Edinburgh (Gold) award.
1) How hard is it to achieve this award?
2) What do you think of the award, and how do employers/universities/scholarship agencies look upon it? Is it considered prestigious to have?
3) Do you think that it's worth the effort? How common is it?
Feel free to chip in any experiences you've had while doing this award, or your reasons for taking up (or not taking up) the programme. Good responses will be given rep.
1) How hard is it to achieve this award?
2) What do you think of the award, and how do employers/universities/scholarship agencies look upon it? Is it considered prestigious to have?
3) Do you think that it's worth the effort? How common is it?
Feel free to chip in any experiences you've had while doing this award, or your reasons for taking up (or not taking up) the programme. Good responses will be given rep.
Scroll to see replies
Reply 2
The expedition can be pretty hard if you aren't used to that sort of thing but I think the service, skills and physical sections are the worst parts because you just have to keep doing things you don't really want to do but it is worth doing because once you are finished you can lord it over the people who got fed up with spending an hour at an old people's home once a week. You should at least give it a go, it is fun and rewarding.
1) How hard is it to achieve this award?
It takes a fair amount of comittment to achieve the Gold award. Bronze (and silver) are fairly easy as the time lengths for the sections are all pretty short, the time length for the sections for Gold is alot longer so you need to want to do it, alot of people start and don't finish it. I don't think it is so much that it is hard to get, but you have to be willing to put some effort into it. You need to put time in doing the various sections, arranging the expedition, doing the residential week etc.
2) What do you think of the award, and how do employers/universities/scholarship agencies look upon it? Is it considered prestigious to have?
You will get a lot of different answers for this one. I guess I am biased been as I have got all three of the awards. Generally I would say that places aren't that impressed with bronze, so many people have it and it is pushed in schools and colleges that it doesnt normally mean that much if someone has achieved it. By silver it begins to look better, and gold even better. People seem impressed by people who have all three as it shows a committment to carry things on for a long time. What I have found with the various interviews etc I have been to is that places seem to want to find out more about the award and what it meant for you. Just having it on your CV won't mean much, but if at an interview you can talk about it well, say what you learnt from it etc it looks alot better than someone who obviously isnt that bothered about what they did for it.
3) Do you think that it's worth the effort? How common is it?
Again, there will be alot of variation of opinons on this! I wouldn't suggest that you only take it, as a lot of people seem to, to put it on your CV it is a lot of effort. If you already have intrests etc you can double count things. I run a Guide unit which I could count for my Gold as well. I go climbing regulary, which again I could count. So for two sections of it is wasnt much more than I do normally. If normally though you don't do much then it does mean starting new activities. You can start your Gold between 16 and 21, you then have until you are 25 to complete it all, so it doesn't mean you have to do it all in a year or two. Bear in mind that if you start as a direct entrant (not having done silver) then you have to spend longer on each section and do more practice experitions etc, which obviously takes longer!
As to how common it is, there are more people doing it each year. As I said, bronze and silver are more popular but there are still alot of people who get it. You won't be given a job because you have your gold dofe, but you can use it to show what skills/qualities etc you have. That you can work as a team, you have commitment etc. I found that it gave me recognition for things that I was doing anyway.
Sorry for the long reply, I just kept thinking of other points!
If you want to ask anything else feel free!
It takes a fair amount of comittment to achieve the Gold award. Bronze (and silver) are fairly easy as the time lengths for the sections are all pretty short, the time length for the sections for Gold is alot longer so you need to want to do it, alot of people start and don't finish it. I don't think it is so much that it is hard to get, but you have to be willing to put some effort into it. You need to put time in doing the various sections, arranging the expedition, doing the residential week etc.
2) What do you think of the award, and how do employers/universities/scholarship agencies look upon it? Is it considered prestigious to have?
You will get a lot of different answers for this one. I guess I am biased been as I have got all three of the awards. Generally I would say that places aren't that impressed with bronze, so many people have it and it is pushed in schools and colleges that it doesnt normally mean that much if someone has achieved it. By silver it begins to look better, and gold even better. People seem impressed by people who have all three as it shows a committment to carry things on for a long time. What I have found with the various interviews etc I have been to is that places seem to want to find out more about the award and what it meant for you. Just having it on your CV won't mean much, but if at an interview you can talk about it well, say what you learnt from it etc it looks alot better than someone who obviously isnt that bothered about what they did for it.
3) Do you think that it's worth the effort? How common is it?
Again, there will be alot of variation of opinons on this! I wouldn't suggest that you only take it, as a lot of people seem to, to put it on your CV it is a lot of effort. If you already have intrests etc you can double count things. I run a Guide unit which I could count for my Gold as well. I go climbing regulary, which again I could count. So for two sections of it is wasnt much more than I do normally. If normally though you don't do much then it does mean starting new activities. You can start your Gold between 16 and 21, you then have until you are 25 to complete it all, so it doesn't mean you have to do it all in a year or two. Bear in mind that if you start as a direct entrant (not having done silver) then you have to spend longer on each section and do more practice experitions etc, which obviously takes longer!
As to how common it is, there are more people doing it each year. As I said, bronze and silver are more popular but there are still alot of people who get it. You won't be given a job because you have your gold dofe, but you can use it to show what skills/qualities etc you have. That you can work as a team, you have commitment etc. I found that it gave me recognition for things that I was doing anyway.
Sorry for the long reply, I just kept thinking of other points!
If you want to ask anything else feel free!
Reply 6
If you go at it with the right attitude it can be a really good laugh. If you enjoy the things you've chosen to do and it doesnt seem like a chore, then yeh, definitely go for it.
Choose a sport you think you'll enjoy (not necessarily what youre best at.) Do an instrument for the skills bit, find a charity shop or something where someone else your age works (you can just sit around chatting, you dont have to do much
) and have a laugh on the expedition. Thats my advice
I heard that a DoE gold is equivalent to a C at A-level. But i doubt that honestly. If you havent got much on your personal statement it'll help anyway.
Choose a sport you think you'll enjoy (not necessarily what youre best at.) Do an instrument for the skills bit, find a charity shop or something where someone else your age works (you can just sit around chatting, you dont have to do much
) and have a laugh on the expedition. Thats my adviceI heard that a DoE gold is equivalent to a C at A-level. But i doubt that honestly. If you havent got much on your personal statement it'll help anyway.
I have recently just achieved the DoE Gold award (well actually the NYAA Gold award, which is Singapore's exact equivalent of the DoE Gold award rebranded under a different name; NYAA Singapore is a Full Member of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Association). To be honest it wasn't really all that hard for me to achieve, since I'm already someone who's extremely active in terms of extra-curriculars. The award was just a motivation for me to actually not procrastinate... and I echo the comments above that many people start the award but don't finish it. In fact, i finished my award about 3.5years after I registered for it. I think it's a nice accolade to have, and it reflects well on you as an individual by demonstrating your all-roundedness, discipline, etc - but its definitely far from crucial in getting a job or a university place.
Is it worth the effort? Yeah, in my opinion. Not so much because of the material rewards (which are rather unstubstantial) but because of the personal satisfaction gained and the entire experience of doing the award. You learn many life skills during the course of the programme which will turn out to be invaluable at some point of time.
I would recommend it for people who find themselves having a lot of free time (i.e. those who hang out on TSR way too often
) or having a lack of direction... because at least this motivates you to push on.
Is it worth the effort? Yeah, in my opinion. Not so much because of the material rewards (which are rather unstubstantial) but because of the personal satisfaction gained and the entire experience of doing the award. You learn many life skills during the course of the programme which will turn out to be invaluable at some point of time.
I would recommend it for people who find themselves having a lot of free time (i.e. those who hang out on TSR way too often
) or having a lack of direction... because at least this motivates you to push on.Cathie86: Thanks for the response. Most appreciated.
Is DofE (Gold) Alumni association (what is it called anyway?) active in the UK? What sort of events do they organise and do most Gold award holders actually go on to service in the alumni organisation after receiving the award? Anyone knows if you can join that association (in the UK) by receiving a similar award elsewhere (NYAA Gold in Singapore, for example)?
Also, what exactly does the award entail? Is it just a certificate?
And why would anyone even want to achieve all 3 awards?
Given the choice, wouldn't you want to just get straight to the Gold?
Is DofE (Gold) Alumni association (what is it called anyway?) active in the UK? What sort of events do they organise and do most Gold award holders actually go on to service in the alumni organisation after receiving the award? Anyone knows if you can join that association (in the UK) by receiving a similar award elsewhere (NYAA Gold in Singapore, for example)?
Also, what exactly does the award entail? Is it just a certificate?
And why would anyone even want to achieve all 3 awards?
Given the choice, wouldn't you want to just get straight to the Gold?Nutter
Cathie86: Thanks for the response. Most appreciated.
Is DofE (Gold) Alumni association (what is it called anyway?) active in the UK? What sort of events do they organise and do most Gold award holders actually go on to service in the alumni organisation after receiving the award? Anyone knows if you can join that association (in the UK) by receiving a similar award elsewhere (NYAA Gold in Singapore, for example)?
Also, what exactly does the award entail? Is it just a certificate?
And why would anyone even want to achieve all 3 awards? Given the choice, wouldn't you want to just get straight to the Gold?
Is DofE (Gold) Alumni association (what is it called anyway?) active in the UK? What sort of events do they organise and do most Gold award holders actually go on to service in the alumni organisation after receiving the award? Anyone knows if you can join that association (in the UK) by receiving a similar award elsewhere (NYAA Gold in Singapore, for example)?
Also, what exactly does the award entail? Is it just a certificate?
And why would anyone even want to achieve all 3 awards?
Given the choice, wouldn't you want to just get straight to the Gold?There's a minimum age requirement (14/15/16 IIRC), so that might be why.
I hadnt heard of an alumni association, don't know if one exsists or not.
The award (at all levels) is a certificate and a badge. Bronze and silver are normally presented at a local event, gold is presented at a local event and also at the palace. There is a long waiting list for the palace presentation though! There are several reasons why I did all three levels, as has been said, there is a lower age limit for age level, so at 14 I could only start bronze. If you don't do bronze then you have to carry each section out longer for silver, and the same for gold. For another point of view, as I said earlier unis, employers etc seem to be impressed when someone has carried something out over a long period of time. Having all three shows that you are committed, and that it wasnt just a whim starting one of the levels when you were pushed into it at school/college etc. Also, I did all three because I enjoyed them, I wouldnt do something that I hated, but I enjoyed bronze, so did silver, enjoyed that so did gold. It just seemed logical to me to carry on doing something that I enjoyed.
The award (at all levels) is a certificate and a badge. Bronze and silver are normally presented at a local event, gold is presented at a local event and also at the palace. There is a long waiting list for the palace presentation though! There are several reasons why I did all three levels, as has been said, there is a lower age limit for age level, so at 14 I could only start bronze. If you don't do bronze then you have to carry each section out longer for silver, and the same for gold. For another point of view, as I said earlier unis, employers etc seem to be impressed when someone has carried something out over a long period of time. Having all three shows that you are committed, and that it wasnt just a whim starting one of the levels when you were pushed into it at school/college etc. Also, I did all three because I enjoyed them, I wouldnt do something that I hated, but I enjoyed bronze, so did silver, enjoyed that so did gold. It just seemed logical to me to carry on doing something that I enjoyed.
brimstone
Yep. It's 14 for Bronze, 16 for Silver and 18 for Gold.
It's actually 14/15/16 respectively for the Award.
I get where you're coming from Cathie, but let's say you only found out about the Award scheme when you were 16, would you have done all 3 as welll, or gon straight for Gold?
Reply 14
i've done my bronze and silver and i'm starting my gold in September.
what did people do for their residential?
what did people do for their residential?
Reply 17
lizzyd
what did people do for their residential?
I did a Sentinus Engineering Education Award scheme in my lower 6th year which had a residential element to it. I've been told that it could count as the DofE residential.
The rest of those doing the Gold in my group have to do a week at an outdoor activity centre as Counsellors in a childrens summer camp type thing I think.
I have all three, employees/universities love it, it's hardly much work really considering how fun it is, and the fact that I've spent almost every interview I'm been in talking about it,
skill bit - musical instrument, every time.
physical bit -whatever sport I felt like
Service - Probably the most rewarding part, did childrens home, old peoples home and a scout group, which was pretty fun.
expedition - just really great fun definately the easiest part to do, just takes a bit of organisation, I already knew all the map skills and what not.
Residental was a bit difficult to sort out, but I went on this camp for children with physical disabilities, it was brilliant.
As far as residental goes the Dof E website has alot of ads for places lots of my friends found their's through that, I was just lucky, friend of a friend type thing.
skill bit - musical instrument, every time.
physical bit -whatever sport I felt like
Service - Probably the most rewarding part, did childrens home, old peoples home and a scout group, which was pretty fun.
expedition - just really great fun definately the easiest part to do, just takes a bit of organisation, I already knew all the map skills and what not.
Residental was a bit difficult to sort out, but I went on this camp for children with physical disabilities, it was brilliant.
As far as residental goes the Dof E website has alot of ads for places lots of my friends found their's through that, I was just lucky, friend of a friend type thing.
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- Awards
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- Awards that are not formal qualifications in UCAS application
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- Mathematics in Oxford.
- Duke of Edinburgh training
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