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What is a BTEC National Diploma in Business like??

Im thinking about doing this in September, i've finished my GCSEs and am predicted 10 A's and B's (just gotta wait till August now)

If you have done the BTEC National Diploma Business or something similar, how many days a week did you have to go to college and how many hours a day? Did you enjoy the course? Whats it like?

xxx

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Reply 1
dont do it, do a levels in business and economics instead
Reply 2
4 hours a day, 4 days a week.. .. Currently finishing my first year in BTEC National Diploma for IT(Business and It).. It's pretty good so far, it's definetly not the sort of course for a person who dislikes doing coursework, as 100% of it is based on coursework.
No offence, but with GCSEs like that you should be doing A-Levels -- don't do yourself down. You can do business studies, economic, maths, and anything that interests you. It will make it a hell of a lot easier to get a 'good' job; sorry to tell you, but no-one really cares about BTECs, you might as well just get a job straight from school.
Doing my GCSEs at the moment, and then off to sixth form next year to do Economics, Government and Politics, RS and Psychology.

It says the above in your profile. That sounds like a much better idea, honestly. Don't waste your talent and close lots of doors on yourself that deserve to stay open. Please. :smile:
Reply 5
jismith1989
No offence, but with GCSEs like that you should be doing A-Levels -- don't do yourself down. You can do business studies, economic, maths, and anything that interests you. It will make it a hell of a lot easier to get a 'good' job; sorry to tell you, but no-one really cares about BTECs, you might as well just get a job straight from school.



Agreed! But BTECS offer a more practical approach than standard A-levels(Apparently) and this is what she might like instead of doing tests.
BonziPogo
Agreed! But BTECS offer a more practical approach than standard A-levels(Apparently) and this is what she might like instead of doing tests.

I suppose so, but if she wants that, I'd advise her to just get into the workforce (it'd be more worthwhile), as long as she happy to close a lot of avenues for herself.
Reply 7
jismith1989
I suppose so, but if she wants that, I'd advise her to just get into the workforce (it'd be more worthwhile), as long as she happy to close a lot of avenues for herself.


An apprenticeship would be more worthwhile i think aswell, because she'd actually gain a qualification, and on top of that experience and possibly a wage.


But it abit too late looking for an apprenticeship for september i would of thought.
BonziPogo
An apprenticeship would be more worthwhile i think aswell, because she'd actually gain a qualification, and on top of that experience and possibly a wage.


But it abit too late looking for an apprenticeship for september i would of thought.

Probably. I just think it's such a shame to waste her talent, but the choice is hers. Doing a BTEC will only be a waste of time though, whatever she decides.

I think we need to get some feedback from the OP really, as to why she wants to do a BTEC.
Do both? It might be a valid alternative.

With GCSE's like that, it wouldn't be out of the question.
wanderlust.xx
Do both? It might be a valid alternative.

With GCSE's like that, it wouldn't be out of the question.

Though she wouldn't be able to do enough A-Levels to get to university (unless she pushed herself, which is probably not worth doing for the sake of an added BTEC) and so both qualifications would be all but worthless, aside from a learning point of view of course.
Reply 11
jismith1989
Though she wouldn't be able to do enough A-Levels to get to university (unless she pushed herself, which is probably not worth doing for the sake of an added BTEC) and so both qualifications would be all but worthless, aside from a learning point of view of course.



Most Uni's accept BTECS ..... Well thats providing you get a DDD, a DDM is just pushing it. But with her grades at GCSE, DDD looks totally within reach for her since BTECS are less demanding than even the old GCSE coursework.

Alternatively if she was looking to go straight into employment i don't see why a national diploma, especailly business wouldnt suffice.
BonziPogo
Most Uni's accept BTECS ..... Well thats providing you get a DDD, a DDM is just pushing it. But with her grades at GCSE, DDD looks totally within reach for her since BTECS are less demanding than even the old GCSE coursework.

Alternatively if she was looking to go straight into employment i don't see why a national diploma, especailly business wouldnt suffice.

Yes, but with GCSEs like that, she doesn't deserve to condemn herself to going to a university where they accept people with DDD -- she'll probably get demotivated easily by the fact that she's at a pretty 'crappy' university surrounded by people who are struggling with things she finds not-so-hard and want to drop out.

I'm not saying a BTEC wouldn't suffice for a job. I'm just saying that I don't know of any job where it is a requirement, so it seems like a waste of time to me.
jismith1989
Though she wouldn't be able to do enough A-Levels to get to university (unless she pushed herself, which is probably not worth doing for the sake of an added BTEC) and so both qualifications would be all but worthless, aside from a learning point of view of course.



A friend of mine got 7A*s and 4As (granted, not as 'good', but I'd imagine the OP could still do it), and did 5A levels and a BTEC (and I quote) "on the side".

Depending on personal stamina, I'd say 3-4 A2's + BTEC *could* be possible if you're clever enough.
wanderlust.xx
A friend of mine got 7A*s and 4As (granted, not as 'good', but I'd imagine the OP could still do it), and did 5A levels and a BTEC (and I quote) "on the side".

Depending on personal stamina, I'd say 3-4 A2's + BTEC *could* be possible if you're clever enough.

Oh yeah, definitely -- my point was that it just seems a bit pointless (she might as well do A-Level Business Studies, which is generally more respected), unless she is really set upon doing BTEC Business, in which case this option would be better than just doing a BTEC as it would allow her to keep an open mind in regard to what she is to later do.
There seems to be some kind of BTEC bashing going on here, to be honest you could relate the BTEC National Diploma being better than an A Level in the subject as you don't study two years of four or five different subjects, but one subject for two years in an in-depth study.

A levels are academically and wordlwidely accepted and respected, BTECs have become much more respected over the past few years and people I know have gotten jobs with BTECs over people with AAA at A Levels in respected and related subjects simply because BTECs generally force you to use practical applications which you would encounter in the workforce.

About universities, most univserities now accept BTEC National Diplomas (at least in IT) and the grades can be quite low in some of the more 'unrespected' universities, so DDD is not needed as a grade to go to university. You can also get a place at a well respected university with a BTEC National Diploma, so what jismith1989 said was complete and utter rubbish. Sure Oxbridge and Imperial may not accept BTECs, but the majority of other universities do.

Also jismith1989 most jobs don't specify between BTECs, NVQs or A Levels, as long as you have a suitable qualification or experience for the job. Sure highly specialised jobs may, but they would generally want a degree, and wouldn't care too much if you didn't have A Levels.
Reply 16
Wow lots of replies thanks guys :smile:

Well, I was considering this as I do very well in coursework, A* standard however I get lower in exams and hate the stress and the A-levels I had considered doing - econ, re, psychology & politics which i have found are 100% exams more or less.
I've also really lost motivation in school and im worried that i'll go to sixth form and just drop out eventually.
I have no aspirations to go to the top top unis, maybe i wont even go to uni atall, but if i did then yes i would like to go to a relatively good one - do the good (but not top as in oxbridge) unis accept BTECs?
Basically, If i do decide to do the BTEC, will it close off loads of doors in the future compared with doing 3 or 4 a levels?

Thank you loads for the advice its priceless and a real help xx
I did the one down from this (National Certificate in Business worth 2 A levels) and tbh because I didnt do too great at the AS levels before, I went for this easy route basically into University - i found it a lot better as im more a coursework person. HOWEVER reading what you put down for your predicted GCSE'S, A levels personally will be a lot better, but hey its your choice.

And as for doing a BTEC closing doors - meh I don't think so personally; I have managed to get into University and have managed to finish the year roughly with a 2:1 - kinda all depends on what you actually want to do with the qualification/career aspirations.
Most universities accept BTECS
Reply 19
Most people assume that BTECs are an easier option but the workload is intense and you may have like 3 big assignments due in all for the same week.

-You'll be in classes with all the same people

-In most cases, you'll have to do Key Skills (which is worthless and too easy I've done 2 BTECs before and in Key Skills class all we did was mess around and we didn't ever have any actual Maths or English teachers to teach us - it's Maths and English for Year 8s)

-Normally you're in class from 9AM to maybe 5PM for normally either 3 or 4 days a week though it may also be 5 days a week

-There are plenty of academically-able people like yourself in BTECs. Those courses are not full of idiots. Obviously BTEC Beauty Therapy wasn't exactly full of members of Mensa and our lessons were piss-easy (no offense intended I used to do Beauty Therapy). And the atmosphere in BTEC Beauty is going to be completely different to the atmosphere in BTEC Applied Science (also used to do that course and it's HARD but apparently a bit easier than A-Level sciences)

-As mentioned before, if you like practical lessons as opposed to the traditional old-school-Victorian-sort-of-lessons and if you like coursework then you'll like BTEC

-Some BTECs don't let you do work experience. Some courses only allow you to do two weeks worth of work experience. Some allow you to work during your free days in your first year after Xmas. In some courses, you have to do a portfolio of work to be externally assesssed and some courses don't.

-In BTEC Business I was told that having a part-time job helps whilst you're getting your education because assignments are based on real-life businesses. And you'll do a lot of group work in BTEC Business.

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