The Student Room Group

Falling gcse to Completing Btec LEVEL 3 in computing

Chapter One - Primary School

As you know, my name is Ali. I was born and raised in South East London. Throughout my life, I've always been interested in transport; for example, I really love trains, buses, coaches, and aeroplanes. I was never really interested in school from a young age, as most people aren’t—they see school as boring and not fun. However, I saw school as a challenge because of my disability, which is global developmental delay. This means it takes me much longer to understand things, and information may need to be broken down into small steps for me to comprehend.

During my time in primary school, my self-esteem dropped significantly because I saw other students doing better than me and understanding information much more easily. But during those years, I always tried my hardest to be on the same level as them. Over time, I began to accept that I wouldn’t reach their level and started to mess about—sleeping in lessons and not caring at all. The teachers did try to help me, but I wasn’t interested because I thought to myself that I was stupid and wouldn’t get anywhere in life. So, what was the point of even trying? But in the end, I completed primary school, and I still didn’t care about school—only football and my passion for transport.

Chapter Two - Secondary School

When I moved to secondary school, specifically Addey and Stanhope, I spent five years there. Many students tried to help me improve my self-esteem, as they noticed I was feeling low and lacked confidence. From Year 7 to Year 9, I continued to struggle until something clicked in my head. I realised that despite the challenges I faced, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I should try my hardest to make the people who helped me proud. So, that’s what I did.

I started taking care of myself, making sure I looked clean and professional whenever I went to school. I kept my shirt tucked in, made sure my tie was done up, and took small steps to increase my self-esteem and self-love. During this time, I want to say a big thank you to the teachers who believed in me and always spoke to me like I wasn’t an idiot. They saw that I had a future, but unfortunately, I still ended up failing them by the end of secondary school, leaving with poor grades:

English Language: 3
English Literature: 3
Maths: 2
Citizenship: 4
After receiving my results, I knew I’d messed up, and I wished I could go back in time and do so much better for myself. That’s what I set out to do during my college years, and I spent four years sorting myself out and learning more about who I am.

Final Chapter - College Years

During my four years at college, I attended two different institutions. I first went to LSEC in Bromley, where I studied Level 1 in Performing Engineering. During that year, I learned a lot about myself and realised that this college wasn’t the best fit for me. However, I still managed to complete the course, even though I wasn’t really interested in it. It didn’t spark anything in me until I understood that computers and transport were my biggest passions. But I had hidden these interests because I was trying to be someone else, which didn’t work out well. I started being fake and pretending to be someone I wasn’t.

That’s when I knew I needed to make a change, start being myself, and stop caring about other people’s opinions because they’re not worth the stress. I know myself best, which I do. So, I switched courses and moved to Shooter Hill Sixth Form College to study what I enjoyed most—computer science. During my first year at Shooter Hill, I smashed it and really enjoyed it. However, during my last two years in college, my past started to catch up with me. I went through a difficult time with my mental health, doubting myself and questioning my purpose in this world and why I was here.

During this time, I’d been working since I was 17 in a restaurant, and I started lying to people about how I was feeling. I pretended everything was okay and repressed my emotions, acting fake happy instead of genuinely happy. This took a bigger toll on my mental health, and I didn’t want to get out of bed or do any of my work. I just wanted the suffering to end, and I was stuck in a cycle, not knowing how to break free.

The moment I realised I needed to address my mental health was when I finished work one day and was on my way home. I started thinking, “Why am I on this earth? Will I ever be happy with my life?” That’s when I knew I needed to get help, so last September, I sought the help I needed. I became much better mentally and made sure I wasn’t so hard on myself. I realised how far I’d come and how well I’d done so far. Most people would have quit school and gone to work full-time, but I didn’t. I kept going, even when it was hard.

The help I received was so beneficial that I started to feel better about myself, and I made sure to keep working until I finished my course—which I did. Two months ago, on 25th June, I completed my Level 3 BTEC in Computing, and I’m hopefully on my way to university to study computer science. If I enjoy my time at university, I might even pursue a master’s degree and a PhD if I can. Then, I can tell people that no matter what disability you have or how tough life is at the moment, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to keep working and never give up. Surround yourself with people who want you to succeed, rather than those who hold you back because they couldn’t break free from their own cycles—but you were able to.

Never hold yourself back, and go and smash everything you love. At the end of the day, people will always be jealous of where you’ve got in life because they know they didn’t want to help themselves, and they just want to see others suffer like they are suffering.

The quote I will use to finish off my story is:

“Do not wait; the time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” —George Herbert

This quote is powerful because it reminds us to use what we have at the time, and soon, we’ll realise we’ll have more tools and more energy as time goes on. Never give up during hard times. Keep going until you’ve given everything you have.
congratulations
you’re truly amazing ❤️
Reply 2
Original post by burnt_t0ast
congratulations
you’re truly amazing ❤️


Thank you. For your kind words
Reply 3
Original post by ALIeHSANI
Chapter One - Primary School
As you know, my name is Ali. I was born and raised in South East London. Throughout my life, I've always been interested in transport; for example, I really love trains, buses, coaches, and aeroplanes. I was never really interested in school from a young age, as most people aren’t—they see school as boring and not fun. However, I saw school as a challenge because of my disability, which is global developmental delay. This means it takes me much longer to understand things, and information may need to be broken down into small steps for me to comprehend.
During my time in primary school, my self-esteem dropped significantly because I saw other students doing better than me and understanding information much more easily. But during those years, I always tried my hardest to be on the same level as them. Over time, I began to accept that I wouldn’t reach their level and started to mess about—sleeping in lessons and not caring at all. The teachers did try to help me, but I wasn’t interested because I thought to myself that I was stupid and wouldn’t get anywhere in life. So, what was the point of even trying? But in the end, I completed primary school, and I still didn’t care about school—only football and my passion for transport.
Chapter Two - Secondary School
When I moved to secondary school, specifically Addey and Stanhope, I spent five years there. Many students tried to help me improve my self-esteem, as they noticed I was feeling low and lacked confidence. From Year 7 to Year 9, I continued to struggle until something clicked in my head. I realised that despite the challenges I faced, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I should try my hardest to make the people who helped me proud. So, that’s what I did.
I started taking care of myself, making sure I looked clean and professional whenever I went to school. I kept my shirt tucked in, made sure my tie was done up, and took small steps to increase my self-esteem and self-love. During this time, I want to say a big thank you to the teachers who believed in me and always spoke to me like I wasn’t an idiot. They saw that I had a future, but unfortunately, I still ended up failing them by the end of secondary school, leaving with poor grades:
English Language: 3
English Literature: 3
Maths: 2
Citizenship: 4
After receiving my results, I knew I’d messed up, and I wished I could go back in time and do so much better for myself. That’s what I set out to do during my college years, and I spent four years sorting myself out and learning more about who I am.
Final Chapter - College Years
During my four years at college, I attended two different institutions. I first went to LSEC in Bromley, where I studied Level 1 in Performing Engineering. During that year, I learned a lot about myself and realised that this college wasn’t the best fit for me. However, I still managed to complete the course, even though I wasn’t really interested in it. It didn’t spark anything in me until I understood that computers and transport were my biggest passions. But I had hidden these interests because I was trying to be someone else, which didn’t work out well. I started being fake and pretending to be someone I wasn’t.
That’s when I knew I needed to make a change, start being myself, and stop caring about other people’s opinions because they’re not worth the stress. I know myself best, which I do. So, I switched courses and moved to Shooter Hill Sixth Form College to study what I enjoyed most—computer science. During my first year at Shooter Hill, I smashed it and really enjoyed it. However, during my last two years in college, my past started to catch up with me. I went through a difficult time with my mental health, doubting myself and questioning my purpose in this world and why I was here.
During this time, I’d been working since I was 17 in a restaurant, and I started lying to people about how I was feeling. I pretended everything was okay and repressed my emotions, acting fake happy instead of genuinely happy. This took a bigger toll on my mental health, and I didn’t want to get out of bed or do any of my work. I just wanted the suffering to end, and I was stuck in a cycle, not knowing how to break free.
The moment I realised I needed to address my mental health was when I finished work one day and was on my way home. I started thinking, “Why am I on this earth? Will I ever be happy with my life?” That’s when I knew I needed to get help, so last September, I sought the help I needed. I became much better mentally and made sure I wasn’t so hard on myself. I realised how far I’d come and how well I’d done so far. Most people would have quit school and gone to work full-time, but I didn’t. I kept going, even when it was hard.
The help I received was so beneficial that I started to feel better about myself, and I made sure to keep working until I finished my course—which I did. Two months ago, on 25th June, I completed my Level 3 BTEC in Computing, and I’m hopefully on my way to university to study computer science. If I enjoy my time at university, I might even pursue a master’s degree and a PhD if I can. Then, I can tell people that no matter what disability you have or how tough life is at the moment, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to keep working and never give up. Surround yourself with people who want you to succeed, rather than those who hold you back because they couldn’t break free from their own cycles—but you were able to.
Never hold yourself back, and go and smash everything you love. At the end of the day, people will always be jealous of where you’ve got in life because they know they didn’t want to help themselves, and they just want to see others suffer like they are suffering.
The quote I will use to finish off my story is:
“Do not wait; the time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” —George Herbert
This quote is powerful because it reminds us to use what we have at the time, and soon, we’ll realise we’ll have more tools and more energy as time goes on. Never give up during hard times. Keep going until you’ve given everything you have.


Congratulations and your story is as incredible as yourself. ❤️❤️
Reply 4
Original post by ALIeHSANI
Chapter One - Primary School
As you know, my name is Ali. I was born and raised in South East London. Throughout my life, I've always been interested in transport; for example, I really love trains, buses, coaches, and aeroplanes. I was never really interested in school from a young age, as most people aren’t—they see school as boring and not fun. However, I saw school as a challenge because of my disability, which is global developmental delay. This means it takes me much longer to understand things, and information may need to be broken down into small steps for me to comprehend.
During my time in primary school, my self-esteem dropped significantly because I saw other students doing better than me and understanding information much more easily. But during those years, I always tried my hardest to be on the same level as them. Over time, I began to accept that I wouldn’t reach their level and started to mess about—sleeping in lessons and not caring at all. The teachers did try to help me, but I wasn’t interested because I thought to myself that I was stupid and wouldn’t get anywhere in life. So, what was the point of even trying? But in the end, I completed primary school, and I still didn’t care about school—only football and my passion for transport.
Chapter Two - Secondary School
When I moved to secondary school, specifically Addey and Stanhope, I spent five years there. Many students tried to help me improve my self-esteem, as they noticed I was feeling low and lacked confidence. From Year 7 to Year 9, I continued to struggle until something clicked in my head. I realised that despite the challenges I faced, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I should try my hardest to make the people who helped me proud. So, that’s what I did.
I started taking care of myself, making sure I looked clean and professional whenever I went to school. I kept my shirt tucked in, made sure my tie was done up, and took small steps to increase my self-esteem and self-love. During this time, I want to say a big thank you to the teachers who believed in me and always spoke to me like I wasn’t an idiot. They saw that I had a future, but unfortunately, I still ended up failing them by the end of secondary school, leaving with poor grades:
English Language: 3
English Literature: 3
Maths: 2
Citizenship: 4
After receiving my results, I knew I’d messed up, and I wished I could go back in time and do so much better for myself. That’s what I set out to do during my college years, and I spent four years sorting myself out and learning more about who I am.
Final Chapter - College Years
During my four years at college, I attended two different institutions. I first went to LSEC in Bromley, where I studied Level 1 in Performing Engineering. During that year, I learned a lot about myself and realised that this college wasn’t the best fit for me. However, I still managed to complete the course, even though I wasn’t really interested in it. It didn’t spark anything in me until I understood that computers and transport were my biggest passions. But I had hidden these interests because I was trying to be someone else, which didn’t work out well. I started being fake and pretending to be someone I wasn’t.
That’s when I knew I needed to make a change, start being myself, and stop caring about other people’s opinions because they’re not worth the stress. I know myself best, which I do. So, I switched courses and moved to Shooter Hill Sixth Form College to study what I enjoyed most—computer science. During my first year at Shooter Hill, I smashed it and really enjoyed it. However, during my last two years in college, my past started to catch up with me. I went through a difficult time with my mental health, doubting myself and questioning my purpose in this world and why I was here.
During this time, I’d been working since I was 17 in a restaurant, and I started lying to people about how I was feeling. I pretended everything was okay and repressed my emotions, acting fake happy instead of genuinely happy. This took a bigger toll on my mental health, and I didn’t want to get out of bed or do any of my work. I just wanted the suffering to end, and I was stuck in a cycle, not knowing how to break free.
The moment I realised I needed to address my mental health was when I finished work one day and was on my way home. I started thinking, “Why am I on this earth? Will I ever be happy with my life?” That’s when I knew I needed to get help, so last September, I sought the help I needed. I became much better mentally and made sure I wasn’t so hard on myself. I realised how far I’d come and how well I’d done so far. Most people would have quit school and gone to work full-time, but I didn’t. I kept going, even when it was hard.
The help I received was so beneficial that I started to feel better about myself, and I made sure to keep working until I finished my course—which I did. Two months ago, on 25th June, I completed my Level 3 BTEC in Computing, and I’m hopefully on my way to university to study computer science. If I enjoy my time at university, I might even pursue a master’s degree and a PhD if I can. Then, I can tell people that no matter what disability you have or how tough life is at the moment, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to keep working and never give up. Surround yourself with people who want you to succeed, rather than those who hold you back because they couldn’t break free from their own cycles—but you were able to.
Never hold yourself back, and go and smash everything you love. At the end of the day, people will always be jealous of where you’ve got in life because they know they didn’t want to help themselves, and they just want to see others suffer like they are suffering.
The quote I will use to finish off my story is:
“Do not wait; the time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” —George Herbert
This quote is powerful because it reminds us to use what we have at the time, and soon, we’ll realise we’ll have more tools and more energy as time goes on. Never give up during hard times. Keep going until you’ve given everything you have.

I know my external assessment dates for my course, but if you've has been through year one and could let me know what dates they gave in their last few assignments that would be great. I want to find out when the last assignment is due, the internal units I'm doing just in case are:

Unit 07: IT Systems Security and Encryption

Unit 08: Business Applications of Social Media

Unit 11: Digital Graphics and Animation

Unit 22: Systems Analysis
Any other tips for my course would also be helpful, and I'm doing the PEARSON BTEC COMPUTING LEVEL 3 NATIONAL EXTENDED DIPLOMA.

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