Q: I have not done business before will I struggle?
No, we have many students who have not done business at school come onto our course and do very well. The first unit you will study on both courses is called ‘Exploring Business’ and will give you that underpinning knowledge that you may have gained at GCSE level.
Q: What are the key skills I need to do well on the course?
Well if I ask our current students, they all seem to say the same thing – organisation and time management. You will be trying to combine the course with 2 other subjects and their deadlines, therefore is it vital that you are organised and can keep on top of your workload. The great thing about the course is you will have tangible evidence for any future University or job application that you can manage your time and meet deadlines effectively due to the nature of the course.
Q: How many teachers will I have?
You will have 1 teacher 3 times a week.
Q: How much maths is involved?
You will sit an exam in ‘Personal and Business Finance’ so there is an element of maths in the course, however I would define this as not scary maths! You do get to use a calculator and the trickiest aspect of the maths will be to calculate some ratios. In fact, the key part of the learning is to be able to interpret the findings of any calculations and how they impact on a business and its decision making.
Q: How many exams will I take?
You will complete 4 units – 2 of which are ‘externally assessed’ – this means 1 traditional exam in the Finance module and 1 timed controlled assessment in the Marketing module. The other 2 units are internally assessed – so you will complete coursework and your teacher will mark it.
Q: Is the BTEC course treated the same as A-Levels by employers and Universities?
Yes, the BTEC you will study is the equivalent level of study to A-Levels – they carry the same UCAS points for University applications and are looked at just as favourably by employers. The BTEC courses are an alternative way of being assessed – so if you feel a traditional A-Level may not get you the best results as you are not great with exams, then the BTEC course is a better option for you.
Q: How much homework will I get?
Well a lot of the homework we will set you will be about completing your internal assessments OR preparing you for your external assessments. We follow the college benchmark that to get the best grades you should be doing 4-5 hours per week (per subject).
Q: I want to run my own business, will this course help?
We can’t turn you into the next Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos, but we can give you the underpinning knowledge that will help you go onto running your own business one day. You will cover lots of areas of business and the theory of what makes a successful company successful – we will apply this theory to lots of ‘real world’ examples so maybe one day you can become a successful business owner. We will also try and equip you with the skills to become a success in whatever career you choose. You will improve your team working skills, your communication skills, your presentation skills and your organisational skills – all of which are crucial in getting ahead in today’s economy.
Q: Do we go on any trips?
As a business student you will also be eligible for the 2 big business trips, we run each year. Firstly, just before Christmas a 2-day 1-night trip to London and then just before Easter our 5 day trip to New York. Both trips will allow you to access some great experiences and see the business world operating first hand. (Travel restrictions permitting!)
Q: What can I do to get ready for the course?
I would highly advise having an organisation system ready to go before you even get to college. Notepad, pens, highlighters, dairy’s (or knowledge of how to utilise your phone diary) and a USB stick will all be useful come the start of the course. Have a look at the springboard sheet for more useful resources. Hopefully you are taking in an interest in the business world that is happening around you as we will be talking about this a lot when we start the course. If you need more advice drop me an email (address below) and I will get back to you ASAP.
We hope that the Course video, FAQs and Subject Live chat have answered all your questions about the course. If you do have any other generic questions, please contact the course leader [email protected]
Please note that queries about your individual progression onto the course should be directed to [email protected]
