Jak Siakee

BTEC National Diploma in Business

I am enjoying my time at Havering college so much! The course I am doing is in Business and one day I hope to have my own business empire.

The lessons that we have here vary from group work to taught sessions and involve a lot of independent research and study. That bit is different from school, where you are basically told what to do. I like finding things out for myself and when I go to university, I will have to do a lot more study like that, so I think this course is helping me get ready for that.

I have made loads of new friends here, with people from lots of different backgrounds and experiences from me which I think is really great and they are more interesting than other people I have me before.

At first when I started my course I was a bit worried, as to how I would get on with people and how my lecturers would be, but I can tell you that everyone here is very helpful and friendly. The lecturers are strict and if they give you a deadline for something to be done, there can be no excuses!

I am doing well on my course and I am looking forward to my second year.

We have been on trips and had some interesting guest speakers too - I like the Police fraud officer that spoke to us when we were studying a finance unit - it was very fascinating to hear what she had to say!

I think that anyone that comes to this college should be prepared to do their best, and then you will get all the help you need, from tutors, friends and student services to make sure you achieve your ambitions.

Why don't you speak to me to find out more!

Rachel Arnold

BA Hons Moving Image

On my degree I currently do various different aspects of the media including digital software arts, video production, radio production and film and television theory.

I have done music videos, short films, radio features and plays, websites and created a 3D Animation.

This academic year as part of my studies for my second year on the course I did a work experience placement at local radio station Time 107.5fm for a 2 hour show on a Sunday night. I got a lot out of the placement and had a great time.

Before this course I did a National Diploma in Media Production from 2005-2007 and I would say from this I developed well in this area and it got me to the level I am at today with my degree.

I have been helping out as a student representative since I joined Havering College and in March this year I applied to be on the Student Union for 2009-2010 as a Part-Time/Evening Student officer.

I have enjoyed getting involved in activities such as Group Meetings, Respect Day, Chlamydia Meeting, Students Questions and Answers Sessions and Principals Question Time. Also I am getting to meet some smashing new people!

I decided to do a course at Havering College down to the fact that they offered so much more choice in courses compared to other college College, Redbridge and. I wanted to do a course that had no exams that I needed to do for it and just all purely based on coursework and being able to research my chosen subject in full and at my own pace.

I went to Emerson Park School Specialist Sports College.

When I was at school I was not academically achieving the same success as my other school peers and found exams extremely difficult to do. I was always better of doing coursework when it came time for me to do my GCSEs and the marks on my coursework always reflected this compared to my exam results.

As much as GCSEs are a much fairer system for everyone involved, when you get right down to it the greater emphasise to achieving your GCSE results is through your final exams. I did very much resent this as I do always feel that I could have achieved a lot better due to the results of my coursework even though my GCSE results were not that bad and I got to the course I wanted to do at college.

Once I came to the college I realised that you could reach your potential in whatever I wanted. This level of education makes it fairer for everyone to achieve to their capabilities and to better their chances in future employment opportunities thanks to the skills we are taught at here.

I would like to be able to work in an environment where I could help people strive to achieve what they want to be for the rest of their life and challenge them in doing so. I have thought of going into teaching film and television studies for college level students or helping young people by being a youth worker. Whatever I decide to do will be worth while and I feel I will be able to give something back to people and give them the opportunity to realise that anything is impossible to achieve which is something that I have gained from other outside activities and from this college.

Thanks! Speak to you soon!

Rechel Aranas

BTEC National Diploma in Business

The course that I am on at the college is great - I have met loads of interesting and different people.

I went to Hainault Forest High School and at first I was a bit worried that I would not know anyone at the college.

When you get here they give an induction to your course and that's where you meet everyone in your group and in your department.

I soon realised that we were all in the same boat and made friends really quickly.

My course has loads of trips and guest speakers, so that we see every aspect of the real world that relates to our studies.

My lecturers are good too and they help me if I have any problems with my course work or any other stuff too.

I am on track to pass my course, as I know I have done well in my first year, a lot of courses here have very good pass rates, so I have worked hard to make sure I pass everything!

I like the BTEC that I chose to do at the this college because I am good at keeping up to date and building a portfolio - I am not so keen on exams and most of this course is assessed as I go along, so that suits me fine.

If you want to talk to me - drop me a line.

Lola Abimbola

BTEC First Diploma in Health and Social Care

My course is the BTEC First Diploma in Health and Social Care and it involves a variety of studies, including: communication, vocational experience, creative and therapeutic work, and assignment workshops.

I have done 3 work placements; they have really given me good experiences, in two nurseries and one junior school.

I am a class representative at college too and I get myself involved with student services activities as well. This means that I go on trips and stuff and meet loads of people that are on other courses here too.

I like having fun, watching movies, and keeping up to date with things.

I chose to come to Havering College of FHE because I had heard good comments about it.

None of my friends came here, which was a good thing for me as I didn't want to get distracted and wanted to learn new ways of doing things.

When I have finished this course I want to go onto the BTEC National Diploma in Health and Social Care and at the end of my two years I will go to university - which I am really looking forward to!

Speak to you soon.

Joe Schooling

BTEC National Diploma in Business

I have been doing a BTEC National course at the college since last September, so I am now coming to the end of my first year.

The whole course will take me two years to complete, but it's worth it, because at the end I will have 3 A level's worth of qualifications.

Before I came to the college I went to Bower Park school and I chose to come to Havering College because it had a good reputation, and I met staff from the college, whilst I was at school.

Also the college has a high pass rate on all its courses and was easy to get to from my house.

I get involved in social aspect of life at the college, but my coursework takes top priority.

I have assignments to complete and deadlines to meet. I get loads of support and help from the teaching staff and my tutor, but at the end of the day, it is up to me to get the job done.

At the college I have helped out and worked on some events that have been organised to tell potential students about the college - I have enjoyed this, as like being an ambassador, it has helped me gain skills and experience that I can put on my CV and discuss interviews that I might have in the future.

Talking about the future, when I finish my course, I want to go on to University and take a degree, probably in Business, and then go on to set up my own company.

Let me know if I can help you!