The Curriculum for Irrelevance.

Morven came into class the other day asking the average age of the class. We range from 17 to 29, and we decided that the average (roughly) was 21 or 22. As someone in the higher end of the age bracket - and technically a mature student - I don't feel the Curriculum for Excellence applies to me, as it is mostly aimed at children and young people between the ages of 3 and 18. In my opinion, it bears more relevance to a young person's life while in school and just after leaving.

I think the scheme is something which is mostly relevant in school, as it is a structured plan that ensures a varied and enriched learning experience to guide young people through their education. I totally agree that our learning at college does all this and provides us with a dynamic experience, but because it is further and higher education, I think the learning process is more in the hands of us, the students, and we are responsible for our own progress and effort. At school it was obvious that the teachers were teaching with some kind of official directive in mind (a lot of the time I felt I was learning how to pass exams and fulfil certain criteria, instead of learning skills for the real world), but at college we aren't as spoon-fed - if we miss class or don't do the correct work then it is entirely our fault and we are responsible for catching up and improving. This is why I think that learning about the CfE is irrelevant on a higher education course, and why I don't feel it will benefit me to spend time writing about it on my makeup blog, as it is a place where I like to prove my skills, evaluate myself and display my research.

Saying that, I'm happy to talk about my experiences at college and how I'm progressing, because I'm using this blog for self-evaluation and I think a big part of my course is being able to communicate my expressive side.
I love my course - I find it extremely fulfilling doing what I love every day, especially now I have figured out what it is I want to do! Creativity is my passion, and I always wanted to be in a profession in which I get to express myself every day and make a living out of it! I feel like I'm getting more confident creating the looks we're asked to do, and I think the idea of collecting research is really helpful. I think my tutors are approachable, friendly, and provide the right amount of constructive criticism. I also appreciate that they can be firm when they need to be. I see them as important contacts, and hope to be as successful as them one day.
A big part of this industry involves working with many different people, so I think it's great on the course that we're encouraged to talk to everyone and work with each other. For the most part, I get along with everyone in the class - we support each other and are patient and honest when it comes to each other's work.

I'm really enjoying it so far and I can't wait to continue on in the new year :)

Gill x