OUR EXPECTATIONS OF YOU

Your primary aim for coming to Sutton Coldfield College is to be successful in all of your studies. At the same time we want you to grow as a person. This means developing your social, personal and intellectual capabilities, so that when you move on from us, whether it be university or employment, you will be able to survive, prosper and continue to develop as an individual. To do so, you will need to find the right balance between your academic studies and social development at Sutton Coldfield College. I have listed below some things we expect from you if you want to develop as a serious economics student

As in all other subject areas, economics tutors expect you to maintain high standards in your studies. These include:

AIMING FOR 100% ATTENDANCE

You are expected to attend all the lessons. You have signed up for a full time course and we expect you to honour the agreement. Missing lessons is an indication that you are not fully committed to your studies, and suggest that the reasons for doing so need to be closely examined. 

More importantly missing lessons will mean that you fall behind in your studies. Studying economics is like building a house. If you do not put down solid footings when you start to build the house, it is likely that the house will be rickety and prone to collapse at some later stage. Equally with economics you need a good understanding of the basics before you can go on an develop your understanding of more demanding subject matter. Missing lessons in week three might mean that you do not understand what is covered in week six. Regular absence and poor punctuality will mean that you do not develop as a student and will not achieve your potential.

When you do come to classes, make sure that you bring adequate supplies of paper, pens, a calculator and your college diary to record when assessed work has to be completed.

MAINTAINING AN ECONOMICS FOLDER

Have a specific folder for economics. Keep it organised with sections on class notes, hand outs, private study notes and assessments completed. An organised folder will help greatly when you do homework and have to revise for tests and external exams.

UNDERTAKING REGULAR PRIVATE STUDY

There is no way you can complete an A level by just attending the lessons. At an early stage in the course, decide when you will complete your private study and build it into your timetable. This will mean that you will get into the habit of doing and will see it as an essential part of your course. The lessons will take up four and half hours a week, and we would expect on average a further two to three hours a week on private study. This will include reading through notes, producing extra notes, completing assessments and revising for exams. 

ADOPTING A POSITIVE APPROACH TO YOUR STUDIES

Two years of study is a long time and it will go quicker if you enjoy your studies and are committed to them. Remember the rewards of your studies will be generated years ahead with higher incomes and better career prospects so keep focused on the long term. Being positive means attending all lessons, having a proper attempt at homework and not doing an hour before the lesson, revising properly for exams, getting involved in the lessons and making use of all economics resources in the department. If you are stuck with anything, do not ignore it and hope it will go away. Do some extra reading, ask fellow students or ask your tutor for help

SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR GCSE AND A LEVEL STUDIES

Expect to be given more freedom. We will not be watching over you at all times. You will be given more responsibility for organising your own studies. Coming to Sutton Coldfield College is a stepping to stone to university or employment where standing on your own two feet and making decisions on your own will happen everyday. Get into the habit of accepting this responsibility and taking control of your own destiny.

Expect to be stretched. You A level studies will be be more difficult than GCSE. New and more demanding ideas and concepts will introduced as will different assessment skills including those of analysis and evaluation. Get used to thinking on your own and try to develop your own ideas and opinions. One of the attractions of economics is that at times there are no right or wrong answers, but opinions which have to be argued and debated. Developing your own opinions based on facts is an essential skill for all economics students.

Expect external exams. You will be assessed on a regular basis throughout the course. AS exams take place in January and June of year 1 with repeats in January of year 2. The A2 exams will take place in  January and June of year 2. These exam results contribute towards your overall A level grade, so you will need to be fully prepared. It therefore becomes even more important for you set yourself and maintain the high standards identified and discussed above.

Expect to have an understanding of the real economy. It is essential that you are fully aware of what is going on the UK and world economy. Keep up to date by reading the quality press like the Guardian's finance pages or looking at this sites economics news pages