Dire Dexterity & Other worries

I am in the habit of keeping a sketchbook & pencils in my shoulder bag ( the Tardis), now. I don't really feel as though it contains anything of much notability so far which I'm a bit glum about. It is really difficult for me to try & desist from describing ideas in rough note jottings in favour of 'sketch' . The habit I have, is like a really tight knot that I'm finding particularly hard to unravel in order to relearn from scratch. I was talking with my Mum about this on the phone this evening. Mum has oodles of artistic talent in the mediums of sketching, watercolour, oils & bronze-casting sculpture. She mentioned that Dad has recently started playing golf with my ex- high school Head Of Art. I grumbled down the line in response....I always got the feeling I was a disappointment to him....Mum had taken 'one' evening class with him back then & everytime I had to hand a piece of art homework in he used to tell me that if I put more practice in I would be as good as my mother....They (the teachers in the art dept), thought I had huge potential. I managed to hold onto the Art subject until I was forced to drop it (due to other 'serious' academic committments according to my parents - I was 15, without much choice in those matters), & all the tutors fell out with me. Mum says she'll help me remaster the basics during my Summer break back home (3 weeks to go, can't wait). I'm thinking of my holiday as a kind of Summer School in which I know Mum will make a most excellent tutor.
My other panic dips are associated with becoming familiar with ARTCAD & similar 3D rendering software. I was thinking that maybe I should email BIAD & enquire as to whether they would let me know the favoured software used during the course AND maybe a list of required reading texts? Hmm.... I was browsing around Amazon last night, my wish list is now mammoth. Tim McCreight seems to be a popular Master Craftsman / author...'The Complete Metalsmith...' , appears, from the customer reviews, to be a standard, invaluable tome for the course. Is this a good place to start I wonder?
Well, I suppose I won't find out unless I make enquiries. Another item on the Mother-Daughter epic phone call agenda, was the Cambridge Open Studios event. Quite excited since I Googled it( http://www.camopenstudios.co.uk ) & discovered a decent number of diverse jewellery artists would be taking part. What an excellent opportunity to ooh & aah & pick brains!