Foundation Year in Higher Education: Challenges and Support

Desklib provides solved assignments and past papers to help students succeed.

Business study skills for higher education
1 | P a g e

Table of Contents
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................3
The identification and the explanation of foundation year along with its importance for the
student coming from different backgrounds..............................................................................4
Discuss how study skills in higher education can help foundation year students overcome
some of these challenges............................................................................................................8
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................9
Reference List:.........................................................................................................................10
2 | P a g e

Introduction:
Within the education structure of United Kingdom, the system of education is of two primary
types. One system is known as the conservative system while the other one is the much
coveted traditional system. The student groomed and developed by the virtue of these
educative systems face severe drawbacks and is taught to resolve their issues on their own.
This training is given to the students at their preliminary stages of education and has negative
influence on them. The negative influence is mainly caused due the shortcomings in
particular areas of education which are considered to be obvious. Thus the aspect of self
learning can lead to frustration and hamper their growth. Therefore it is significant to find out
their issues and address their problems in accordance. Mitigating their problems enables them
to negate their obstacles in the career path and paves the way for having incredible amount of
opportunities. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the study in the context of foundation year is
of massive significance within the education structure of the UK. The foundation year study
aids the student with difficulties to take admission in colleges and grad schools due to
academic frailties.
The study supplements various effective and rapid remedies to the student to encounter their
educational barriers. The study of foundation year deals with educational impetus and is
carried out in a year long program. The loopholes and the academic shortcomings are
neutralized with the aid of this program. With the aid of the knowledge gathered from the
one year educational program, the students are pushed towards their desired objective in a
duly manner. The foundation program ensures a smoother platform for achieving success and
is one of the most sought after educational practices in UK. People from across the globe are
brought under the same roof with its practice.
3 | P a g e

The identification and the explanation of foundation year along with its importance for
the student coming from different backgrounds
Every student across the globe is not competent enough and doesn’t meet their desired
academic standards due the lack of merit interpersonal skills. As a result of which they fails
to meet the eligibility criteria for taking admission in different colleges and universities. The
system of the foundation year assists the student to fulfil the criteria with the supplementation
of knowledge and education carried on a one year development program. In this course the
student are educated with technical knowledge and are made competent with professional
skills (Nilson, 2016). The people who were college dropouts and didn’t complete the
education at the university level are boost with the knowledge gained from the foundation
approach. These people take the help of the foundation approach to gather information and
fill their knowledge gap in order to get admission into universities. In most of the cases the
foundation year is highly regarded as the stepping stone for people seeking higher education
(Best and Kahn, 2016). The ambience and the environment of the universities are also
developed by the approach of the foundation year in order to prepare the students mentally
for their future. The required amount of motivation needed to drive the student to complete
their education is also provided by the virtue of these education systems. The functional
activities in the university level are also taught to the students in this program.
Escalation of the students thought process
With the supplementation of the knowledge gathered from the studies of the foundation year,
the aspect of innovation and creative thinking is also generated within the students. It forges
their mental ability and boosts their decision making system to grow in their career. Better
decision making abilities not only help them to enhance their career but also boost their
standard of living. The education provided leads to the formation of innovation ideas by the
virtue of which the students are enable to comprehend various tasks with significant
complexities (Nilson, 2016). This education also guides the student to select the best and the
ideal career path as per their merit and passion.
4 | P a g e

Developing of educational skills
Within the structure of the universities the student are taught conceptual frameworks with the
application of the traditional educational system. On the other hand the exam based on the
teaching are carried out on the basis of application which are neglected in the universities in
larger scale. The neglecting of the teaching of the application is a major drawback for the
student which hinders their development program. This issue is effectively mitigated with the
aid of foundational year studies (Thomas et al., 2015). They teach the student every pieces of
application which are needed for comprehending the concepts. With the inculcation of
training gathered from the foundation year the student gain edge over the directly admitted
candidates.
Preparing the students:
The foundation year provides personalized facilities for the students so that they can thrive
in the chosen field of career. The facilities can be in the form of advance classes for the ones
lacking experience in the field of studies. For those who are in need of additional classes in
order to prepare before their exam are also provide by the set up of the foundation year. They
present their student with an environment for the desired field of higher studies (Hanushek,
2016).
Motivating the students:
The required amount of motivation need to accelerate in the field of higher education is
provided with the program of the foundation year. The incompetency within the students due
the lack of interpersonal abilities and skills stopping them to get into colleges is effectively
negated with the aid of this program (Johnson et al., 2016). This leads to higher the level of
motivation and helps them to achieve their desired objectives.
5 | P a g e

Present a learning environment
Followed by a long drawn detachment, while a student takes initiative to study again, he or
she might be confronted with various undesirable difficulties. In this regards, foundation year
is significantly assistive for these students as they endow with an educational surroundings
and facilitate them in focusing on their studies.
Ensure immense scope to outperform in career
It is very common that a student could not score higher grades in the final years of their
educational career because of some unavoidable circumstance or health hazards. The
foundation year provides the students with a second chance to achieve their dreams (Jackson,
2015). In this case, the marking criterion is less and not much high in comparison to the
actual academic necessities for the pursuance of these courses. The foundations have
reinforced an innovative way for providing degrees by acquiring accessibility in the original
universities. Therefore, the students are opportune with a second opportunity for achieving
their dreams.
Helps in communication with the International students
The United Kingdom is considered as one of the foremost leading nations in the world.
Numerous students from across the world are targeting to attain their higher study degrees
from renowned universities in United Kingdom (McLeskey et al., 2017). However, in due
process communication becomes the most concerning issue for students who are coming
from other nations. In such a scenario, the year of foundation might be an influential aspect to
all these students in the proceedings of minimizing their communication gap and
subsequently they will be getting ample of opportunity for improving their skills set in
English language (Entwistle and Ramsden, 2015).
Explain the key challenges faced by the foundation year students.
A regular student may countenance with various challenges as well as problems. The
foundation year enables the student in having a clear state of mind regarding his or her goals.
Therefore, the student tends to stay motivated while pursuance of this course and eventually
can excel in terms of their academic grounds.
The tuition fees structure of foundation year courses
6 | P a g e

The payment made for the foundation year can be separated from the real payment of the
central university. Thus, the money that is being paid for the foundation is considered for an
excess year. The main issue arises when the remuneration charge composition of foundations
are unexpectedly high. It can never be afforded by a maximum number of students for the
accomplishment of an extra one-year course. Thus, the aspiring students generally come to a
decision of avoiding to study in these foundations and thereby never take a risk of one more
year. This perception is promisingly leading to the closure as well as downfall of these
organisations.
The low reputation of Foundation Year among teachers and students
General people have a propensity of not knowing about the structure as well as working
principles during foundation years. A person have always a thinking that these foundations
are for those students who have not academically very sound and does not acquired
knowledge in relevance to the concerned subjects. Teachers and students often have the
tendency of having such impression and consequently they do not take care of the students in
a regular manner coming from all these foundations (Kizilcec et al., 2017). They tentatively
disrespect them as well as make some way of treating them impartially. This has eventually
created immense fear or insecurity in numerous students who have a thought about taking
admissions in these foundations. Often, they are de-moralised as well as lose all hope of
continuing further studies.
Students taking part in the foundation year casually
The education system that has been provided in the foundation year is invariably an extra
year of study. Consequently, numerous students are planning not to participate in this course
acutely. This is leading them not to achieve 75% marks in their university exams, which is
considered as passing criteria. Students should consider their courses seriously if they have
planning to succeed in achieving their career goals. The dilly-dally behaviour is leading to
severe problems and the student is not capable of facing them.
Deficiency of knowledge regarding foundation year courses
The most important predicament confronted by the foundation courses is relevant to the fact
that people as well as universities have least or no knowledge regarding them. Furthermore,
numerous universities are not having the insights about the foundations. Numbers of students
7 | P a g e

are incapable of getting access in such foundations, as they do not have knowledge regarding
them even if they desire to go through such courses.
Discuss how study skills in higher education can help foundation year students
overcome some of these challenges.
The foundation years make availability of numerous key benefits in favour of the students.
Students maybe admitted in foundations because of various reasons. At certain instances
students target to acquire educational advancement while the others intend to be habituated
with environment of universities. Thus, they can collect trending skills necessary for their
future prospects. This is usually applicable for many students that would like to test
themselves prior to appearing in the main exam.
Application-based education in school level
The major issue that the students during the school level face is their absenteeism of
knowledge in application-based studies. The school organisations often follow concept-based
teaching procedures, without educating the students with the application’s implementations.
Now, for an individual to crack the university’s entrance exam one must have proper
application based knowledge (Suskie, 2018). In case, the school level organisations are being
focused more on their applications that will eventually lead the students to be more confident
as well as sure regarding their educational skills and making future decisions.
Developing knowledge about foundation year course from school level
The most imperative work that has to be accomplished by the foundation years is to teach
everyone inclusive of the students as well as teachers regarding the basics, goals, working
principles and targets. Numerous students not have knowledge regarding foundation years
and as a result, they have no knowledge how a foundation year influence their own
betterment and achievements. Individuals having traditional mind tentatively avoid such
studying types as they often think that these foundations would be of inferior quality
(O'Flaherty et al., 2015). Moreover, few people are highly concerned regarding the fees
necessary for pursuing studies in such foundations. Thus, an appropriate knowledge
regarding these foundations will opportune in delivering general people so that they better
understand advantageous aspects and thereby targets one year of extra course.
8 | P a g e

Conclusion:
The highlights from this discussion showcase the importance of the foundation years and the
advantages to the students lacking skills and competency to get admission into universities.
The aid of the foundation is taken by the various students in dire need of getting information
to comprehend their higher education with ease and proficiency. The foundation years also
emphasis in providing addition and extra measure to boost the standards of technical and
professional knowledge by virtue of which they get edge in their studies in the universities. It
assists the students who were detached with studies for a prolonged period of time to revamp
their educational career in an impeccable manner. The obstacles faced by the international
student within UK are adhered and mitigated affectively by this approach. In this essay the
discussion on the various functions and the methods by which the foundation program
assisting the students in their development program have been showcased.
9 | P a g e

Reference List:
Best, J.W. and Kahn, J.V., 2016. Research in education. Pearson Education India.
Entwistle, N. and Ramsden, P., 2015. Understanding student learning (routledge revivals).
Routledge.
Hanushek, E.A., 2016. What matters for student achievement. Education Next, 16(2), pp.18-
26.
Jackson, D., 2015. Employability skill development in work-integrated learning: Barriers and
best practice. Studies in Higher Education, 40(2), pp.350-367.
Johnson, L., Becker, S.A., Cummins, M., Estrada, V., Freeman, A. and Hall, C., 2016. NMC
horizon report: 2016 higher education edition (pp. 1-50). The New Media Consortium.
Kizilcec, R.F., Pérez-Sanagustín, M. and Maldonado, J.J., 2017. Self-regulated learning
strategies predict learner behavior and goal attainment in Massive Open Online
Courses. Computers & education, 104, pp.18-33.
McLeskey, J.L., Rosenberg, M.S. and Westling, D.L., 2017. Inclusion: Effective practices for
all students. Pearson.
Nilson, L.B., 2016. Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors.
John Wiley & Sons.
O'Flaherty, J. and Phillips, C., 2015. The use of flipped classrooms in higher education: A
scoping review. The internet and higher education, 25, pp.85-95.
Suskie, L., 2018. Assessing student learning: A common sense guide. John Wiley & Sons.
Thomas, J.R., Nelson, J.K. and Silverman, S.J., 2015. Research methods in physical activity.
Human kinetics.
10 | P a g e