Analyzing the Importance of Foundation Year in UK Universities

This report delves into the significance of foundation years in UK universities, emphasizing their role in preparing students for undergraduate degrees. It highlights the importance of these courses in enhancing language proficiency, improving subject-specific knowledge, and increasing admission chances to well-known universities. The report also identifies key challenges faced by foundation year students, including academic pressures, competition, and health issues. Furthermore, it evaluates how higher education study skills, such as technical skills (programming, industry-specific knowledge) and professional skills (organizational, communication, time management, and stress management skills), can help students overcome these challenges and succeed in their academic journey. The conclusion reinforces the essential nature of foundation courses and their multifaceted benefits for students pursuing higher education in the UK.

Importance of
foundation year in
UK

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
1. Identify the importance of foundation year for students..........................................................1
2. What are the key challenges facing by the foundation year students......................................2
3. Evaluate that how study skills of higher education will help the foundation year student to
overcome challenges....................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Foundation course is one or two year coerces which taken by the students in order to
qualify the exam to hold the place for bachelor degree course (Baldock And et.al., 2015).
Foundation year is very important for the students because these coerces have goal to provide
knowledge more than their syllabus. It provide the better understating of each subject base such
as mathematics, physics, chemistry etc. So every student have to enjoy this phase and make sure
to learn maximum things which they can do. This report cover various topics which is required
to understand this concepts. Such as importance of foundation course for the final year students
and what challenges they face in this duration. Along with this, it include some study skills
which help the students to overcome challenges which they face during their foundation course.
MAIN BODY
1. Identify the importance of foundation year for students
Main goal of foundation courses is to enhance student's knowledge which which make
them capable to qualify the undergraduates degree at UK university. Most of the students will
take foundation courses to get into good university as per their choice. Some of the importance
of foundation course mentioned below:
 Foundation course provide the better language proficiency which compulsory
include the English language course. It help the students to improve their general ability
of speaking or writing English. It further included that how to write an essay, academic
vocabulary and so on (Buescher And et.al., 2014). With the help of foundation course,
student enhance their knowledge regarding each subject and make them capable to
place a seat in the university.
 It will increase the chances of admission in the well known university through fully
qualified for the fresh starting for under graduation degree. In the process of foundation
course, students learn new things and base of the subject which is very important to
clear any exam. Foundation course expand the thought process of the students which is
very beneficial in the collage life because where they have to perform various activities
in shorter period. So it provide future benefits as well as increase the chance of
admission.
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 Foundation course will be relevant to the future studies which help the students to
enhance required skills & knowledge that is necessary for the graduation admission. It
provide benefits to the other students as well as help them to learn new theories which
is related to the future selected course.
 Reduces cultural shock but it is shocking that large number of international students
struggle with the culture shock along with different academic system. During the
foundation course, students have lot of chance to experience local culture & customers
(Chitty, 2014). Students will take time to adjust in new environment, teaching system
etc.
Above mention points provide various benefits to the foundations year students which
helps them to enhance their skills, knowledge, understanding regarding local culture or education
system.
2. What are the key challenges facing by the foundation year students
There are various issues or challenges faces by the students in their foundation year and it
will further impact their higher studies. Some of the challenges discussed below:
 Academics: It is the biggest challenge which face by the foundation year students
because here they have to learn various things which is not so easy. It will increase the
lot of stress for students to study harder for exams where they have to compete with
other students. Pressure of increasing cut- off, parents expectation, select university as
per their choice, competition from others etc. These are the academic challenges which
students face and another issues that some students have learning disability (Key
Challenges for Foundation year students, 2019). It means not all the students are same
because some of them very intelligent which understand every things very faster in
comparison to other people. On the other hand, some students have to force themselves
to learn something and these students have more pressure rather than those who have
god gifted knowledge. Most of the students are average who have to give extra efforts
to learn something or achieve something.
 Competition: It is the another problem which face by the foundation year students is
competition which is very high till the death of a person. Every individual have to face
this in their life but in the students life it is very very high or stressful. Students have to
compete to get admission in better university for their bright future. So they have to
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work hard to prove themselves in the school or in front of their family & friends
(Clarke, 2014). Students face biggest competition when they sitting in the examination
hall or have lot of pressure to score good grades for university admission. It affect the
students which make them nervous and it create the situation where they make mistakes
due to high stress or pressure of scoring high marks.
 Health issues: Foundation year students have lot of pressure or stress due to this reason
health issues generated which impact their mental health as well. It is an primary issues
which students face when they stay away from their homes. Those students who stay
away from facility, they eat junk food which make them sick due to infection and
further it impact their study because they miss the lectures. Basically health issues
affect the foundation year students which is biggest challenge for them which required
to overcome and it affect their university admission.
3. Evaluate that how study skills of higher education will help the foundation year student to
overcome challenges
There are various skills which required by foundation year students to overcome
challenges which they face in this duration (Dave ed., 2014). Two types of skills such as
intermediate level technical skills or professional skills. Some of them discussed below:
Technical skills: It is the ability which enhance the knowledge of individual which they
required to perform some specific task. These are the practices skills which related to the
information technology, mathematics, science etc. It also include the additional knowledge such
as programming language, computer skills etc. These skills help the foundation year students to
face challenges which become barrier in front of them to achieve something or get admission.
 Programming skill helps in reducing the competition because not every student have
this skill. So if person knowledgable about programming then it will increase the chance
of admission (Gillespie, 2014). Or if student wanted pursue in the same subject then it is
more beneficial in their further studies. It will enhance the knowledge about C++, Java,
PHP, Java script, Python etc. This skill also provide benefits at the time of placement in
the collage but for foundation year students it helps in increasing admission chance.
 Industry specific skills: Technical skills are vary according to industry, so it very
important for the student to research about their interest which going to pursue in the
future (Herrera, Brown and Portlock, 2015). If student wanted to study engineering in
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their under graduation course then it is beneficial to have technical skills such as
programming, computer skill and have to lean other software as well.
Professional skills: It is an career competencies skills which tough as a part of student
coursework. These skills help in performing collage activities and make them able to perform
well as well. Foundation year students required these skills to manage their studies and improve
their overall personality. With the help of professional skills, students able to overcome all the
challenges which they face during their foundation year. Some of the required skills mentioned
below:
 Organizational skill: It is the important skill for career because is students wanted to be
professional then they have to be organized and manager other things as well. This skill
helps in focusing on task and perform each activity in well manner. It include general
planning, allocation of resources, coordination of members and manage work through
meeting deadline (Hiller, 2016). It is beneficial for foundation year students to have this
skill which help them to overcome the challenge of academics or health issues. If
student is organized then they make schedule for studies and focus on each subject. When
students are organized then it will reduce pressure as well as health issues.
 Communication skill: It is one of the important skill which required to have in every
individual. It help the foundation year students to communicate with others or share their
issues regarding studies. It include the listening skill as well which students have less but
it is beneficial to understand lectures. Foundation year students have to spend their or
time with the lectures of various subjects. So they required listening skills top understand
subject and communication as well to ask any query if they have during the sensation.
 Time management skill: It is the most essential skill which is required necessary to have
every one. It is beneficial for foundation year students who have lot of pressure or stress
regarding their university admission. They have to manage their time for academics and
make sure to focus on each subject (Pellicano, Dinsmore and Charman, 2014). Other then
this, students have to manage their work or meet the deadline of work. It help the students
to focus on their health when they follow the schedule for study or eating. Foundation
year student in UK have to adopt this skills because it helps in overcome all the
challenges faces by the students. These issues related to the academics, competition or
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regarding health. In order to face competition, students have to manage their time for
studies to get admission in the better university as per their choice.
 Stress management skill: It is the most required skill for foundation year students
because they have lots of stress & pressure to get admission in the collage (Wainwright
and et.al., 2016). Students required this skill and manage stress which helps in facing
health regarding issues.
Above mention skills required by the foundation year students to overcome the
challenges which they face.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it has been concluded that foundation course is very essential
for the final year students because further it helps in getting admission in under graduation
degree. It provide various benefits through improving proficiency English, increase the chances
of admission and also develop the skills which required for the bright future. Students also face
the various challenges as well in the final year. With the help of technical or professional skills,
students can face the challenges such as academics issues to learn every thing, commination and
health issues.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Baldock, K. C. And et.al., 2015. Where is the UK's pollinator biodiversity? The importance of
urban areas for flower-visiting insects. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological
Sciences. 282(1803). p.20142849.
Buescher, A. V. And et.al., 2014. Costs of autism spectrum disorders in the United Kingdom and
the United States. JAMA pediatrics. 168(8). pp.721-728.
Chitty, C., 2014. Education policy in Britain. Macmillan International Higher Education.
Clarke, M. L., 2014. Classical education in Britain 1500–1900. Cambridge University Press.
Dave, R. H. ed., 2014. Foundations of lifelong education: Studies in lifelong education. Elsevier.
Gillespie, A., 2014. Foundations of economics. Oxford University Press, USA.
Herrera, H., Brown, D. and Portlock, J., 2015. Foundation degree learning: an educational
journey of personal development. Journal of Further and Higher Education. 39(6).
pp.839-861.
Hiller, S. J., 2016. Enhancing legal pedagogy in undergraduate legal education: teaching ethics,
professionalism and critical reflection to law students from the foundation year of
law(Doctoral dissertation, University of Tasmania).
Pellicano, E., Dinsmore, A. and Charman, T., 2014. What should autism research focus upon?
Community views and priorities from the United Kingdom. Autism. 18(7). pp.756-770.
Wainwright, N. and et.al., 2016. The Foundation Phase in Wales–a play-based curriculum that
supports the development of physical literacy. Education 3-13. 44(5). pp.513-524.
Online
Key Challenges for Foundation year students. 2019. [Online]. Available Through:
<http://www.alignthoughts.com/what-are-the-challenges-you-face-as-a-student-and-
how-to-overcome-them/>
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