Study Skills Report: Foundation Year in UK Higher Education

This report delves into the significance of foundation years in UK higher education, focusing on their importance for students from diverse backgrounds. It explores the benefits of these programs, especially for those facing financial, social, or academic challenges, and details how they bridge the gap between high school and university. The report identifies key challenges faced by foundation year students, including academic, situational, institutional, and dispositional issues, and analyzes their implications. It then provides recommendations on how study skills and institutional improvements can help students overcome these obstacles, offering strategies to enhance their academic performance and overall success. The report emphasizes the role of foundation programs in fostering a supportive environment and ensuring equitable access to higher education, contributing to student's professional and personal growth.

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Study Skills for Higher Education
Report on
<The Importance Of The
Foundation Year In UK In
Higher Education>
Student ID:
Date:
Word Count:
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Abstract: Foundation year course is a degree course in which students take
admission to enrich their skills and subject related knowledge. This courses help the weak
students to perform at similar level like that of “A” level students. By doing so students can
take part in top universities of UK. Foundation year course is very helpful for those students
who are weak in some area and are unable to take degree course. During this tenure they
come across various problems like homesickness, money, isolation etc. In order to
overcome this challenges various steps are suggested to the foundation year course.
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Table of Content
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Explain the importance of foundation year for students from wide participation
backgrounds..........................................................................................................................6
Discuss key challenges faced by foundation year students..................................................9
Overcome the challenges faced by foundation year students. ..........................................10
REFERENCES.............................................................................................................................13
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1. Introduction
The following are guide lines only. You are free to change them, but
you must focus on the following.
 <Introduce the topic you will be discussing>
 <Provide a roadmap of what the reader is to expect in the body
of the report>
 <You must focus on the question of the assignment>
 <You can use a citation in introduction>
Answer:
An efficacious and proper education system plays a great role in
shaping individual future and professional career as well as it helps them
to develop personality and earn recognition or respect in the family and
society. Thus, it is signified that education is socially and personally an
essential part of human life that has direct reflect over growth or
enhancement of nation by pushing each human race to move forward in
areas of equality, equity and harmony. In UK, many students faces
difficulties in acquiring knowledge or skill in a better way due to lack of
healthy working environment and proper education system (Campbell and
Douglas, 2017). Hence, to get rid of this challenge UK focused more on
enhancing foundation year program which benefit mainly wide
participation background individuals who were suffering with the an issue
of low income or poor family background etc. This report is based on
importance and need of foundation year for wide participants view along
with identify the key challenges which they face to pursue their career .
Finally, evaluating the threat and provide suitable suggestion in order to
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overcome hurdles and enhance their living standard in an impressive
manner.
Literature Review
1. Identify and explain the importance of the foundation year for
students from wide participation backgrounds.
2. Explain the importance of having a wide participation
backgrounds in the university
Note: Your explanations and discussion must be based on the views
of literatures (authors), therefore you must provide citations.
Approximately 600 words>
Answer:
Explain the importance of foundation year for students from wide
participation backgrounds
According to Elsevier B.V., copyright @2019, Education is the key to
success in country's success and growth as it is vital for every individuals
so that they can improve their life standard in a better way. However, in
present scenario of UK, foundation courses are an increasingly popular
way to enter into university under graduate degree programmes (Elsevier
B. V, 2019). It is nothing but, it is related with those course which is
specially designed for international students to help them attain right
level of qualification and skill as well as it allow students who fails to meet
the entry requirement for normal course in order to fill the gaps and go on
to study a full degree. ON the hand, the concept of wide participation
background is also very much familiar in UK educational institutions.
However, the term “widening participation” refers to raising the aspiration
and attainment of people from backgrounds that are under- represented
at university. The aim behind this idea is to ensure that scholars bodies at
collages reflect the diversity represented in wider society. Groups of
people who are targeted in the drive to widen participation involves:
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Young people from low income backgrounds.
Individuals from low participation neighbourhoods
Youths who parents did not go to university or leaving care.
Pupil who living with a disability and from a ethnic minority as well
as returning to learning as mature students (Carlson and McChesney,
2016).
Hence, for improving and raising the status of individuals as well gives
them equal opportunity to grow among societies foundation year program
plays a vital role in attaining the same objective or goals. According to
recent report from office for students has stated that reversing decline in
entry into higher education among mature students and especially those
from less privileged background is a crucial part of ensuring more equality
in accessing to higher education. Hence, foundation year procedure in UK
offer enormous and range of proven or practical benefits to wide
participation backgrounds students are as follows:
Designed for under respected groups: These groups of enrollee
mainly faces several challenges like not having enough funds, society
won't allow to pursue higher education, issues of poverty or inequality.
Moreover, these courses are specially introduced to address the need of
students and make sure that whether they are academically ready and
personally confident enough to take on and succeed at an undergraduate
course at universities or institutions.
Fills the gaps in knowledge between high school and
university: Education standards differ from around the globe, from state
to country as well as teaching method differ and number of hours varies,
and also qualification varies too. However, foundation year in UK are
developed to level out the differences and get all under privileged student
up to standard. In spite of any subject it help them to attain the level
which they need to move forward (Walton, D., 2015).
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Improve language barrier: The term foundational year invite
wide range of crowd from diverse culture in which language is the most
daunting aspect while pursuing academic qualification. Thus, in order to
overcome over this issue, it enable those scholars to prepare and acquire
an excellent speaking skill by make use of training program which they
offer to each individuals. With the help of these, they can easily
communicate with each other without any hindrances and it enrich the
learning environment within university.
Learn to adjust time: It is something which every mature
students face and it restrict them to re join for pursuing education after a
long period of gap in their career. However, it assist them to give plenty of
time to settle in everyday life, not just academic experience. It signifies
that provide enough period to make friends, soak up those cultural
differences and practical things like finding way around town. Along with
this, it also enable them to break all social barrier as it put them to touch
with other students who are experiencing same fear and excitement in
order to enlarge critical thinking skill as well as help them to get expertise
in time management (Hölz, 2015).
However, it is one of the integral element in UK education system as
it benefit mature or under represented students to improve their barriers
like lack of confidence, motivation, trust etc. and aid them to acquire
impressive and productive personality within competitive world of UK.
Discussion and Analysis
i. Explain the key challenges facing foundation year students.
ii. What are the implications (impact) of the challenges? (both
good and bad)
Answer:
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Discuss key challenges faced by foundation year students
Foundation year course assists the students to improve their skills and subject
related knowledge so that in top UK universities admission can be taken easily. This
particular make the subject base strong so that weak students can make their seat in the
universities and are able to gain course degree easily. Here, are some of the challenges
which the foundation year students faces which are discussed as follows:
Academic Challenges: Foundation year students face academic
related challenges while being a part of this course in the UK. The major
problem related to academic is course scheduling issues the courses are
not completed on time due to which students are not able to crack the top
universities entrance criteria. Students work day and night to make seat in
the top UK universities due to lack in subject knowledge and skills they
are able to degree course. Here some more academic issues like,
computer- related skills, written expression, reflective skills, tests, oral
expression etc. which students face. Lacking behind in this streams the
foundation courses students drop the idea of taking course degree. Due to
which they lack behind in professional and personal career growth.
Situational challenges: The learning environment is not much
effective due to which students lack interest in foundation year courses.
Foundation year students come across three major challenges which
includes, family, finance, and time. In order to learn things deeply and to
improve skills and knowledge related to subjects like, maths, physics,
history etc. the support need to be provided by the family in every term
say time and finance. Institution should carry out certain more skills such
as, collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, communication etc. so
that they can grow in their personal and professional life accordingly
(Kontowski, 2017).
Institutional challenges: Foundation year students face certain
challenges related to institution like, infrastructure, Resources, classroom
sizes, IT facilities, Number of classrooms etc. due to which students are
unable to focus on studies and crack the top universities admission
pattern. The number of classroom are less in number and size due to
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which chaos occurs which leads to decrease the morale value of the
students. Due to which many students drop the idea of being a part of
foundation year course and lack behind in taking top universities degree
course. By doing directly or indirectly they lack behind in their job and are
not able to be part of good package employment opportunity.
Dispositional Challenges: Students of foundation year gets
affected mostly by dispositional challenges in the United Kingdom. In this
the biggest challenge is concerned with self-perceptions and attitudes.
Students show concern regarding their pressure of projects, cognitive
skills, low grades in examination, fear of isolation and neglect, rivalry,
group-ism etc. all this factor creates mental pressure on the students due
to which they are unable to succeed in the United Kingdom top
universities (Mukhalalati, 2016). Many students show dis- interest
regarding being a part of foundation year students. There are several
weak students who can do well and can perform like A level students in
the universities but due to lack in certain area they drop the idea of
taking course degree (Mohamed, N., 2016).
Recommendations
Explain the ways that study skills in higher education can help
foundation year students to overcome these challenges.
Answer:
Overcome the challenges faced by foundation year students.
United Kingdom students faces many issues while preparing to
enter into top universities. In order to overcome the challenges faced by
foundation year students are discussed as follows:
 Foundation courses need to increase the number of classroom for
various subjects such as history, physics, maths etc. with advance
teaching skills so that interest level of students can be raised
regarding the degree course.
 Involve more of information technology (IT) skills and computer
related skills so that students can give their best outcome in the
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entrance test of top universities and are able to capture seat in the
British universities. .
 The infrastructure, classroom sizes, IT facilities, computer facilities,
resources etc. need to be increased in numbers and sizes so that
international students can give their full efforts to take a course
degree from top universities.
 In order to over the dispositional challenges foundation year courses
should be flexible enough and creates atmosphere where every
student is equally treated with respect and love. By doing the fear of
isolation and ignorance will be eliminated at a large scale and weak
students can perform similar like that of “A” level students.
 Academic challenges can be overcome by making effective
schedule of courses and arranging the classes of subjects
accordingly. so that timely courses are completed and large number
of students grab the seat in the top British universities.
Students family should provide morale support and other help like,
finance and time so that without any mental pressure they can make their
seat in the top universities of United Kingdom (Mukhalalati, 2016
Conclusion
<Approximately 200 words>
 Remind the reader the topic of the report or the purpose of the
report.
 Draw conclusions based on the key points you discussed in the
body of the report or the major ideas of the report.
 Summarise the solutions provided. For example, how study
skills in higher education can help foundation year students to
overcome the identified challenges
 Generally new ideas and citations should not be included in a
conclusion
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Answer:
It has been summarised from the preceding report that education is
a powerful determinant for every manpower as it strengthen their mind
and assist them to learn easily that help them to deal with specific
challenges which they face throughout life. Along with this, it is a multi
fold concept as it reflect over enrich individuals skill or knowledges and
also raises nation economy. Moreover, the procedure of foundation year
benefit mature students, international scholars and under representative
groups by providing them enormous opportunities to enhance hidden
talents and boost their morale.
References
<At least 10 references>
<Must be in Harvard Style>
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