Study Skills for Higher Education: Foundation Year Student Success

This report delves into the significance of study skills within higher education, specifically focusing on the challenges encountered by foundation year students. It begins by highlighting the importance of foundation years for students from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing language proficiency, increased university admission chances, and reduced culture shock. The report then identifies key challenges faced by foundation year students, including cultural shock, communication barriers, time management difficulties, and financial constraints. Subsequently, it explores how study skills can help students overcome these obstacles by providing practical benefits like economic stability and personal development, including improved communication, critical thinking, and a sense of discipline. The report concludes by summarizing the benefits of foundation programs and study skills, offering recommendations for overcoming challenges and achieving academic success.

Study skills for higher
education-2

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
a. Describing the importance of the foundation year for students from wide participation
backgrounds................................................................................................................................1
b. Describing the key challenges facing foundation year students.............................................2
c. Presenting how study skills in higher education can help foundation year students overcome
some of these challenges.............................................................................................................3
d. Draw conclusion......................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Education plays an effective role in the every individual life such that it affect the
learners transition and its main focus is on trying to improve the talent of the student and provide
them with appropriate growth. Moreover, it has been analysed that forcing a students to spend
most of the time in their areas of weaknesses is not help student to learn much more. In the same
way, report is also helps to provide proper understanding about the UK education system and its
importance in students life. The report will describe the importance of foundation year for
students that helps them to wider participation backgrounds and then describe some key
challenges that the foundation students are facing. Lastly it describe how the higher education of
UK helps to overcome the problems which the foundation year students are faces.
a. Describing the importance of the foundation year for students from wide participation
backgrounds
Foundation year courses are one year preparation course for an international students who
basically wants to improve their commanding on languages and academic preparation in order to
entered into international level of graduate courses. In UK, the foundation year programs are
mainly designed to develop some specific skills and subject specific knowledge to make sure that
a students to advance to a degree course. Apart from this, the education system in UK is still
affected by deficit-based mind set in which the students are thought to gaps in their knowledge in
their school and universities which needs to be address (Porter and Kramer, 2019). Therefore, it
is quite necessary for a students to have a foundation year an the importance is as mentioned
below:
Better language proficiency: Foundation year helps to improve the language that further
assist a students to get better career opportunity. It also includes how to write an essay and
academic vocabulary that further aid student to get better college and grab further opportunity as
well.
Increase the chances of admission to honoured universities: It is also analysed that the
students who completed the foundation years are also considered to be fully qualified to start any
degree at international college and it is also examined that the students who don their foundation
year are likely to get great university as per their wish (Key benefits of learning foundation
courses, 2019).
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Reduce culture shock: it is analysed that most of international students are struggling
from the cultural shock which further includes the specific sets of skills and knowledge which is
necessary for an university admission. The foundation year courses also assist students to have
an unique advantage from other students and In addition to this, through a foundation year,
students are easily learn the basic theories, notions and some elements from their chosen field. In
this way they are better prepared when they are start their full degree program.
Improve academic skill: The foundation year also helps a students to develop the skills
which they will needs to succeed in tertiary education. Such that if a student is lacking some skill
or feel like they are refresher then this bridge course provide a knowledge which helps them to
grab better opportunity for their career (Thurlow, Ford and Hudson, 2019).
Assist to gain credit towards further study: It has been further analysed that the
foundation year also offer credit towards further study and also allow the students to enter into
next course which they wish to choose. In the same way, the institute also set a minimum
academic average which requires to progress to further study and get full credit as well.
Moreover, receiving credit for foundation study also make sure that a students did not be
disadvantage for completing a pre- tertiary path.
Thus, it has been cleared that foundation course help to create base for the students and
encourage them to get better opportunity for their future as well. That is why, it is quite
necessary to have a foundation course and focus on some specific area so that it will help to get
better chance in their future as well. Even it also provide a progression route to honours degree
as well that helps a students in their lifelong learning.
b. Describing the key challenges facing foundation year students
Foundation year gives a students to access into degree course and also helps to provide a
base to a student in order to get themselves indulge in some higher education. There are some
key challenges which foundation students also faces, some of them are as mentioned below:
 Culture shock: It is one of the foremost challenges hat every foundation student is faces.
Such that when a student is go for an international study then they generally faces issue
regarding culture and in the same way, when students who gained entry via non-
traditional routes also found to perform at a similar level to a students and get more
traditional educational background (Cvečić, Sokolić and Mrak, 2019).
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 Communication: Language barrier is the biggest issue that foundation year student
generally faces. Even every students come form different country and as a result, for
communication become a common barrier for them and they even did not understand
what teacher try to convey. Apart from this, students are also feel scared to communicate
and they think that they feel embarrass and that is why they did not communicate as
well.
 Time Management: It Is an academic challenge that affect the performance and
academic of the students, because for them, managing a time is a problem that creates
direct impact upon the study and personal life of a students as well. But on the other side,
managing a time is quite important that helps to get variety of benefits. While it has been
analysed that proper scheduling time will help to manage entire things in effective way
and also keep the students stress free as well (Han and Cai, 2019). But the students also
suffering from this key problem as well.
 Finance: Debts is another major problem that also affect the foundation year students
because it also includes college fees, tuition fees and these are rising at alarmingly at high
rates and apart from this, the cost of transportation, textbooks also make the study more
difficult for the students. As result, they have to borrow from others in order to get
foundation year course. It has been analysed that due to lack of finance, some time the
students are not go for study and as a result, it also affect them internally and their
performance as well (Xie, Watson and Etchells, 2018).
c. Presenting how study skills in higher education can help foundation year students overcome
some of these challenges
There are a variety of reason which makes it important for the individual to continue their
study after high school. It is because keep continue studying would allow provide them with
constant growth and development. Not continuing further studies tends to limit the understanding
of the people and makes it hard for them to develop themselves individually (LeCounte and
Johnson, 2015). Such that education is currently privileges with the financial burdens that
serving to be a limiting forces and its main aim is to increases the abundance of an educational
opportunity, such that its benefits are as mentioned below that directly helps to overcome the
issue or challenges of students of foundation year.
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Practical benefits: higher education provides a platform that further leads to choose the
best career option, such that:
 Economic growth and stability: It has been analysed that many economist are agree that
education is directly correlate with an economic growth and stability and when the
students are get higher education then they easily repayment of student loan debt and it
also helps to earn substantially more over with their lifetime than those with only a high
school diploma (Pires, Rodrigues and Pessoa, 2018).
 Happy lives: It has been analysed that education improves the personal lives and also
helps the society to run smoothly. Higher education also accumulated the knowledge and
capabilities that is attained over years for learning and also makes people aware about
their own capabilities, this will help them to groom themselves at personal as well as
professional level. Even it has been analysed that education is an essential in improving
the lifestyles and overall well being and it is so because it helps to make the students
aware about what they wanted to do. This will help to make them stress free and also
improve their mental, physical and emotional health so that they live happy.
Personal Development: it has been further analysed that not all skills are clearly
connected to the career nut the higher education is also help to grew students at their personal
level as well. Such that:
 Bette communication: this shows that study in higher education will help to provide
better communication such that these education system provides an advanced writing and
speaking assignments and this train the foundation year students to express themselves
clearly and also rise their communication skills in more effective way (Osarenren-
Osaghae and Irabor, 2018).
 Critical thinking skills: higher education also enhances the critical thinking abilities and
and also enhances the abilities to think well, to ask questions and to analyse or to reflect.
And there is a need to have a good thinking abilities for added the perspective on a
particular point. This skill also help to make a student mature and solve different
problems whether it is related to personal or social life.
 Sense of discipline: Higher education also helps a students of foundation to given more
responsibility than ever before. Such that it also helps to develop a sense of discipline
among them so that it will help to manage their time and remain organized as well
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(Filina, 2018). Therefore, this skills are also easily transfer to other areas of life and make
the person relaxing as well.
 Realization of passion: Putting a student in higher education will help to realizes what is
their passion and what they want to be in their future. Further, it has been analysed that
study in higher education also helps to overcome the problem of culture shock and
finance such that they become well matured and now able to solve many problems as
well. Thus, by developing a sense of discipline also helps to make aware people to
choose best career option for their future.
IN WHAT MANNER STUDY SKILLS IN HIGHER EDUCATION HELPS IN
OVERCOMING ISSUES Time management: Time management is the most effective skill which is learned by an
individual during the time of higher education. It allows the individual to manage time
effectively. It is because high schools are very punctual and they make the individual
learn the skill of time management. Communication: Individuals during the time of high school tends to develop their
communication skills by speaking in a good manner and by communicating with their
seniors and teacher.
 Culture Shock: People of different cultures tend to study together at in the high school.
This makes it possible for the individual to reduce cultural shocks in future and enhance
their perception towards others.
d. Draw conclusion
From the above, it has been concluded that, the students of foundation years are not as
much matured that helps them to choose a better career option. In the same way, it has been
concluded that foundation programs provides a base to the student and also prepare them for
their career as well. But there are some key problems which are also face by the foundation year
students such as language barriers, cultural shock which needs to be improved because it
somehow affect the morale and motivation of the students and also leads to affect the career
option as well. Though, the key objectives of foundation programs are such that to provide an
intermediate-level technical and professional skills and also contribute to widening the
participation agenda in order to offer a new and accessible route to higher education as well.
Thus, it has been cleared that through higher education, the chances of problem of foundation
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students are also minimized and it is so because it helps to increases the communication and
develop a students personally as well as professionally and improve their mental as well as
physical level.
CONCLUSION
By summing up above report it has been concluded that education plays an important role
in every individual life and even foundation programs also help students to groom themselves
but on the other side, there are some problems which they faces such as culture shock,
communication, finance and that is why higher education system helps to overcome these
problems through their personal and professional development.
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References
Books and Journals
Cvečić, I., Sokolić, D. and Mrak, M. K., 2019. Higer Education and Economic Prosperity at
Regional Level. Revista portuguesa de estudos regionais.50(1). pp.9-25.
Filina, T., 2018. Educational tourism mobilities. The example of exchange students' experiences
in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region (Master's thesis, UiT The Arctic University of Norway).
Han, C. and Cai, Z., 2019. Relativistic effects to the onboard BeiDou satellite
clocks. Navigation.
LeCounte, J. F. and Johnson, D., 2015. The MOOCs: characteristics, benefits, and challenges to
both industry and higher education. In Handbook of Research on Innovative Technology
Integration in Higher Education (pp. 228-247). IGI Global.
Osarenren-Osaghae, R. I. and Irabor, Q. O., 2018. Educational Policies and Programmes
Implementations: A Case Study of Education Funding, Universal Basic Education (UBE)
and Teacher Education. International Journal of Educational Administration and Policy
Studies.10(8). pp.91-102.
Pires, A. L. D. O., Rodrigues, M. D. R. and Pessoa, A. M., 2018. Transforming pedagogy in
higher education. HAMK Unlimited Journal, pp.1-11.
Porter, M. E. and Kramer, M. R., 2019. Creating shared value. In Managing sustainable
business (pp. 323-346). Springer, Dordrecht.
Thurlow, L., Ford, P. and Hudson, G., 2019. Skirting the Sketch: An Analysis of Sketch
Inhibition within Contemporary Design Higher Education. International Journal of Art &
Design Education.38(2). pp.478-491.
Xie, L., Watson, N. T. and Etchells, M. J., 2018. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN HIGER
EDUCATION. Cultural Impact on Conflict Management in Higher Education, p.171.
Online
Key benefits of learning foundation courses. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au/education-blogs/tertiary-study/five-benefits-
of-foundation-and-preparatory-courses>.
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