Individual Report: Study Skills in Higher Education Foundation Year

This individual report delves into the significance of study skills within the context of higher education, specifically for foundation year students. It begins by defining higher education and emphasizing the importance of the foundation year in preparing students from diverse backgrounds for universit...Read More

Study Skills
Higher Education
Individual Report

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Importance of the foundation year for students..........................................................................3
Key challenges facing foundation year students........................................................................5
How study skills in higher education helps foundation year students overcome challenges.....6
CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Higher education can be defined as an education that is provided to learners in
universities so as to improving their knowledge or efficiencies about different theories concepts
or models. As it provide assistance to them in grabbing opportunities of real world. Present
report is based on foundation year in higher education. Further, this report will discuss about the
importance of foundation year from wide participation backgrounds. Project will also describe
that how study skills in higher education can helps foundation year students for overcoming
future challenges.
MAIN BODY
Importance of the foundation year for students
Foundation year is refers to an effective programme that is important for students to
prepare themselves for getting higher educations. In other words, it is basically an one year
education programme that is provided to students so that they can get required academic
qualifications or English knowledge which is needed for them in entering into an university.
This programme is highly based on student's wide participation. This foundation year not only
provide increase knowledge of students regarding the different theories or concepts but also
increase their understanding regarding the programme and its importance (Couzens, Poed and et.
al., 2015). Some of their importance are given as below: Improvement in Skills: It is an effective importance which is related with foundation
year and supports the students in effectively increasing their skills and efficiencies
related with language and technical aspects. Several effective classes are conducted in
foundation year programmes that supports learners of different backgrounds in grabbing
good knowledge regarding wring and speaking of English language. In addition, these
programmes also improves technical and professional skills of students that supports
them in taking higher education in their future career. Therefore, it can be said that
students should engage themselves in these foundation year programmes as they supports
in improving their skills and competencies. Inducing Learning: It is an another point that defines importance of foundation year
programme for students of wide background. These programmes increases familiarities
of students with the type of teaching programmes which are providing to students within

the universities. Along with it, foundation year programmes also define the ways to
students of increasing knowledge regarding the theories and concepts that would be
helpful for them in grabbing opportunity of higher education. Transition of students from
wide participation category is quite a struggle for these students as there are numerous
kind of technique and method of learning are available in these foundation year of
programme. Therefore, it is important for students to effectively participate in these
programmes so as to increasing their knowledge about different aspects and methods. Career Progression: Students who opted for engaging themselves in foundation year
programme can take desired growth in their career. It helps the students in improving
their current skills and efficiencies in better ways so that they can become qualified and
capable for the foundation year programme. Furthermore, with improved skills and better
opportunities students can take better growth in their career as well as better job. That
can also considered as career progression (Kan’an and Osman, 2015). Reduced Culture Shock: Culture shock can be defined as an experience that an
individual posses when they move into a different educational programme. However,
foundation year allows the individuals in getting familiar with environment of culture in
which they are getting in. Additionally, this programme also provide opportunities to the
individuals to grab knowledge regarding different culture and adjust themselves
accordingly. Hence, it can be said that these educational programmes assists the
individuals in sustaining themselves in their future career.
 Certain Route to Course: It is also an importance of foundation course as it helps the
students in identifying definite route that will helps them in taking growth of their
personal career. In addition, there are different courses that are quite tough and
competitive to enter. It requires students with exceptional talent and skills that can meet
with entry requirements. But through engaging in foundation year programmes learners
can develop effective and essential aspects that can help them in meeting with
requirements. In addition, with the help of enhanced skills students can easily enrol
themselves which will be beneficial for them in gaining opportunities in their academic
career.

Key challenges facing foundation year students
Foundation year programmes not only provide supports the individuals in improving
their knowledge and efficiencies but also helps them in gaining growth in their personal career.
Apart from that, there are lots of challenges that can be faced by foundation year students that
can causes quite a complication for these learners. Some of these challenges are described
effectively as under: Language: This is one of the biggest challenge that can influence all understanding of
learners and can restrict them in understanding models or concepts. Because several
students from different backgrounds and contrast environments take participation in
these programmes but due to different backgrounds and contrasts, they can't engage
themselves in educational programmes effectively. In addition, Many times these
problems becomes wider because students from different contrast and backgrounds can't
grab the knowledge regarding the concepts or theories that leads their educational career
towards failure. Due to these failure, they get demotivated that automatically impacts on
their self confidence and educational career. Furthermore, essential time is needed by
these individuals for adapting the language and applying same in their daily practices
which is quite challenging for them and their educational career (King and Boyatt, 2015). Culture Integration: Students from wide participation area along with belong to
different culture having distinct values, faiths and beliefs. Hence, going in other nations
and take participations in foundation programmes it is very important for students to
adjust or mould themselves as per the culture. Because if they will not adjust themselves
according to the new culture then they will not be able in taking participation in
foundation year programmes which is not beneficial for their educational career.
However, this could be quite challenging for those students who belongs from different
culture as they will not able in adjusting themselves as per the native culture which will
also increases challenges for them and their academic career. Most of the students who
takes participation in foundation year programmes are falls under younger age and they
are habitual for living in home due to which different culture of new place becomes quite
problematic for students that restricts them in taking growth in their academic career. Development in soft and hard skills: Main motive of foundation year programme is to
prepare students for taking growth in educational career. Furthermore, Higher

educational programmes increase skills and efficiencies of individuals and make them
capable to sustain themselves in their academic and educational career. However, there
are several skills and attributes that are difficult for students to adopt within the time
period of foundation year. Additionally, learning these skills are big tasks for those
students who belongs from different category as it can create big challenges for them
during their educational programmes. Some of these skills are digital preparedness,
Interpersonal and meta-cognition. Along with it, communication is also a biggest
challenge for these students to adopt or implement in their foundation career, specially
written communication. There are several reasons to support this claim. Moreover,
writing reports and projects in a different language requires effective knowledge
regarding the language in which projects will be formed or written. Along with it,
acquiring knowledge regarding the language in a shorter period of time is quite
challenging for the students as it can impact on their whole academic career in negative
manner (Lai and Hong, 2015).
 Assessment of Information: Through engaging in foundation year programmes students
get ample information which are quite important and essential for them in gaining growth
and success in their educational career. However, it gets quite challenging for widening
participation category students as there are different ways of assimilation, assessment and
retaining of information that what is required by students. Furthermore, upgraded
techniques are used by the students who are participating in foundation year programmes
due to which sometimes they didn't get right information that restricts them in getting
effective results. Uses of these techniques are quite challenging in a specific time-frame
for the students as they can't opt specific source of gathering information that provides
challenges in assessing informations.
How study skills in higher education helps foundation year students overcome challenges
From the above tasks, It has been identified that there are several challenges that are
faced by the academic students who belongs from different areas and cultures. These challenges
also increases overburden in their future academic career. Therefore, Students who are taking
participating in higher educational programme have to improve their academic skills so that
challenges can be overcome easily and effectively.

There are several skills that can be applied by organisation so as to improving
competencies of students who belongs from different categories or areas as through improving
skills students will be able in overcoming the challenges that can restrict them in taking growth
in their educational career. Some of the skills along with their support the students in
overcoming challenges are described as below: Organisation: This is the key skill that should be improved by individuals so that
challenges can be easily resolved by students in their academic career. This skill guides
students to appropriately organise their each activity within the foundation year so that
desired growth can be achieved in academic career. These skills also guides the students
to make improvements in the skills in a manner that allows them to enhance their
competence level and deal better with cultural and linguistic change. With the help of
this, learners will be able in managing their time-frame as per the different subjects or
languages so that foundation year programme can be completed without any difficulty.
Moreover, through developing these skills learners will be able in applying words,
sentences, tenses, formations in report writing which automatically leads them towards
completion of project. Note-Taking: It is an another skill that is important for students to learn and implement
in their foundation year. This skill also allows the students to effectively assess or retain
crucial information that would assist them in grabbing knowledge regarding different
theories and concepts. In addition, through improving note-taking skills will be helpful in
grabbing understanding about the language in effectively. This skill would enable
individuals in synthesising information in more effectively that ensure better
understanding about language. Note-Taking would also supports the learners in
segregating effective information about the concept, models and theories that will
beneficial in removing challenges (Lehrl, Kluczniok and Rossbach, 2016). Communication Skill: This is one of the important skill that allows individuals to
overcome the challenges which can be occurred during the foundation year programme.
With the help of communication skills, they will easily improve the language difficulties
that will leads their academic career towards growth and success. In addition, through
improving these skills students will be able in reading and writing different languages
that will be beneficial for them in completion of foundation year programme. This will

also enhance familiarities of students with different cultures that will be beneficial for
them in future while taking participations in educational programmes in future. Meta-cognition: This skill is related with learning that allows the learners to improve
their learning style so that better understanding can be acquired regarding the assessment
of informations. Received outcomes will also prove beneficial as it supports the learners
in grabbing higher knowledge regarding the English language and assessment of
informations. Interpersonal Skills: The important thing which is required to consider by an individual
is to work with others which further help them to improve their own skills and
knowledge by taking guidance from their team members within the universities.
Furthermore, this will help in understanding the culture and lifestyle of other colleagues
which indirectly establish a better relation with them. This will enable to deal with the
challenges that may comes during their study course.
 Digital Preparedness: Using such skill help leaders in adopting methods and techniques
to utilize digital technology in such an effective manner that makes easy to execute
work. There are several databases and software which is important to understand for
using in order to complete assigned work in desired manner. Along with this, improving
such skill help an individual in brighting their future academic and professional career
which ensure them to achieve growth and success in near future (Tsai, Shen and Lu,
2015).
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that study skills are very crucial and that
should be implemented effectively by universities. It is also very important for learners to opt
effective foundation year programme because it will be helpful for them in improving
competencies and skills for their future academic career. However, there are several challenges
that can be faced by learners within the foundation year therefore, It is essential for students to
improve competencies and skills so that any challenge can easily overcome.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Couzens, D., Poed, S., and et. al., 2015. Support for students with hidden disabilities in
universities: A case study. International Journal of Disability, Development and
Education. 62(1), pp.24-41.
Kan’an, A. and Osman, K., 2015. The relationship between self-directed learning skills and
science achievement among Qatari students. Creative Education. 6(08). p.790.
King, E. and Boyatt, R., 2015. Exploring factors that influence adoption of e‐learning within
higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology. 46(6). pp.1272-1280.
Lai, K.W. and Hong, K.S., 2015. Technology use and learning characteristics of students in
higher education: Do generational differences exist?. British Journal of Educational
Technology. 46(4). pp.725-738.
Lehrl, S., Kluczniok, K. and Rossbach, H. G., 2016. Longer-term associations of preschool
education: The predictive role of preschool quality for the development of mathematical
skills through elementary school. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 36. pp.475-488.
Lim, D., 2018. Quality assurance in higher education: A study of developing countries: A study
of developing countries. Routledge.
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.
Ryan, Y. and Zuber-Skerritt, O., 2017. Quality in postgraduate education. Routledge.
Tsai, C.W., Shen, P.D. and Lu, Y.J., 2015. The effects of Problem-Based Learning with flipped
classroom on elementary students' computing skills: A case study of the production of
Ebooks. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology
Education (IJICTE). 11(2). pp.32-40.
Online
Five benefits of foundation and preparatory courses, 2019. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au/education-blogs/tertiary-study/five
benefits-of-foundation-and-preparatory-courses>.