Study Skills: Challenges and Solutions in Higher Education

This report provides a detailed examination of study skills essential for success in higher education, particularly focusing on the foundation year. It begins by highlighting the importance of the foundation year in bridging knowledge gaps, developing career aspirations, and minimizing cultural shocks for international students. The report then identifies common challenges faced by foundation year students, such as lack of decoding skills, adapting to a new environment, time management issues, and linguistic deficiencies. The core of the report explores how specific study skills, including effective reading habits, time management techniques, note-making abilities, and writing proficiency, can help students overcome these challenges. The conclusion emphasizes the value of foundational courses in equipping students with the necessary skills for academic achievement and successful integration into higher education. The document is contributed by a student to be published on the website Desklib. Desklib is a platform which provides all the necessary AI based study tools for students.

STUDY SKILLS FOR
HIGHER EDUCATION
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
A: Identify the importance of the foundation year for students..................................................3
B: Challenges faced by student of foundation year....................................................................4
C: Study skill helps the student to overcome challenges............................................................6
D: Conclusion based on key points.............................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
Study skills is an academic skill that help an individual to gain success by enhancing their
knowledge (King and Boyatt, 2015). It basically helps to acquire new information and retain the
existing ones by adopting the adequate technique like efficient reading and note making. Thus,
study skill for higher education is increasingly taught to the students both at high school and
university level which act as a support network. Further, it is a discrete technique that helps to
boost up the personality as well as existing knowledge that can be applied in various fields of
study. For the better understanding this report cover following topics such as importance of
foundation year for student. Moreover, challenges faced by student of foundation year and ways
by which study skill for higher education can help the student of foundation year to overcome the
challenges as well as conclusion is mentioned in the report.
MAIN BODY
A: Identify the importance of the foundation year for students
Foundation year provide supportive environment to students that help to enhance the
existing requirement of knowledge and boost up the skill. It basically develop the career
aspiration and exploit the opportunity by encouraging students to score high grades. With the
helps of wide participation foundation year provides the access onto the degree course being
availed by an individual. In addition to it, if people are unsure regarding their interest areas then
foundation year introduces the subject which leads to better understanding about the situation.
Along with that it develop the vocational skills that helps in generating progressive result which
is useful for higher education context. Furthermore, the role of foundation courses for students of
wide participation background is to maximize and retain their knowledge for different areas.
Also successful training provides the opportunity to attain necessary qualification required for
the higher education (Zheng, Niiya and Warschauer, 2015). Thus, there are various importance
associated with foundation year for students which are defined below:
Proficiency over language: There are some essential language courses such as English
language course that include EAP (English for Academic purpose) which are offered by
foundation programme of UK. These courses helps an individual to gain better proficiency over
the language through various exercises like improving the vocabulary and writing an essay.
Hence, these learning act as an ability to gain better score at higher education.
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Qualify to gain admission in renowned universities: Foundation year provides certain
skill as well as knowledge which becomes useful for higher education (Kucel and et.al., 2016).
Along with that it helps the student to gain advantage over others by getting admission in
prestigious universities of UK. This makes them to start as well as establish their career sooner
and exploit the opportunity significantly.
Minimise cultural shocks: There are relatively high percentage of international student
that become part of different academic system. So foundational year makes the student familiar
with the local customs, religion or culture. Further, prior experience helps the student to reduce
cultural shock and adapt themselves as per the environment or surrounding.
Fill the gap among existing and acquired skill: With the increase in competition
students find the gap between high school and university level, before cracking any exam or
getting the admission in prestigious college of UK. The role of foundation year is to bridge these
gaps through proper knowledge and enhancing the existing capability by helping them to
acquire efficient knowledge. It helps the student to overcome the areas where they lack and gain
success while acquiring higher studies.
Experiencing university teaching style: There are various international students who
are unaware about the environment in university. For instance, academic courses, presentation,
seminar, regional language and so on. The role of foundational course is to maker the students
familiar with the environment they haver to encounter by developing multiple skill. These skill
include reading and writing skill that support the learner to gain better position through effective
learning. Moreover, it also helps the students to gain the deep insights regarding the course or
subject area that helps in effective fulfilment of short and long term goals.
Therefore, there are various advantage of foundation courses that helps student to bring
clarity over their subjects areas which are required for higher education. It also assist them to
gain better or predetermined position in their lives by bridging the gaps through knowledge
successfully.
B: Challenges faced by student of foundation year
It is beneficial for the student to participate in foundational year which provide them
valuable framework to strengthen their knowledge. This becomes useful before entering the
higher education or gaining professional courses. Although it provide various advantage to an
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individual in order to expand their existing knowledge but at the same time there are some
challenges associated with it that are defined below:
Lack in decoding skills: Though foundational year makes an international student
familiar with the environment as well as environment which make their existence in new place
easier (Lai and Hong, 2015). On contrary, lack of decoding skill makes difficult for the student
to decode the lecture of the teacher in the manner it was encoded. This may create confusion and
mislead the significance of effective communication. Moreover, within UK student may find
problem and can stuck during the initial level but with the passage of time and through intensive
practice of subjects these skill can be developed.
Adapt in new environment: Eventually, international student who is new to UK its
customs as well as culture may find difficulty while entering into higher education. This may
lead to lack in friend circle, contacts and create loneliness. Thus, foundational courses helps in
settling down this issue or challenge significantly.
Time management: Although the international student who belong to different
background gets messed up with the new environment, understanding people and settling down
successfully. This create mismanagement and leads to lack of attention over the studies which is
one of the common challenges faced by student of foundational courses. Hence, these courses
helps the student to manage their time effectively in order to acquire adequate knowledge and
control the situation of procrastination of work.
Lack of linguistic knowledge: It is significant for student to have command over the
regional language that helps in developing effective communication among the professor as well
as student. Thus, lack of proper understand act as a challenges for the student to gain better
understanding about the concept. Thus, such challenges are resolved by the language courses
provided to the student.
Lack of reading habit: Along with foundational course it is essential for student to put
the equal effort from their side as well (Dizon, 2016). Constant reading habit and understating
the concept is the key way to achieve the success for the student. Although it act a challenges for
student but consistent contribution helps the student to overcome the barrier and gain proficiency
over their subjects.
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C: Study skill helps the student to overcome challenges
The foundation courses act a base for higher education that helps the student to
accomplish in their areas and achieve the progressive result (Atmatzidou, and Demetriadis, S.,
2016). It helps the individual to make effective strategy to success manage their time for studies
and other activities successfully. Moreover, higher education provides a platform to the
foundational year student where they can gain the dynamic skill, boost up their confidence to
sustain in changing environment and handle competitive situation effectively. Further, it
enhances the reading and writing skill, of the student through notes making and conducting the
presentation which eliminate the issue related to decoding problem. It makes an international
student ready to face any situation or crack any examination of their interest areas by handling
the external pressure effectively. Thus, higher education boost up the learning capacity reading
and retention ability which is significant for the overall academic development of an individual.
Therefore, the role of study skills in higher education to overcome the certain challenges faced
by student are stated below:
Effective reading habit: Higher education helps to inculcate reading habit among the
individuals. This benefit the student in enhancing their knowledge and concentration level to
gain better understanding and overcome the barrier of decoding significantly. Along with that
through reading habits students can make innovative and problem solving strategy which helps
them to avoid the social distraction. Thus, development of such skill provides the valuable
content to the individual which can help them to in gaining the basic foundation of education
without any communication barrier.
Mange time effectively: The effective management of time helps in achieving the
progressive result in higher education (McCutcheon, and et,al., 2015). Thus, these higher
education institute make sure students of foundation year can prioritize their work based on the
importance of work and avoid the procrastination that helps in bring the transition in the work.
Hence, managing class schedule, extracurricular activity as well as reading habits assist the
student to develop and achieve their goal effectively. Therefore, in order to avoid pitfalls higher
education helps the student to face the challenges associated with time management. It include
strategies like scheduling the work, make the list of work based on the priority and fix the
problem with the guidance of professors.
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Notes making ability: Preparation of notes at the time of lecture delivery assist the
students to stay active by jotting down all the essential points (Hebert and Hauf, 2015). This also
helps to improve the retention power of an individual and make the concept more clearer and
easier. The higher education ensures the student of foundation year remember the material
through the written structure that clarify thinking ability through reading and revision. This is an
effectively skill that helps the student to overcome the challenges associated with retention of
various concept especially at the time of examination. Therefore, this techniques helps to
improve the score of an individual which helps in developing confidence.
Effective writing: Along with reading it is essential for students to develop writing skill
as well (Al-Sarmi, Al-Hemyari and Salamn, 2015). The study skills for higher education assist in
strengthen the writing skill of an individual as it helps in enhancing the written communication
by expressing the knowledge effectively. It include note making ability through which the
student can overcome challenges like intensive competition and recall the vital information
within short span of time. Therefore, it add value in the lives of students to gaining long term
success significantly.
D: Conclusion based on key points
Based on the above mentioned key points it has been concluded that foundation year
helps in reflecting the interest areas and the deep understanding of the courses while needs to be
availed by the student. It helps to gain better knowledge and improve the multiple skill which is
useful for the student to gain good grades. For the better participate of students foundational
courses take significant effort like with the help of language courses it improves the vocabulary
of learner. Along with that it avoid the various challenges faced by international student in
context to the costume and religion in UK by scheduling their time and improving their reading,
writing and time management skill. Moreover, foundational year helps the student to overcome
the challenges successfully and gain the desirable result effectively. Therefore, it assist the
students to gain the proficient over their subject which are beneficial for higher education
system.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that foundational courses are the valuable
programme that helps the students to gain multiple skill and develop desirable academic skill. It
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helps the individual to develop their multiple skill which are associated with time management
and language proficiency to gain the entrance ion renowned university. Moreover, it help the
international student to settle down in the new environment effectively by experiences the
situation and help them to overcome the challenges like communication or decoding barrier.
Further, it helps to gain better understanding of subject and acquiring the degree to establish the
career significantly.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journal
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.
Zheng, B., Niiya, M. and Warschauer, M., 2015. Wikis and collaborative learning in higher
education. Technology, Pedagogy and Education. 24(3). pp.357-374.
Kucel, A., and et.al., 2016. Entrepreneurial Skills and Education‐Job Matching of Higher
Education Graduates. European Journal of Education. 51(1). pp.73-89.
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.
Dizon, G., 2016. A comparative study of Facebook vs. paper-and-pencil writing to improve L2
writing skills. Computer Assisted Language Learning. 29(8). pp.1249-1258.
Atmatzidou, S. and Demetriadis, S., 2016. Advancing students’ computational thinking skills
through educational robotics: A study on age and gender relevant differences. Robotics
and Autonomous Systems. 75. pp.661-670.
McCutcheon, K., and et,al., 2015. A systematic review evaluating the impact of online or
blended learning vs. face‐to‐face learning of clinical skills in undergraduate nurse
education. Journal of advanced nursing. 71(2). pp.255-270.
Hebert, A. and Hauf, P., 2015. Student learning through service learning: Effects on academic
development, civic responsibility, interpersonal skills and practical skills. Active
Learning in Higher Education. 16(1). pp.37-49.
Al-Sarmi, A. M., Al-Hemyari, Z. A. and Salamn, F. A., 2015. Enhancing students’ skills of
higher education: methodology, statistical analyses and survey outcomes. International
Journal of Information and Decision Sciences. 7(1). pp.71-98.
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