Foundation degree year 2

[sunny]

The panic is just starting to set in..... I am starting the Foundation degree in September and going straight into the 2nd year as I have completed my NVQ4with another training provider.
I know the academic writing will be difficult and I am starting to worry. Can anyone give me any advice please. Is anyone doing the same route?

Any advice would be most welcome to calm my nerves!!!!

[Ruthierhyme]

Hi and a very warm welcome to the site, the FD forum is growing slowly so am sure members embarking & submersed will pop in to say hi xx

This is a useful pdf if it helps collect thoughts and how to's - academic writing skills from Worcester university.

Enjoy Silkysteps & look forward to hearing how it goes for you

Ruth
xx

[Heidi]

Originally Posted by sunny

The panic is just starting to set in..... I am starting the Foundation degree in September and going straight into the 2nd year as I have completed my NVQ4with another training provider.
I know the academic writing will be difficult and I am starting to worry. Can anyone give me any advice please. Is anyone doing the same route?

Any advice would be most welcome to calm my nerves!!!!

Are you sure you are skipping the first year?
I know staff of mine who have the NVQ4 and they were allowed to miss the first assignment of the first year. Even then, they had to attend the lectures and she told me she wished she had done the first assignment as she needed to establish her writing style etc.
They were told they were only allowed to skip the first assignment as an NVQ4 is not the same as a FD Level 4. The Foundation degree is academic, whereas the NVQ4 is not - it is just writing and professinal discussions. She had 4 'A' levels and she said it was a lot harder (but she managed) than she had envisaged. She was given her reading list in July and had read through most of them by the time she started, so she was prepared.

I'm just wondering how you can go into the second year without having done any academic writing/studying/researching journals etc.

I don't wish to worry you, but I have never ever heard of this. I know lecturers who try and persuade students not to take the concession of skipping one assignment in the first year as the shock is even greater when they have to start at the second and everyone has got their nerves and writing style 'sorted out'. Vocational qualifications are nothing like a formal academic degree.

Are you sure the university are not under the impression that you have done the FD Level 4, as some students do transfer. I'd check, as if you go in September and a mistake has been made all course years will be full.

I've re-read it and you have written NVQ4, did you mean to write FD Level 4?

Perhaps other members on this site know something a little more recent than me?

[tutu]

i am amazed you are skipping a year all my students have level 4s nvq and they in no way relate to the first yr of an FD i think you will find the second year extremely difficult academic writing isnt something you can just red about it is practice and practice and the first year is about this to some extent. frankly i am appalled and as an FD lecturer would never allow it but then again neither would my uni.

[sunny]

It is the NVQ 4 that I have done and I am 1 of 3 that are going into year 2 at my college. ( unfortunately I do not know the other 2 yet).
I have been accepted onto year 2 because of my NVQ 4 and also past studies. (I was previously a Dispensing Optician before I had my children.)
Even still it has been a long time since then hence my cry for advice, support and help.

I have read some books on the list, although can not say anywhere near all of them. Can you advise any books imparticular that have been helpful to you.

Thanks.

[Heidi]

Originally Posted by sunny

It is the NVQ 4 that I have done and I am 1 of 3 that are going into year 2 at my college. ( unfortunately I do not know the other 2 yet).
I have been accepted onto year 2 because of my NVQ 4 and also past studies. (I was previously a Dispensing Optician before I had my children.)
Even still it has been a long time since then hence my cry for advice, support and help.

I have read some books on the list, although can not say anywhere near all of them. Can you advise any books imparticular that have been helpful to you.

Thanks.

I'm still surprised. As I have a degree (Maths) from a previous career, but still went through the same procedure as others ( they did push me and made me study for another qualification concurrently) as 'they' thought I was academic and I'm been running my own business in this sector for many years; but as you may find as I did ( a few years ago) that you'll end up feeling 'washed out' and an 'experiment' as I did. I found the work no trouble at all - but my life - where did I think I was going to find the time to research/study and write up assignments, conduct studies, set up projects etc along with work, looking after staff and my family.

You will have so much to catch up on and Tutu is right - which university is thinking about it? It's probably a financial one on their part.
Your first year links into your second year. I bought well over 100 books - I was too busy to go to their library - I had to get back to work and home, when you are running a setting, a home - no 'pleasure/light' reading etc. I knew the theories/theorists, was putting it into practice, but things change, it was a different university experience - working and juggling everything else, the first time it was just me and lots of study time - what did I do!

Well, if that's what they are doing and you are happy to do it, there isn't really any advice on books to give you as I won't know what the course entails; normally you would have been buying books that continued or followed on from the first year: you would have studied many journals in the first year, looked at education and all it entails around the world/systems/cultures as well as our own. I wouldn't want to say buy this, that and then you find they aren't particularly relevant to your course and you may find that everyone is after the same books from the college's library, so you end up buying them.

May I ask how long you have been in the sector?
You will need to at least know (or should know) a lot of the theories/theorists as you carry out your work with children.

I can't understand why your university is (effectively) chopping the FD in half - because that's what they are doing , you will have missed the lectures on 50% of the course, this may hinder you as you join in on the second year, alter your background first year knowledge in your assignments and way of thinking. It sounds like an experiment - someone above thinks it will save money, seem more attractive to potential students if the course is shorter and they are playing with student's (who may be seen just as a statistic) qualifications. There could even be resentful second year students who have just what I have, you have or my member of staff has -but were made to complete the whole degree course, with lecturers stating to them that they want qualified practitioners with insight and a greater understanding and that needs to be over two years before attemping the degree in this sector - a pcge I feel would not have been relevant to the early years age group, so I did not take that route.

As you can gather, myself and others can not see how this helps anyone in the sector, but you are just taking up an option you have been offered (just as I was pushed - it was dropped, they could see it was too much pressure on students, who were mostly working women).
Best of luck.

[sunny]

I do appreciate your comments and can understand that I might come across some resentment. Lets just hope that I can cope with the second year (although I now have more doubts than ever). I suppose at the end of the day it is down to me and how hard I am willing too work for it.
Thank you Heidi for your advice and Good luck wishes.

[Ruthierhyme]

now enroled, you should receive all the help you need. If you have the opportunity raise some of these issues & concerns with your tutor so if ever necessary you can both set up some support measures xx

[Heidi]

Originally Posted by sunny

I do appreciate your comments and can understand that I might come across some resentment. Lets just hope that I can cope with the second year (although I now have more doubts than ever). I suppose at the end of the day it is down to me and how hard I am willing too work for it.
Thank you Heidi for your advice and Good luck wishes.

It will be hard as all studying is - if you have time (like now) start to fill the freezer up, ask your husband/partner to cook or buy something that I had never dreamt of doing - ready meals!...oh and buy non-iron clothes and forget about house work!!

I'll look out if you post or you can always go through a private message.
Look at it this way, time always moves and it will soon be this time next year! Sorry if I frightened you - but at the least the above correspondence will have prepared you in some way!

[sunny]

I like that idea..... Ready Meals and non iron clothes!! I will definitely take your advice.
It will be great to have someone to bounce ideas off and talk things through with.
Thanks