Why study a foundation year transcript

00:00

Foundation years are all about giving you the opportunity to get comfortable with being a student at university. It could be the start of something amazing. It could be the start of your higher education journey.

0:13

So there's two real instances that you might want to consider a foundation year. One is confidence. Whether or not you're actually not quite ready to move into the first year of a course. So you have that extra year to really develop your academic skills, your confidence at living perhaps in Southampton on your own, but really importantly in terms of just feeling settled and ready to springboard into a first year course.

0:36

It’s really a chance for you to try lots of different things and to come out of your foundation ready to know what you're going to do next.

0:44

You’ll understand how to work alongside other people from a variety of different creative practices. You’ll learn how to speak to us as lecturers. You’ll learn how to collaborate, and also work independently.

0:54

My name is Ian Charlton Brown. I did the engineering foundation year and then went on to do mechanical engineering. I had taken a break between my A-levels. I went on to do another degree, it didn't go very well. I then just figured out what I wanted to be. The moment that I decided that Solent was for me was for me was honestly the first day when I had walked into class, it was 20-30 people. You got to know your lecturer and that hands on approach, that small room approach really benefited me.

1:24

My name is Dec, I did a foundation year in media and I am now first year of sports journalism. I was really worried coming into foundation year and coming into uni after a few years out of education, just the community around Solent is really nice and really welcoming. I joined the football society, again a little bit worried that I'd be accepted at all and they were just welcoming with open arms. It lays the foundation for your entire life at uni.

1:48

Hi, I'm Roxanne Harvey, I studied general computing in the foundation year. However, I changed to software engineering after having some trials in some of the lessons. The foundation course is tailored to how you would learn and your abilities in learning

2:03

You might also want to come onto a foundation course as part of our Clearing. So on results day it is perfectly normal if you grades don't quite meet the entry requirements for you to be offered a foundation course. This is an excellent opportunity for you to have that extra time to ensure you're fully prepared and ready for that first year course.

2:22

On the Art and Design Foundation, we have got a whole range of different courses. And what's really exciting about that is that you get to work with students from these different areas. You get to learn from them, get a little taste of what other courses might look like, because it might be you come on wanting to do one thing and then halfway through the year, realise you have a passion for something else. And that's kind of part of the learning journey.

02:44

So long as you're with it for the journey, you turn up, you do your work, it comes together. And doing well, focusing in my foundation helped me ease up on on how first year was.

02:55

It's a great opportunity for you to come to Southampton, come to Solent University and make that first step towards your higher education degree.