Your foundation year
Discover the study, information and digital IT skills you'll need during your foundation year at University.
Popular pages on the Skills website
Access e-learning
1. Get Ready
Learning at University
What's covered:
- Teaching and assessment methods.
- Approaching your learning.
- Independent learning.
- Managing your time.
- Using the library and getting academic support.
Formats:
2. Finding Information
Planning your search for academic information
What's covered:
- Learn why it's important to plan your search for information.
- Understand how to identify keywords and key phrases from your assessment brief to search for relevant and useful results.
Formats:
Search the web well for University study
What's covered:
- Learn when to use different web search pages, such as your favourite search page or Google Scholar.
- Understand how to use Google Scholar to find academic information.
Formats:
Use Library Search to find academic information
What's covered
- How to perform searches for different types of academic information.
- How to use filters to make your results more relevant.
Formats
3. Referencing and Academic Integrity
Academic integrity in assessment
What is covered
- What academic integrity is and why it is important.
- How to avoid plagiarism when referring to the work and ideas of others.
- When collaboration becomes collusion.
Formats
Introduction to referencing
What's covered
- What referencing is and why it's important.
- Types of information you need to reference.
- How to identify what you're referencing.
Formats
Creating references using APA 7th edition
What's covered
- What the APA 7th style looks like in your work.
- How to use in-text citations.
- What your reference list is for.
- How to format you references.
Formats
4. Developing your Academic Skills
Understanding your assessment brief
What's covered
- The different parts of the assessment brief.
- Using your assessment brief to plan and complete your assessments.
- Where to get help if you don't understand the assignment brief.
Formats
Approaching your assessments: Six steps to success
What's covered
- Analysing the task and planning your research.
- Finding and evaluating information.
- Reading and note-taking.
- Planning and writing.
- Editing and submitting.
- Using feedback.
Formats
Read, take notes and use academic information
What's covered
- Best practice tips for getting the most out of reading for academic purposes.
- Identifying different note-taking strategies.
- How to use the academic information you've found in your assessments.
Formats
Academic writing style
What's covered
- Using an appropriate style for academic writing.
- Writing in the third person.
- Writing objectively and with caution.