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
1. Get Ready
Learning at University
What is 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 is 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 is 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 is covered
- What referencing is and why it is important.
- Types of information you need to reference.
- How to identify what you are 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 have 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.