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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Offer but with a Foundation Year.

57 replies

blaisealex · 08/07/2021 14:54

I've been offered a place at Uni.

I applied for the standard BA Honours Three Year Course but they have come back and offered it to me with a Foundation Year. I guess because I don't have any Level Three Qualifications or A Levels.

I really don't want to do the Foundation Year. I will if I have to obviously but I'd really rather not. Is there anything I can do or is this pretty much the final decision? I have accepted the offer. I'm also a mature student in my late twenties.

OP posts:
UserAtLarge · 08/07/2021 16:39

Even the Open University will recommend an Access course if OP has no recent study.

orangejuicer · 08/07/2021 16:45

In my previous experience in HE admissions/student services - students who joined at year 1 who were offered a foundation year but didn't take it did struggle. It's not just about the subject, it's the academic study aspect as well.

Ultimately if you have no or limited experience and/or relevant qualifications they are unlikely to directly admit you to year 1.

Original poster
blaisealex · 08/07/2021 16:48

Looks like I've got to suck up the Foundation Year then!

OP posts:
orangejuicer · 08/07/2021 17:14

It wouldn't hurt to have a conversation with them to understand further. You might be able to persuade them, but it really depends on what experience you have or what you can offer.

They have to make sure they only admit students who can cope with the demands of the course, it wouldn't be fair on you otherwise.

GetTaeFuck · 08/07/2021 17:19

None of that equals academic ability I’m afraid.

Original poster
blaisealex · 08/07/2021 17:41

@GetTaeFuck

None of that equals academic ability I’m afraid.
Yeah. Hmm
OP posts:
16purplecolour16 · 08/07/2021 17:48

HRft but interested in doing the degree through Open University. Maybe then with a view to transferring in your second year?

GiantToadstool · 08/07/2021 18:01

GetTaeFuck is right though...

Northernsoullover · 08/07/2021 18:05

I did a foundation year. I was quite annoyed too and by the March I was ready to get on to my first year. It did help hugely though. Foundation success students tend to have very good outcomes.

GetTaeFuck · 08/07/2021 18:10

You have no experience of education past GCSEs. Which are a whole lot different to A Levels/Access, which again are different to Uni work, whatever the subject.

If you just want to be a writer, then write.

I think I remember your post from a few weeks back and I sat rolling my eyes at every single thing you said and this post is no different.

You do not deserve a fast track to a degree.

Everyone does a qualification to get there.

SometimesRavenSometimesParrot · 08/07/2021 18:12

A creative writing degree won’t just be writing though. You’ll still analyse texts, lit reviews, write academically...these are all the things that a foundation degree will help you with.

Original poster
blaisealex · 08/07/2021 18:14

@GetTaeFuck

You have no experience of education past GCSEs. Which are a whole lot different to A Levels/Access, which again are different to Uni work, whatever the subject.

If you just want to be a writer, then write.

I think I remember your post from a few weeks back and I sat rolling my eyes at every single thing you said and this post is no different.

You do not deserve a fast track to a degree.

Everyone does a qualification to get there.

Um. Why were you rolling your eyes? What did I say that was so worthy of an eye roll? If I'm even the poster you're thinking of.
OP posts:
GetTaeFuck · 08/07/2021 18:17

@SometimesRavenSometimesParrot

A creative writing degree won’t just be writing though. You’ll still analyse texts, lit reviews, write academically...these are all the things that a foundation degree will help you with.
OP seems to think that a Creative Writing degree is all CW and that she’s some sort of special snowflake who deserves to be fast tracked because she’s a few thousand words into a book and part of an online group…
toolazytothinkofausername · 08/07/2021 18:17

Which university is this please?
(Sounds like a course I want to do)

Original poster
blaisealex · 08/07/2021 18:21

Wow. So bitchy. I've looked at the course and all the modules in depth. I'm well aware that it's far more than just CW. I didn't at any point say I deserved to be fast tracked. I was simply asking if skipping the Foundation Year was doable as I was confident in my abilities to proceed without it. Posters have informed me that it isn't and I may well benefit from the Foundation Year. That's great.

OP posts:
GetTaeFuck · 08/07/2021 18:22

Well, Uni have decided you aren’t capable of skipping Foundation and reflected that with their offer.

CupOfTPlease · 08/07/2021 18:23

Uni is hard. Bloody hard.
I also worked bloody hard to go straight onto the degree level.

Just because you think you are capable doesn't mean you have the ability to go straight onto the degree. I don't want to sound mean and I don't want it to come across that way but you don't have any higher qualifications to be able to get you there. Hence the foundation year offer, which I think is generous of them.

You'll be surprised at the level of work and commitment and the way they work is completely different to your novel or any online forum.

Anonadviceinapickle · 08/07/2021 18:27

I did a foundation year even though I had level 3 qualifications they were just really old. I still find at the end of year 2 that the students from A level are better prepared academically however I picked up loads of tips and info on how to get the most out of the course.

The students who arrived in year 1 always come to me for advice on resources, assessment prep, referencing etc and even though it's made my course a year longer it has been useful.

I'll get to the end either way and and extra year isn't much in the grand scheme of things.

Good luck!

Howshouldibehave · 08/07/2021 18:27

You can’t get on a degree course with just GCSEs no matter if you’re 18 or 45!

titchy · 08/07/2021 18:29

@blaisealex

I'm 20,000 words into a Novel. I write every day because I love it. I'm part of an online writing forum where I write with others from all around the world. I also consume vast amounts of fiction. So, I suppose, based on these things, I mistakenly believed, I really didn't need to do the Foundation Year.
Can
titchy · 08/07/2021 18:31

Confused Sorry!

Can I gently suggest you don't go in with the preconception that as you've written 20,000 words you know more than your peers. They will offer you much you can learn from if you keep an open mind.

HeReWeGoAgAiN1112 · 08/07/2021 18:31

You need to be able to write an academic essay, Harvard reference etc. It really is hard.

Looksgood · 08/07/2021 18:39

It's not impossible to go straight into the first year. It would be quite unusual though. The university has to have evidence that it's treating all applicants equally and that it's maximising their chances to succeed.

As others have said, no harm in asking the course leader. You could ask them to look at your draft novel as evidence for admission. But they may have internal rules against that - depends on the department.

There is one big advantage to foundation study for creative writing. Your peer group is your readers' group. You'll be giving honest feedback on each other's work, bouncing ideas off each other, with guidance from lecturers. Foundation courses usually have smaller groups and tend to form tighter cohorts. Then of course you all know each other well and trust each other as readers as you go on to year 1 and beyond. Having that bond is half the benefit in a Creative Writing degree and foundation studies reinforce it. So if you can't enter year one, do think of foundation as a real part of your university experience - I wouldn't take it less seriously than any other year.

NoNotHimTheOtherOne · 08/07/2021 18:42

It would probably be cheaper and more convenient to do an Access to HE diploma than a university foundation year. Obviously, you'd need to check whether the degree course you want to do would accept an Access diploma in place of A-Levels/BTECs, but it's fairly likely.

Original poster
blaisealex · 08/07/2021 19:07

@Looksgood

It's not impossible to go straight into the first year. It would be quite unusual though. The university has to have evidence that it's treating all applicants equally and that it's maximising their chances to succeed.

As others have said, no harm in asking the course leader. You could ask them to look at your draft novel as evidence for admission. But they may have internal rules against that - depends on the department.

There is one big advantage to foundation study for creative writing. Your peer group is your readers' group. You'll be giving honest feedback on each other's work, bouncing ideas off each other, with guidance from lecturers. Foundation courses usually have smaller groups and tend to form tighter cohorts. Then of course you all know each other well and trust each other as readers as you go on to year 1 and beyond. Having that bond is half the benefit in a Creative Writing degree and foundation studies reinforce it. So if you can't enter year one, do think of foundation as a real part of your university experience - I wouldn't take it less seriously than any other year.

Thank you! Such a helpful post. I quite like the sound of what you've described and can definitely see how useful a Foundation Year can be.
OP posts: