Foundation vs. College
Identity protected Post 1
• 1 Sept 2020, 10:24Foundation vs. College
Good morning,
I was due to begin study at college this academic year on a Level 3 BTEC computing course. I currently hold a first-year certificate from a different Level 3 BTEC computing course, and the college I applied to informed me today that, due to my age (27) I would be better served by attending a Foundational University course instead. According to the advisor, in essence, I would spend an extra year learning the "core" and the "basics" instead of entering another Level 3 course and "retreading old ground".
However, I recieved the certificate in 2018 and much of what I learned had not gone to use, so I intended upon sitting another full Level 3 course to completion. The wording the advisor used made it clear that I was not likely to have an accepted application to this college, and now I am lost as to what to do.
Is OU a suitable alternative? Am I being misled?
Hi Jonathan and thanks for getting in touch.
Each academic institution has its own entry requirements so we wouldn’t be able to say if you are being misled or being given incorrect advice. However, you can seek free and impartial careers advice from the National Careers Service which is a service for adults living in England. They will look at your study and career goals, your previous study and advise which course or courses would help you to progress without taking any unnecessary study. Their website is at:
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/
If you live in a different part of the UK the following page gives you the relevant careers services you can contact:
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/contact-us
Some universities may offer degrees which incorporate a foundation year or they may ask students who don’t have A levels to do an Access to Higher Education course as entry to a degree programme instead. Access to Higher Education courses are usually offered at local further education colleges. Again, as all universities have different entry requirements, the National Careers Service should be able to advise you about this.
You would be welcome to study with us if you think distance learning is something you would be interested in. You study online from home and fit it around your other commitments. On average students need 16-18 hours a week to study part time and there are no entry requirements. You can see our Computing and IT courses and information on how OU study works at the following pages of our website:
http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/what-is-distance-learning
http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/computing-it
We also offer a Science, technology and maths Access module (Y033) which some students take as a preparatory step for their chosen OU qualification. You can read about this here:
http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/modules/y033
Courses starting in October close for registration on the 10th September. There may also be a February or April start available depending on the course you might want to study with us.
I hope you find this information helpful and do come back to us if needed.