Uni Choice.. Foundation 1 or Year 0..
Discussion
I'm doing Mechanical Engineering next year, and I have all the offers I want.. I have to choose my Firm, and Insurance choices now. I guess i'm just looking for a second opinion on what i'm doing..
I have an offer for the University of Liverpool (I want to go there) but it involves me going into Year 0 (A bit of a Foundation Year), whereas I also have an offer for John Moores University which will take me into Year 1. The grades to get into Year 1 at John Moore's are less than the grades to get into Year 0 at The University of Liverpool (CCC and BCC).
The way it stands I cant get into Year 1 at the University of Liverpool. I'm already taking a year out to repeat a few exams, but because the specification has changed, the exams I did in January were the last chance to do Physics and ICT. I can still repeat more Maths exams in May, but the best I can come out with is ACC; which wouldn't be good enough.
So i'm just wondering.. does it make sense to take another year in order to graduate from the University I want to?
When I go for a job, are they likely to look at the year out, as well as the Foundation year.. or will they really just care about the degree I have in the end?
I have an offer for the University of Liverpool (I want to go there) but it involves me going into Year 0 (A bit of a Foundation Year), whereas I also have an offer for John Moores University which will take me into Year 1. The grades to get into Year 1 at John Moore's are less than the grades to get into Year 0 at The University of Liverpool (CCC and BCC).
The way it stands I cant get into Year 1 at the University of Liverpool. I'm already taking a year out to repeat a few exams, but because the specification has changed, the exams I did in January were the last chance to do Physics and ICT. I can still repeat more Maths exams in May, but the best I can come out with is ACC; which wouldn't be good enough.
So i'm just wondering.. does it make sense to take another year in order to graduate from the University I want to?
When I go for a job, are they likely to look at the year out, as well as the Foundation year.. or will they really just care about the degree I have in the end?
I am doing a foundation year for mechanical engineering at Sheffield Hallam, although my year involves other aspects of engineering.
What I can say from my point of view, is that the foundation year is harder that the first 2 years. And in some cases the 3rd year. A fair few people, teachers included, have stated this. I'm not sure how similar our courses are though. Do you have a UCAS code or link?
If you do it, your next 2 years will be a doddle.
What I can say from my point of view, is that the foundation year is harder that the first 2 years. And in some cases the 3rd year. A fair few people, teachers included, have stated this. I'm not sure how similar our courses are though. Do you have a UCAS code or link?
If you do it, your next 2 years will be a doddle.
Ross1988 said:
I am doing a foundation year for mechanical engineering at Sheffield Hallam, although my year involves other aspects of engineering.
What I can say from my point of view, is that the foundation year is harder that the first 2 years. And in some cases the 3rd year. A fair few people, teachers included, have stated this. I'm not sure how similar our courses are though. Do you have a UCAS code or link?
If you do it, your next 2 years will be a doddle.
http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/H310.htmWhat I can say from my point of view, is that the foundation year is harder that the first 2 years. And in some cases the 3rd year. A fair few people, teachers included, have stated this. I'm not sure how similar our courses are though. Do you have a UCAS code or link?
If you do it, your next 2 years will be a doddle.
This is the course itself.
Conor D said:
Ross1988 said:
I am doing a foundation year for mechanical engineering at Sheffield Hallam, although my year involves other aspects of engineering.
What I can say from my point of view, is that the foundation year is harder that the first 2 years. And in some cases the 3rd year. A fair few people, teachers included, have stated this. I'm not sure how similar our courses are though. Do you have a UCAS code or link?
If you do it, your next 2 years will be a doddle.
http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/H310.htmWhat I can say from my point of view, is that the foundation year is harder that the first 2 years. And in some cases the 3rd year. A fair few people, teachers included, have stated this. I'm not sure how similar our courses are though. Do you have a UCAS code or link?
If you do it, your next 2 years will be a doddle.
This is the course itself.
That's a link to my current course, only quickly nosed at your course, as I am in a bit of a rush.
I would recommend to you doing the foundation year, it will be hard, if it's anything like mine, but it will be worthwhile.
Have you done the maths assessment yet? What where the questions like?
As a point of reference (bear in mind I was not very good at maths, hence me doing this course), we are currently studying derivation, complex numbers and logic, in our engineering principals lessons, we are doing centri-pedal and centi-petal forces and angular motion.
If you know this, then foundation year is pointless and will be a doddle, and your degree wont be a massive increase from this, so I am led to believe.
If not then do the foundation year.
Edited by Ross1988 on Tuesday 20th April 18:29
I did a foundation year when I did mechanical engineering degree, few things to note,
You'll will be doing the same stuff as A level maths and a bit of engineering on the side.
we were told only around 30% of people who start the foundation year will graduate and it's true.
it's a the easiest year of work you'll do, however don't forget to pick up the pace when you hit year 1.
job's wise, a foundation year will have little effect,
you will be better off going to a better uni and doing a foundation year than going to rubbish uni and starting at level 1, this is what I did.
You'll will be doing the same stuff as A level maths and a bit of engineering on the side.
we were told only around 30% of people who start the foundation year will graduate and it's true.
it's a the easiest year of work you'll do, however don't forget to pick up the pace when you hit year 1.
job's wise, a foundation year will have little effect,
you will be better off going to a better uni and doing a foundation year than going to rubbish uni and starting at level 1, this is what I did.
Ross1988 said:
What I can say from my point of view, is that the foundation year is harder that the first 2 years. And in some cases the 3rd year. A fair few people, teachers included, have stated this.
thanks for that, most amusing.OP: how are your maths skills? buy a copy of this book, its the definitive text and will be on your reading list:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Engineering-Mathematics-6t...
much of any aero/mech. orientated theory modules [thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, structural mechanics etc.] revolve around advanced differentiation/integration, fourier transforms etc. any of the practical elements of the course are a doddle in comparison.
my question to you would be do you need an extra year of study to learn this or are you happy with putting the hours in on year one of the proper course? on most courses, the first year only counts for 5-10% of the final mark in any case. i would imagine its a better use of your time to go straight to year one and look at transferring onto the MEeng course during your 3rd year and come out with a better qualification.
i studied at £1025 a year tuition fees, what are yours? do students these days look at the amount they are paying to study and still think 'wooo, i'm going to get f
ked up on drugs & booze in my 1st year?' another anecdote: one of my coursemates got CCC at A level. he put the hours in when required, concentrating on his weak maths and graduated with a 2:1 - 67%.
as for liverpool vs john moores, i'd always go 'proper' uni over former polytechnic. a lot of the old guard of hiring engineers still view them differently.
Shay HTFC said:
And the foundation year will be another year at uni = live freely getting pissed when you want, going to bed when you want, waking up when you want, shagging who you wantshagging who you want eating what you want, in general doing whatever the fk you want. Its good!
I missed out on the free rohypnol!k you want. Its good!Well like I said, I was told by teacher it would be a hard year compared to the rest of the engineering degrees in Sheffield.
But if you keep at it and pick it up, it's not massively hard, I've struggled to a certain degree, but I know most of my course has struggled a lot more.
Anyway, more importantly, sort your student loan out/beer tokens, they were massively late with mine and most others last year, get in quick
koolchris99 said:
do the foundation year. it will be piss easy anyway and its just to get your maths/phy upto scratch.
Don't agree with it being piss easy. I did the Foundation Year when I started at Loughborough and it was sodding hard work (40hours if I remember correctly whilst a lot of my friends in their first year were on around 20). I found that during the foundation year, you learn, and are taught, to use all of the facilities available to you throughout your time at uni. You will be a a better position than the people who start directly on your Mech Eng course next year plus you have the time to build up a relationship with your tutors. This is a valuable thing to do as they will be more inclined to help you with problems further down the line.
krallicious said:
koolchris99 said:
do the foundation year. it will be piss easy anyway and its just to get your maths/phy upto scratch.
Don't agree with it being piss easy. I did the Foundation Year when I started at Loughborough and it was sodding hard work (40hours if I remember correctly whilst a lot of my friends in their first year were on around 20). I found that during the foundation year, you learn, and are taught, to use all of the facilities available to you throughout your time at uni. You will be a a better position than the people who start directly on your Mech Eng course next year plus you have the time to build up a relationship with your tutors. This is a valuable thing to do as they will be more inclined to help you with problems further down the line.
shirt said:
Ross1988 said:
What I can say from my point of view, is that the foundation year is harder that the first 2 years. And in some cases the 3rd year. A fair few people, teachers included, have stated this.
thanks for that, most amusing.OP: how are your maths skills? buy a copy of this book, its the definitive text and will be on your reading list:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Engineering-Mathematics-6t...
much of any aero/mech. orientated theory modules [thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, structural mechanics etc.] revolve around advanced differentiation/integration, fourier transforms etc. any of the practical elements of the course are a doddle in comparison.
my question to you would be do you need an extra year of study to learn this or are you happy with putting the hours in on year one of the proper course? on most courses, the first year only counts for 5-10% of the final mark in any case. i would imagine its a better use of your time to go straight to year one and look at transferring onto the MEeng course during your 3rd year and come out with a better qualification.
i studied at £1025 a year tuition fees, what are yours? do students these days look at the amount they are paying to study and still think 'wooo, i'm going to get f
ked up on drugs & booze in my 1st year?' another anecdote: one of my coursemates got CCC at A level. he put the hours in when required, concentrating on his weak maths and graduated with a 2:1 - 67%.
as for liverpool vs john moores, i'd always go 'proper' uni over former polytechnic. a lot of the old guard of hiring engineers still view them differently.
Piss taking aside though, I'm going from what I have been told, I am still doing my foundation year, so have no idea what it is like compared to the first and second years.
there's simply no way that a foundation can be harder than the degree. if so, i would be seriously questioning my choice of university.
i did a 4yr straight through MEng at manchester. i would say that the maths is harder than the comparitive year's pure maths course, but thats it. in first year, i was in 9-5/6pm every day. even in the 3rd year we had 26hrs a week of lectures - more than the medics!
i did a 4yr straight through MEng at manchester. i would say that the maths is harder than the comparitive year's pure maths course, but thats it. in first year, i was in 9-5/6pm every day. even in the 3rd year we had 26hrs a week of lectures - more than the medics!
Fair point, well made, but in my defence, my university, Sheffield Hallam, is not of great engineering prowess, and it does do some really easy engineering course.
I was making a point of the foundation year being harder than some of these, of course my foundation year is not going to be as hard as some of the Ieng, Meng or Ceng courses available, but some of the other 2 year foundation degrees, Bsc and some Beng degrees are not that difficult,and I have also been told, there will be a step down in ability on some of these courses
Sorry for any confusion, I know an Meng is not as hard as foundation, nor did I mean to imply that, apologies for any miss-communication from my end.
I was making a point of the foundation year being harder than some of these, of course my foundation year is not going to be as hard as some of the Ieng, Meng or Ceng courses available, but some of the other 2 year foundation degrees, Bsc and some Beng degrees are not that difficult,and I have also been told, there will be a step down in ability on some of these courses
Sorry for any confusion, I know an Meng is not as hard as foundation, nor did I mean to imply that, apologies for any miss-communication from my end.
koolchris99 said:
krallicious said:
koolchris99 said:
do the foundation year. it will be piss easy anyway and its just to get your maths/phy upto scratch.
Don't agree with it being piss easy. I did the Foundation Year when I started at Loughborough and it was sodding hard work (40hours if I remember correctly whilst a lot of my friends in their first year were on around 20). I found that during the foundation year, you learn, and are taught, to use all of the facilities available to you throughout your time at uni. You will be a a better position than the people who start directly on your Mech Eng course next year plus you have the time to build up a relationship with your tutors. This is a valuable thing to do as they will be more inclined to help you with problems further down the line.
Conor D said:
mdm123 said:
we were told only around 30% of people who start the foundation year will graduate and it's true.
Why is that?
I did Engineering at Southampton, and the foundation year students seemed to think it was a complete waste of time in general. It was usually recommended to mature students, or those that had taken a significant break from study - I got the impression that it was designed to get you up to degree speed as it were.
Most of us (say 80% of the class) hadn't done it, but then we'd all come straight from school as it were.
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