I was considering changing my career path to study something that my grades allowed

What drew you to apply and accept a place on the Foundation Year (FY)?

What drew me to accept a place on the Foundation Year was the chance I thought it would give me to improve my understanding of the subjects I needed in order to progress onto a Physics degree. Despite not doing so well in Mathematics during my previous education, I felt reassured that this course would help me better myself.

The aspect of studying at a Russell Group university made me believe that the standard of teaching would be one of the best.

Additionally, I wasn’t sure whether I would like the university environment or the city of Sheffield, and so accepting a place on the Foundation Year would give me a chance to discover whether Sheffield was the right place for me.

For most students who haven’t studied the right subjects in their previous education or who haven’t achieved as well as they could, the Foundation Year offers another chance to perform better academically, with the help of professionals in their field. Personally, I wasn’t aware of the Foundation Year offered here and only found out during the Open Day.

Prior to this, I was considering changing my career path to study something that my grades allowed. After reading about what the course involved and what its aims were, I realised that it is better to do something I enjoy, and help myself by doing the Foundation Year, than do anything else.

What was your educational background before and what were the main concerns you had before embarking on the course?

Prior to university, I did the International Baccalaureate. My main concerns were that I wouldn’t achieve the grades needed for me to get into university and study the degree I want.

I didn’t have the best experience with the IB as I found that it wasn’t for me. As the IB involved studying six subjects, I found I didn’t get the chance to study Physics and Maths in enough depth, and as a result I didn’t do so well in my Maths exam.

I was worried that because I did so many other subjects, the level at which I was working in Physics and Maths wouldn’t be high enough and that I would find a Physics degree challenging.

In terms of the style of teaching, specifically in Physics, I didn’t get the chance to do very many practicals and it was all very much textbook-based. I knew that a Physics degree would require practical work and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it, due to my lack of experience.

After I received my results, I was concerned that I would experience the same problems on the Foundation Year, in that the style of teaching wouldn’t be right for me and I would struggle. After joining, however, I found that this wasn’t the case.

The Foundation Year is a successful way to bridge the gap between secondary school education and higher education.

Rayna Bocheva

MPhys Physics

How did FY help to prepare you for Year 1 study and beyond?

The Foundation Year offered an engineering module which was perfect for me as I could gain experience in doing practical experiments and writing reports at a university level and standard, which is an extremely valuable skill as most science degrees involve some sort of lab report or written material.

The practicals allowed me to get familiar with lab equipment and the way in which certain lab instruments work, which has helped me tremendously as I am now required to write a lab report a week and I do so with ease!

One of the main aspects which drew me to the Foundation Year here at the University of Sheffield was the concentration of Maths integrated within the course.

For myself and probably many science students, it has been a case where Mathematics is a subject which can seem the most difficult. For me, the way Maths is taught was very important when it came to how well I would understand the topics. The teaching techniques of the Foundation Year course have been some of the best I have had in my whole education.

In each one of the modules taught, there is exceptional organisation and support from all the lecturers and university staff involved. There are frequent tutorials which allow students to get help from lecturers and practice exam questions, which for me wasn’t even available in my other educational experiences.

The support offered in doing the homework made it feel more like a step towards bettering myself and gaining practice as opposed to just a way to get a good grade. The passion and enthusiasm with which the lectures were delivered encouraged me to be more motivated.

What were the big learning points for you during your FY?

During the Foundation Year, I learnt that I do like living and studying here in Sheffield and that making the choice to do this course was the right decision. The Foundation Year is a successful way to bridge the gap between secondary school education and higher education. I would say that this course allows for some comfort in that students get support from lecturers just like in secondary school, but it also teaches independence and encourages independent study.

Although the Foundation Year here at Sheffield is targeted at students who haven’t achieved their desired grades or haven’t studied the right subjects needed for their degree of choice, it would also be perfect for students who aren’t sure whether the university environment is right for them, or even students who need help in becoming more independent.

Of course, it goes without saying that whilst on this course I have met many people and made amazing friends, but I was also given the opportunity to build relationships with the lecturers, who wouldn’t hesitate to help you out even after you’ve completed the course.

What do you enjoy most about your current degree programme?

As a result of my whole Foundation Year experience, I feel much more confident and assured that I can do well in my current degree. Unexpectedly, I even managed to get onto the integrated masters degree for Physics due to my Foundation Year results, which wouldn’t have been a possibility with my grades prior to this.

I love studying Physics here and can honestly say that I can definitely see how the Foundation Year helped prepare me for my degree. I still do practicals and Maths, only now I am much better at the two than I was before!

I feel more at ease with living here in Sheffield as I experienced this during the Foundation Year and so wasn’t overwhelmed by the surroundings during my first year of studying Physics.

I am now used to the style of teaching here at university and have even had the same lecturers teaching me now as I did in the Foundation Year, which allowed me to be more comfortable with asking for help and understanding the material.

The biggest challenge I overcame was believing I am “smart” enough to even do a degree.

Rayna Bocheva

MPhys Physics

What are your favourite things about studying in Sheffield?

In my opinion, and I’m sure many will agree with me, the best thing about studying in Sheffield is the surrounding nature.

The city itself offers a sense of belonging. I enjoy being able to get on a bus, go up to the Peak District and spend a day studying there with no distractions. The city centre itself is only a short walk and there is plenty to do. The university campus is situated right by the city centre, which is great both for nightlife and other amenities such as public transport.

It is a known fact that the Students’ Union here in Sheffield is one of the best in the country, and I can confirm that this is true! It has everything you’d need, from study spaces to music rooms to a cinema.

What has the wider University offered you in terms of support and student community?

The University of Sheffield offers many different types of support in order to ensure students feel welcome and supported no matter what their background, personal needs or interests. It is inclusive of everyone.

As a student with a disability, I have been offered support from the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service, where the staff have organised and ensured any requirements are met when it comes to my studies here. From friends who have had other experiences, I have heard that there are counselling sessions and support groups who are always there to listen.

Even if you do not have any special requirements but enjoy doing activities outside of your field of study, there are plenty of groups and classes to join. Each degree has its own society - for example, Physics has Physoc, where you can meet people with interests like yours.

The societies offer occasional outings, whether it would be a pint at the local pub or ice skating!

How have you overcome challenges so far and what would be your advice to a prospective Foundation Year student?

The biggest challenge I overcame was believing I am “smart” enough to even do a degree. I honestly thought I wasn’t.

Now I realise that it’s not so much about being “smart” or achieving good grades all the time but about working towards bettering yourself. Just because you didn’t do the right subjects or didn’t achieve fantastic grades doesn’t mean you can’t do what you want and enjoy it.

My advice is not to be so harsh on yourself and to give yourself time and another chance - it sometimes happens that things aren’t meant to be. I found what that means is that things aren’t meant to be at that moment in time, not ever. Give yourself another chance to achieve better.

There is no shame in doing a Foundation Year: if anything, it’ll give you an even bigger advantage than your colleagues have.

What are your career aspirations after your degree?

I don’t have specific plans for after my degree. I want to enjoy learning different aspects and topics in Physics and eventually find the right path for me.

There are so many new things and topics that I have learnt and am still learning and enjoy that I don’t think I can pick one specific one out. I’ve never wanted to work in an office only because I enjoy practical work, and so I feel like I’d like to one day work in a laboratory environment.

For now, I’d like to focus my time on learning new and different things, as opposed to planning the future. I wouldn’t have planned to be on the Foundation Year, but it was the best turn of events for me.