Foundation Year Programmes

I'm a prospective mature, international student moving from the US to the UK. 

Are there any others of you out there like me?  What I'm interested in learning now is anyone else's personal experiences with Foundatin Year programmes.  Is this a requirement in my situation before starting the degree programme? 

I have no US degree that would transfer in any way to a UK uni and haven't attended formal schooling in a number of years.  Never took an SAT or ACT test (even if I had, it would've been over 25 years ago!).

The International Office of the one university I have contacted by email hasn't answered my email, but has sent me a packet of information in which Foundation Year programmes figure prominently.

Any other mature students out there who have any experience with this?

Hi, juliloew. I'm a "mature" student (hate that phrase!  ) doing my Master's at the Univ. of London in psychology.... I had to do a "conversion course" last year - not sure if that's the same as a foundation course? It was basically a year's review of everything I'd already done in the US but was a requirement of my professional organization (British Psychological Society) rather than my university in order to gain registration priviledges.... It was a huge waste of a year, but I sucked it up 'cause there was absolutely no way around it - and believe me I tried!  One thing I can tell you is this - some universities will waive part of the course if you can prove that course work you've already done was an exact equivilent and that you achieved a good enough grade. I applied to a few "ex-poly" univiersities that may have been more desperate for international student money, and at least one (Guildhall in London) agreed to waive one term's worth of coursework for me....

Hey,

I found my foundation course dead helpful but then I was not only changing countries but also courses.  I got my first BS in Automotive mechanics technologies and I did the foundation here at Loughborough before I got accepted to the Beng in Automotive engineering.  I found it very helpful, as I had no background in many science subjects i.e.: physics, chemistry, calculus.  So depending on what you want to study and what your background is the foundation course might be helpful indeed!

Mike

foundation course gets you better acclimated to the UK educational curricullum. I think is well helpful and pretty much standard for all "mature students" I did a degree in the US but had to do a CFP in my studies.  The essay writting style is different so it was a real lifesaver get used to a much british style of writing. Not only that but I've spent so much time dealing with individuals that had English as a second language as well as children...so their broken english has rubbed off.  It's a good thing to have that foundation program first so you can get into the swing of things as a "scruffy student"