Foundation Degree in Computing (～￣▽￣)～ My Diary
Hi Everyone, I'm Niall!
I recently found a new interest software and am looking for a career change in to this industry. I have just finished a software bootcamp, most of the jobs I am applying for require a degree, so...
I decided to enrol on an online degree pathway (Computing) with Learn Direct. Apparently it is possible to do the foundation in less than a year, and the final year will be a placement at University of Bolton.
Seeing as it's completely online this diary seemed like a good way to keep me motivated, hopefully getting good (or bad) feedback from you guys
So let's see if I can do this...
Week 1
• I read through unit 1: information and guidance
• I read through unit 2: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 1
• I read through unit 3: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 2
• I read the first assignment, criteria etc. I have to use the info from units 2 and 3 to:
1.Create some slides to educate staff of a fictional company.
2.Prepare some short articles to go on the company intranet.
3.Prepare 6 IT job roles and present them on a table.
Thoughts
The mindfulness tips were really helpful for me as I can get stressed easily after studying for 1hr+
I bought one of those pomodoro timers to help with time management
I speed-read through units 2 and 3. I'll be going back to them for reference when I start my assignment
Level 4 Diploma : 4% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
I recently found a new interest software and am looking for a career change in to this industry. I have just finished a software bootcamp, most of the jobs I am applying for require a degree, so...
I decided to enrol on an online degree pathway (Computing) with Learn Direct. Apparently it is possible to do the foundation in less than a year, and the final year will be a placement at University of Bolton.
Seeing as it's completely online this diary seemed like a good way to keep me motivated, hopefully getting good (or bad) feedback from you guys
So let's see if I can do this...
Week 1
• I read through unit 1: information and guidance
• I read through unit 2: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 1
• I read through unit 3: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 2
• I read the first assignment, criteria etc. I have to use the info from units 2 and 3 to:
1.Create some slides to educate staff of a fictional company.
2.Prepare some short articles to go on the company intranet.
3.Prepare 6 IT job roles and present them on a table.
Thoughts
The mindfulness tips were really helpful for me as I can get stressed easily after studying for 1hr+
I bought one of those pomodoro timers to help with time management
I speed-read through units 2 and 3. I'll be going back to them for reference when I start my assignment
Level 4 Diploma : 4% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
(edited 9 months ago)
Reply 1
niall242
OP
4
Week 2
Thoughts
Learning about the legislation was more interesting than I thought it would be
2hrs studying a day seems to be the standard I have settled on
My tutor has messaged me and passed me on the 1st assignment, which was really just me confirming I understand the induction and guidance (technically I am on assignment 2).
Level 4 Diploma : 8% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
•
I finished first draft of about half of the assignment
•
A lot of researching UK laws with regards to digital marketing - mainly taking notes from Youtube videos.
Thoughts
Learning about the legislation was more interesting than I thought it would be
2hrs studying a day seems to be the standard I have settled on
My tutor has messaged me and passed me on the 1st assignment, which was really just me confirming I understand the induction and guidance (technically I am on assignment 2).
Level 4 Diploma : 8% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Reply 2
niall242
OP
4
Week 3
• First draft done. That's a powerpoint presentation, 4 short essays and an excel spreadsheet
Thoughts
Took longer than I expected. It seemed like a relatively big assignment
Level 4 Diploma : 8% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
• First draft done. That's a powerpoint presentation, 4 short essays and an excel spreadsheet
Thoughts
Took longer than I expected. It seemed like a relatively big assignment
Level 4 Diploma : 8% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Reply 3
niall242
OP
4
Week 4 & 5
Finished second draft and sent message to tutor asking if he can review it before I submit it.
Thoughts
I basically had to do a crash course on how to edit in powerpoint and excel, as its been so long since I used them. I'm looking forward to a more straightforward word assignment.
Level 4 Diploma : 8% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Finished second draft and sent message to tutor asking if he can review it before I submit it.
Thoughts
I basically had to do a crash course on how to edit in powerpoint and excel, as its been so long since I used them. I'm looking forward to a more straightforward word assignment.
Level 4 Diploma : 8% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Reply 4
niall242
OP
4
Week 6
Read through next unit - IT Systems Development.
The next assignment:
I have drafted 1 and half way through 2
Thoughts
Looks like more powerpoint work. I am seriously considering getting the paid version. Does anyone use the paid version and is it worth getting?
Level 4 Diploma : 12% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Read through next unit - IT Systems Development.
The next assignment:
1.
Create a presentation on the systems development lifecycle for a fictional company
2.
Document a system using flow chart and other diagrams
3.
Prepare a feasibility report
4.
Design and present a solution
Thoughts
Looks like more powerpoint work. I am seriously considering getting the paid version. Does anyone use the paid version and is it worth getting?
Level 4 Diploma : 12% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Reply 5
Original post by niall242
Hi Everyone, I'm Niall!
I recently found a new interest software and am looking for a career change in to this industry. I have just finished a software bootcamp, most of the jobs I am applying for require a degree, so...
I decided to enrol on an online degree pathway (Computing) with Learn Direct. Apparently it is possible to do the foundation in less than a year, and the final year will be a placement at University of Bolton.
Seeing as it's completely online this diary seemed like a good way to keep me motivated, hopefully getting good (or bad) feedback from you guys
So let's see if I can do this...
Week 1
• I read through unit 1: information and guidance
• I read through unit 2: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 1
• I read through unit 3: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 2
• I read the first assignment, criteria etc. I have to use the info from units 2 and 3 to:
1.Create some slides to educate staff of a fictional company.
2.Prepare some short articles to go on the company intranet.
3.Prepare 6 IT job roles and present them on a table.
Thoughts
The mindfulness tips were really helpful for me as I can get stressed easily after studying for 1hr+
I bought one of those pomodoro timers to help with time management
I speed-read through units 2 and 3. I'll be going back to them for reference when I start my assignment
Level 4 Diploma : 4% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
I recently found a new interest software and am looking for a career change in to this industry. I have just finished a software bootcamp, most of the jobs I am applying for require a degree, so...
I decided to enrol on an online degree pathway (Computing) with Learn Direct. Apparently it is possible to do the foundation in less than a year, and the final year will be a placement at University of Bolton.
Seeing as it's completely online this diary seemed like a good way to keep me motivated, hopefully getting good (or bad) feedback from you guys
So let's see if I can do this...
Week 1
• I read through unit 1: information and guidance
• I read through unit 2: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 1
• I read through unit 3: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 2
• I read the first assignment, criteria etc. I have to use the info from units 2 and 3 to:
1.Create some slides to educate staff of a fictional company.
2.Prepare some short articles to go on the company intranet.
3.Prepare 6 IT job roles and present them on a table.
Thoughts
The mindfulness tips were really helpful for me as I can get stressed easily after studying for 1hr+
I bought one of those pomodoro timers to help with time management
I speed-read through units 2 and 3. I'll be going back to them for reference when I start my assignment
Level 4 Diploma : 4% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Hi Niall! Congratulations on taking this big step toward your career change into software development. It's great that you're documenting your journey - this can indeed be very helpful for staying motivated and tracking your progress.
A few positive observations from your first week:
•
Structured Learning Approach: You're systematically working through the units and clearly organizing your learning materials. This is excellent practice for software development work.
•
Time Management: Your decision to use a Pomodoro timer is brilliant! This technique is popular among developers because:
•
It helps prevent burnout
•
Improves focus during work sessions
•
Encourages regular breaks for better productivity
•
Self-Awareness: Recognizing that mindfulness helps with study stress is valuable. Software development can be mentally intensive, so having stress management strategies is important.
•
For the IT job roles table, consider including roles like:
•
Software Developer
•
DevOps Engineer
•
System Administrator
•
Data Analyst
•
Cloud Architect
•
Security Specialist
•
When creating educational slides, remember the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid) - a fundamental concept in both teaching and coding.
Reply 6
niall242
OP
4
Week 7 and 8
1, 2 and 3 done still working my way through 4
Learning how to use draw.io
Learning how to neaten up excel spreadsheets
built DFD diagrams
built ERD diagrams
built flow charts
built a wireframe diagram
built about 6 spreadsheets
Thoughts
I decided on a normal word file for part 4 with links to various spreadsheets and charts throughout.
This a huge project. I am essentially redesigning a company from the ground up. In the real world, a team of professionals would be assigned to this. I don't think it's very fair as the second assignment.
First assignment has come back as a refer, although notes from the tutor initially said merit?? Not a big deal though only a few things to add.
Level 4 Diploma : 19% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
1, 2 and 3 done still working my way through 4
Learning how to use draw.io
Learning how to neaten up excel spreadsheets
built DFD diagrams
built ERD diagrams
built flow charts
built a wireframe diagram
built about 6 spreadsheets
Thoughts
I decided on a normal word file for part 4 with links to various spreadsheets and charts throughout.
This a huge project. I am essentially redesigning a company from the ground up. In the real world, a team of professionals would be assigned to this. I don't think it's very fair as the second assignment.
First assignment has come back as a refer, although notes from the tutor initially said merit?? Not a big deal though only a few things to add.
Level 4 Diploma : 19% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Reply 7
niall242
OP
4
Week 9 and 10
Assignment 2 is done. In the end it consisted of 4 word files, 7 spreadsheets, 11 pngs and a powerpoint file. I will submit when Assignment 1 is done.
Assignment 1 still needs updating with reference to tutor notes. I've done 6 notes, 8 more left. Just doing these in my own time, no rush.
Thoughts
Learnt a lot about making a nice looking word document with added links. Also learnt about putting them all in a zip file so should be very easy to send to tutor. I hope I get faster at finishing these assignments. Because they are all available to me, it might a good idea to partially do 1, then move on to another, and get back to it when I feel like it.
Level 4 Diploma : 19% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Assignment 2 is done. In the end it consisted of 4 word files, 7 spreadsheets, 11 pngs and a powerpoint file. I will submit when Assignment 1 is done.
Assignment 1 still needs updating with reference to tutor notes. I've done 6 notes, 8 more left. Just doing these in my own time, no rush.
Thoughts
Learnt a lot about making a nice looking word document with added links. Also learnt about putting them all in a zip file so should be very easy to send to tutor. I hope I get faster at finishing these assignments. Because they are all available to me, it might a good idea to partially do 1, then move on to another, and get back to it when I feel like it.
Level 4 Diploma : 19% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Reply 8
niall242
OP
4
Week ??
It's been a while since last thread. I have had alot of work related issues recently, but that's all sorted. I can now allocate more time to studying.
Assignment 1 was marked as Merit/Distinction
Assignment 2 has just been sent to the tutor
Assignment 3 is done. It was creating a train ticket system using Python, with all supporting documents
Assignment 4 is done. It was designing a database for a uniform app, presented in a design brief
Assignment 5 has been started. The first part - creating a 20 question quiz on computing, was finished today. The second part I can't remember what is was
Thoughts
My Python app was too complicated, I finally did finish it but it was too ambitious. I learnt alot about TKinter
Also know how to use git and Github now. I created a version control primer which I can look back on if I need to
I did buy Microsoft office in the end. It's only £3.99 a month with student discount
I'll be an expert at excel and powerpoint by the time this course is over I'm sure, (so many presentations)
Level 4 Diploma : 27% complete (but once the assignments are sent off it will be more like 40%)
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
It's been a while since last thread. I have had alot of work related issues recently, but that's all sorted. I can now allocate more time to studying.
Assignment 1 was marked as Merit/Distinction
Assignment 2 has just been sent to the tutor
Assignment 3 is done. It was creating a train ticket system using Python, with all supporting documents
Assignment 4 is done. It was designing a database for a uniform app, presented in a design brief
Assignment 5 has been started. The first part - creating a 20 question quiz on computing, was finished today. The second part I can't remember what is was
Thoughts
My Python app was too complicated, I finally did finish it but it was too ambitious. I learnt alot about TKinter
Also know how to use git and Github now. I created a version control primer which I can look back on if I need to
I did buy Microsoft office in the end. It's only £3.99 a month with student discount
I'll be an expert at excel and powerpoint by the time this course is over I'm sure, (so many presentations)
Level 4 Diploma : 27% complete (but once the assignments are sent off it will be more like 40%)
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Reply 9
niall242
OP
4
Assignment 2 came back as a merit 🎉
Assignment 3 has been submitted
Assignment 5 is done. It is basically creating a software solution for a payment company, similar to assignment 2, but with bigger emphasis on cyber security
Assignment 6 is done. It was working with MySQL to manipulate a database, and also explain why data needs to be combined and clean
Working on assignment 7. This is focusing on the architecture of data
Thoughts
I am active on the learndirect community app if anyone's interested, user name NQ212
Level 4 Diploma : 35% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Assignment 3 has been submitted
Assignment 5 is done. It is basically creating a software solution for a payment company, similar to assignment 2, but with bigger emphasis on cyber security
Assignment 6 is done. It was working with MySQL to manipulate a database, and also explain why data needs to be combined and clean
Working on assignment 7. This is focusing on the architecture of data
Thoughts
I am active on the learndirect community app if anyone's interested, user name NQ212
Level 4 Diploma : 35% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Reply 10
Original post by niall242
Hi Everyone, I'm Niall!
I recently found a new interest software and am looking for a career change in to this industry. I have just finished a software bootcamp, most of the jobs I am applying for require a degree, so...
I decided to enrol on an online degree pathway (Computing) with Learn Direct. Apparently it is possible to do the foundation in less than a year, and the final year will be a placement at University of Bolton.
Seeing as it's completely online this diary seemed like a good way to keep me motivated, hopefully getting good (or bad) feedback from you guys
So let's see if I can do this...
Week 1
• I read through unit 1: information and guidance
• I read through unit 2: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 1
• I read through unit 3: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 2
• I read the first assignment, criteria etc. I have to use the info from units 2 and 3 to:
1.Create some slides to educate staff of a fictional company.
2.Prepare some short articles to go on the company intranet.
3.Prepare 6 IT job roles and present them on a table.
Thoughts
The mindfulness tips were really helpful for me as I can get stressed easily after studying for 1hr+
I bought one of those pomodoro timers to help with time management
I speed-read through units 2 and 3. I'll be going back to them for reference when I start my assignment
Level 4 Diploma : 4% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
I recently found a new interest software and am looking for a career change in to this industry. I have just finished a software bootcamp, most of the jobs I am applying for require a degree, so...
I decided to enrol on an online degree pathway (Computing) with Learn Direct. Apparently it is possible to do the foundation in less than a year, and the final year will be a placement at University of Bolton.
Seeing as it's completely online this diary seemed like a good way to keep me motivated, hopefully getting good (or bad) feedback from you guys
So let's see if I can do this...
Week 1
• I read through unit 1: information and guidance
• I read through unit 2: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 1
• I read through unit 3: legislation, regulation, ethics and codes of practice - part 2
• I read the first assignment, criteria etc. I have to use the info from units 2 and 3 to:
1.Create some slides to educate staff of a fictional company.
2.Prepare some short articles to go on the company intranet.
3.Prepare 6 IT job roles and present them on a table.
Thoughts
The mindfulness tips were really helpful for me as I can get stressed easily after studying for 1hr+
I bought one of those pomodoro timers to help with time management
I speed-read through units 2 and 3. I'll be going back to them for reference when I start my assignment
Level 4 Diploma : 4% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Please keep us up to date as I am also considering the Computing degree pathway. I'm a career changer and don't want to spend a whole 3 years at a bricks and mortar uni ,I have bills to pay and kids to feed lol.
Reply 11
niall242
OP
4
Every assignment up to 7 is done. 4 more left for this diploma
assignment 3 was referred because of a few missing sections. They were added and resubmitted
Thoughts
Actually looking forward to the next assignment, where I will be designing and creating a website, with chat features - similar to this website!
Level 4 Diploma : 35% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
assignment 3 was referred because of a few missing sections. They were added and resubmitted
Thoughts
Actually looking forward to the next assignment, where I will be designing and creating a website, with chat features - similar to this website!
Level 4 Diploma : 35% complete
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Reply 12
niall242
OP
4
Only 2 more assignments left to finish
The website was completed and tested using friends/family. The next assignment was to create an app to help with local recycling. That took a while as I had to learn a new language (Dart). That will probably be added to the app store at some point if its free.
I have just had an email from the college saying they need references. This is something I have stupidly ignored and I now have to go through all my assignments adding references.
How do you guys decide what to reference? What if it was a search result from Google AI assistant, do I have to reference that as well? What if it is something I learned from a book years ago and can't remember the name or author of the book?
Thoughts
I am stilling aiming to get this course completed by the end of September, meaning after several months of moderation, I could enrol for the top up degree next April
Level 4 Diploma : 66% complete (2 merits, 5 distinctions)
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
The website was completed and tested using friends/family. The next assignment was to create an app to help with local recycling. That took a while as I had to learn a new language (Dart). That will probably be added to the app store at some point if its free.
I have just had an email from the college saying they need references. This is something I have stupidly ignored and I now have to go through all my assignments adding references.
How do you guys decide what to reference? What if it was a search result from Google AI assistant, do I have to reference that as well? What if it is something I learned from a book years ago and can't remember the name or author of the book?
Thoughts
I am stilling aiming to get this course completed by the end of September, meaning after several months of moderation, I could enrol for the top up degree next April
Level 4 Diploma : 66% complete (2 merits, 5 distinctions)
Level 5 Diploma: 0% complete
Quick Reply
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