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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software - Canva

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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software - Canva

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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software - Canva

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You are required to complete 37 hours of work experience. That can be a combination of individual placements and work assigned to you by PlayTonic Games, and other partner studios, where they will lead you through tasks and feedback to you directly. Here is a link to more information.

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ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY - WHAT IS YOURS? PUNCT. MIN. 97% - ATT. MIN - 90%

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ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY - WHAT IS YOURS? PUNCT. MIN. 97% - ATT. MIN - 90%

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As a reminder from your first year, go to bsdc.ac.uk and navigate to the Learner Access Hub. Then click on ProPortal. Here you can check your second year:

minimum expected grade

aspirational grade

attendance and punctuality figures

coursework grades

targets and other comments

https://ilp.bsdc.ac.uk/

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Log in by selecting Burton & South Derbyshire College first, then using your college login and password when prompted. Answer the questions as accurately as you can. Read the questions carefully - your answers will help us to help you develop your digital skills. When complete, you will be given a report. Download this as a PDF and submit it here

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This page continues from our page: Planning an Essay, the essential first step to successful essay writing.

This page assumes that you have already planned your essay, you have taken time to understand the essay question, gathered information that you intend to use, and have produced a skeleton plan of you essay - taking into account your word limit.

This page is concerned with the actual writing of your essay, it provides some guidelines for good practice as well as some common mistakes you'll want to avoid.

Structuring Your Essay

An essay should be written in a flowing manner with each sentence following on logically from the previous one and with appropriate signposts to guide the reader.

An essay usually takes the following structured format:

The introduction

The main body: a development of the issues

A conclusion

A list of references of the sources of information you have used

The Introduction

The function of the introduction is simply to introduce the subject, to explain how you understand the question, and describe briefly how you intend to deal with it.

You could begin by defining essential terms, providing a brief historical or personal context if appropriate, and/or by explaining why you think the subject is significant or interesting.

Warning

Some people are far too ambitious in writing their introductions. Writing a lengthy introduction limits the number of words available for the main body of the assignment.

Keep the introduction short, preferably to one or two paragraphs and keep it, succinct, to the point.

Some students find it best to write a provisional introduction, when starting to write an essay, and then to rewrite this when they have finished the first draft of their essay. To write a provisional introduction, ask yourself what the reader needs to know in order to follow your subsequent discussion.

Other students write the introduction after they have written the main body of the essay - do whatever feels right for you and the piece of work you are writing.

The Main Body: A Development of the Issues

Essays are generally a blend of researched evidence (e.g. from additional reading) and comment.

Some students' essays amount to catalogues of factual material or summaries of other people's thoughts, attitudes, philosophies or viewpoints.

At the opposite extreme, other students express only personal opinions with little or no researched evidence or examples taken from other writers to support their views. What is needed is a balance.

The balance between other researchers' and writers' analysis of the subject and your own comment will vary with the subject and the nature of the question. Generally, it is important to back up the points you wish to make from your experience with the findings of other published researchers and writers.

You will have likely been given a reading list or some core text books to read. Use these as your research base but try to expand on what is said and read around the subject as fully as you can. Always keep a note of your sources as you go along.

You will be encouraged and expected to cite other authors or to quote or paraphrase from books that you have read. The most important requirement is that the material you cite or use should illustrate, or provide evidence of, the point you are making. How much evidence you use depends on the type of essay you are writing.

If you want a weight of evidence on some factual point, bring in two or three examples but no more.

Quotations should not be used as a substitute for your own words. A quote should always have an explanation in your own words to show its significance to your argument.

When you are citing another author's text you should always indicate exactly where the evidence comes from with a reference, i.e. give the author's name, date of publication and the page number in your work. A full reference should also be provided in the reference list at the end.

See our page: Academic Referencing for more information.

A Conclusion

At the end of an essay you should include a short conclusion, the purpose of which is to sum up or draw a conclusion from your argument or comparison of viewpoints.

In other words, indicate what has been learned or accomplished. The conclusion is also a good place to mention questions that are left open or further issues which you recognise, but which do not come within the scope of your essay.

Neither the conclusion, nor the introduction, should totally summarise your whole argument: if you try this, you are in danger of writing another assignment that simply repeats the whole case over again.

References

You must include a reference list or bibliography at the end of your work.

One common downfall is to not reference adequately and be accused of plagiarism. If you have directly quoted any other author's text you should always indicate exactly where the evidence comes from in a reference. If you have read other documents in order to contrast your argument then these should also be referenced.

See our page: Academic Referencing for a more comprehensive look at the importance of referencing and how to reference properly.

Signposting or Guiding your Reader

When writing an essay it is good practice to consider your reader.

To guide the reader through your work you will need to inform them where you are starting from (in the introduction), where you are going (as the essay progresses), and where you have been (in the conclusion).

It is helpful to keep the reader informed as to the development of the argument. You can do this by using simple statements or questions that serve to introduce, summarise or link the different aspects of your subject.

Here are a few examples:

There are two reasons for this: first,... second,...

Moreover, it should not be forgotten that...

With regard to the question of...

Another important factor to be considered is...

How can these facts be interpreted? The first point...

There are several views on this question. The first is...

Finally, it is important to consider...

Constructing Paragraphs

One important way of guiding the reader through your essay is by using paragraphs.

Paragraphs show when you have come to the end of one main point and the beginning of the next. A paragraph is a group of sentences related to aspects of the same point. Within each individual paragraph an idea is introduced and developed through the subsequent sentences within that paragraph.

Everyone finds it easier to read a text that is broken into short paragraphs.

Without paragraphs, and the spaces between them, the page will appear like an indigestible mass of words.

You should construct your essay as a sequence of distinct points set out in a rational order.

Each sentence and paragraph should follow logically from the one before and it is important that you do not force your reader to make the connections. Always make these connections clear signposting where the argument or discussion is going next.

Although the points you are making may seem obvious to you, can they be more clearly and simply stated?

It is also worth bearing in mind that the marker of your work may have a lot of other, similar pieces of work to mark and assess. Try to make yours easy to read and follow - make it stand out, for the right reasons!

Essay Style

There are two general misconceptions about essay style:

One is that a good essay should be written in a formal, impersonal way with a good scattering of long words and long, complicated sentences.

The other misconception is to write as we talk. Such a style is fine for personal letters or notes, but not in an essay. You can be personal, but a certain degree of formality and objectivity is expected in an academic essay.

The important requirement of style is clarity and precision of expression.

Where appropriate use simple and logical language and write in full or complete sentences. You should avoid jargon, especially jargon that is not directly connected to your subject area. You can be personal by offering your own viewpoint on an issue, or by using that view to interpret other authors' work and conclusions.

Drafts and Rewriting

Most essays can be improved by a thorough edit.

You can cross out one word and substitute another, change the shape or emphasis of a sentence, remove inconsistencies of thought or terminology, remove repetitions and ensure there is adequate referencing.

In short, you are your first reader, edit and criticise your own work to make it better. Sometimes it is useful to read your essay out loud.

Another useful exercise is to ask someone else to read the essay through. A person proofreading the essay for the first time will have a different perspective from your own and will therefore be better placed to point out any incoherence, lack of structure, grammatical errors, etc.

Ideally find somebody to proofread who has a good grasp of spelling and grammar and at least a casual interest in your subject area.

One or two edits should be sufficient. It is best not to become involved in an unproductive multiplicity of drafts. The remedy is to analyse the question again and write another, simple, plan based on how to organise the material you are not happy with in the draft of your essay. Rewrite the essay according to that revised plan and resist the tendency to panic in the middle, tear it up and start all over again. It is important to get to the end and then revise again. Otherwise you will have a perfect opening couple of paragraphs and potentially the rest of the essay in disarray.

You will learn and improve much more through criticising and correcting your work than by simply starting again.

Don't Panic!

A few students can get so anxious about an assignment that they find themselves unable to write anything at all.

There are several reasons why this can happen. The primary reason is usually that such students set themselves too high a standard and then panic because they cannot attain it. This may also be due to factors such as the fear of the expectations of others or placing too high an expectation on themselves.

Whatever the reason, if you cannot write an assignment, you have to find a way out of your panic. If you find yourself in this position, do not allow the situation to drift; try to act swiftly. Discussing your worries with your tutor and/or peers, or simply writing them down, will help you clarify why you might feel stuck.

Another trick is to dash off what you consider to be a 'bad' essay, hand it in and see what happens, or decide to write the assignment in two hours without notes or references and see how that goes. You can always come back to enter the references later.

Students often say that their hurried and most casual essay got a higher mark than one which they struggled with for weeks; in fact this happened because they got down to essentials and made their points quickly. The experiment might be worth a try.

If, despite study and good intentions, you cannot seem to get your essay written, or even started, you should let your tutor know as soon as possible.

Your tutor will have encountered such problems many times, and it is part of his/her job to help you sort them out.

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This page continues from our page: Planning an Essay , the essential first step to successful essay writing. This page assumes that you have already planned your essay, you have taken time to understand the essay question, gathered information that you intend to use, and have produced a skeleton plan of you essay - taking into account your word limit.

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Climate change, involving changes in the earth's temperature and weather patterns, is one of the most important issues of the day. While changes in our climate can be natural, since the 19 th Century humanity has been responsible for almost all global heating.

Humanity, for example, is burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests and so releasing carbon dioxide and engaging in certain environmentally damaging agricultural practices. The implications of climate change include droughts, water shortages, intense fires, flooding, storms and diminishing biodiversity.

Reducing carbon emissions, addressing climate change and encouraging sustainable practices are therefore critically important for all businesses, including video games. Additionally, with gamers becoming increasingly aware and supportive of environmental issues, promoting sustainability aligns with both player expectations and broader societal values.

TIGA aims to promote best practice in environmental sustainability, enabling studios to counterbalance the environmental impact of their operations. Moreover, through promoting sustainable practices with other stakeholders, we want to help guide the industry towards reducing its ecological footprint, driving innovation, and improving the long-term social and economic health of the sector.

As such, we hope this short guide to sustainability will be a useful resource for studios of all sizes, whether you have policies and actions in place, or if you're just starting out on a sustainability journey.

Why Sustainability is important in game development

Game development studios are in a unique position to create experiences that not only entertain, but also educate and inspire millions of people globally. Increasingly, the concept of sustainability - essentially the responsible management of resources for the long term - is a crucial aspect of how we operate. With our digital and physical environments consuming real-world energy, it's more important than ever that we consider the environmental footprint of our work.

Sustainability in game development can extend beyond energy-efficient coding and server use. It potentially encompasses a range of practices, including creating games that educate players about environmental issues, and even developing games using sustainable hardware. These practices are not only ethically sound, but they also serve to enhance the studio's reputation, encourage innovation, and access new audiences.

Incorporating sustainability into the game development process also means thinking about the lifecycle of our games. This includes the impact of electronic waste from obsolete hardware, as well as the virtual waste generated when digital games are no longer in use. By taking steps to reduce waste and extend the lifespan of your games, studios can help to ensure the sustainability of the industry.

It's essential that game developers, publishers, and stakeholders work together towards these goals. Through collaboration and innovation, the games industry can become a powerful force for change, creating virtual worlds that reflect our shared commitment to a sustainable real world. This journey towards sustainability can be challenging, but the rewards - a thriving, resilient industry that contributes positively to our planet - are significant.

How your studio can begin its sustainability journey

Here are some practical strategies studios can implement to make operations more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Note that we have highlighted some organisations who can help and advise on these strategies at the end of this article:-

Optimise Code and Adopt Energy-Efficient Practices: The development process itself can be a significant source of energy consumption. Optimised code translates to less CPU usage, which in turn reduces power consumption. Similarly, using energy-efficient hardware, employing server-side optimisation techniques, and selecting green web hosting providers for your servers can significantly decrease a studio's carbon emissions.

Minimise Digital Waste: It might sound odd, but virtual waste is becoming an increasingly relevant issue. When a game is discarded or discontinued, it continues to occupy server space, leading to energy wastage. By maintaining backwards compatibility, offering cloud-based games, and providing regular updates, studios can extend the lifecycle of their games, thereby reducing digital waste.

Green Physical Production: If your game has physical components, consider how they're made. Using recycled or biodegradable materials for game packaging is an effective way to reduce your environmental impact.

Educate Through Gameplay: Games can serve as powerful educational tools. We can design games that teach players about environmental conservation or incorporate sustainability challenges within gameplay. This doesn't necessarily mean you need to focus on climate change as part of a narrative, but even subtle in-game messages can inspire players to consider their environmental impact.

Choose Green Partnerships: Games studios can extend sustainability efforts beyond their own operations by choosing eco-friendly suppliers and partners. Conduct an audit of your supply chain and opt for partners that uphold your commitment to sustainability.

Transparency and Communication: Regularly communicate your sustainability goals, progress, and challenges to your audience and partners. This openness can help to foster trust, engage your player base, and encourage other game studios to adopt similar practices.

Carbon Offsetting: Even with the best intentions and practices, some carbon emissions may be unavoidable. In such instances, studios can invest in carbon offsetting initiatives which fund projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Remote Work Policies: Promote remote work where possible to reduce carbon emissions associated with commuting. Not only is this an environmentally friendly practice, but it can also contribute to an improved work-life balance for employees.

Renewable Energy Use: Whenever possible, use renewable energy sources for your operations. This could mean installing solar panels at your office, or choosing an energy provider that uses renewable sources.

Implement Efficient Software Development Methods: Practices such as agile development can reduce waste by making the development process more efficient, thereby reducing the resources (and energy) required.

Equipment Lifespan Extension: Extend the life of your hardware through regular maintenance, reducing the demand for new equipment manufacturing and the associated carbon emissions.

Source Sustainable/Efficient New Equipment: Of course, in a technology-driven industry like game development there will be occasions when it makes sense to invest in new equipment if it's more efficient and more environmentally friendly than maintaining existing hardware.

By integrating sustainability into core operations and culture, studios can create engaging and entertaining experiences, while also contributing to a healthier planet and society.

Links to helpful resources

Ready to take some positive action? Here is a list of resources and organisations that can help in your sustainability journey.

BCorp: B Corporation, or B Corp, is a certification for businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

The Carbon Trust: This organisation offers certification, carbon footprinting, and other services to help businesses lower their carbon emissions and improve their sustainability.

BAFTA Albert: Part of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Albert provides resources and tools to help the entertainment industry reduce its environmental impact. It offers a carbon calculator that game studios can use to estimate their carbon footprint.

Playing for the Planet: This alliance, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme, assists the video game industry in reducing CO2 emissions, among other sustainability goals.

Green Game Jam: This annual event encourages game developers to create games (or add features to existing games) that raise awareness about environmental issues.

We want to hear from you!

As we work to build out TIGA's Guide to Environmental Sustainability in Game Development we'd love to hear about and showcase your own studio's initiatives in the area.

Send details of your story in 300 words to our team at info@tiga.org, and we'll be in back touch with you asap.

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The TIGA Guide to Environmental Sustainability in Game Development - TIGA

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We hope this short guide to sustainability will be a useful resource for studios of all sizes, whether you have policies and actions in place, or if you're just starting out on a sustainability journey.

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Tell us how you're feeling

Our short, anonymous Emotional Needs Audit is a survey which helps you to reflect on how you feel about your life as a whole, while helping The Mental Health Toolkit (and Suffolk Mind - our parent organisation) to get a better understanding of mental health across the UK.

The survey takes a closer look at your Emotional Needs, and how well they are being met right now.

Click here to take the survey

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Emotional Needs Audit - The Mental Health Toolkit

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Our short, anonymous Emotional Needs Audit helps you reflect on how you feel about your life, while helping our research.

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Discussing safeguarding - what is it and how does the college ensure your wellbeing? How do employers do this? What safeguarding obligations might you have as a professional game developer?

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Check out this Presentation designed by Richard.Eaton.

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Shout provides free, 24/7 text support for young people across the UK experiencing a mental health crisis.

All texts are answered by trained volunteers, with support from experienced clinical supervisors.

Texts are free from EE, O2, Vodafone, 3, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Telecom Plus.

Texts can be anonymous, but if the volunteer believes you are at immediate risk of harm, they may share your details with people who can provide support.

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Five Ways You Can Help Someone Struggling | Blog

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Blogger Tara suggests five ways you can help someone close to you who is struggling with their mental health.

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Go to bsdc.ac.uk and naviagte to the Learner App Access Hub. Then click on ProPortal. Here you can find your:

minimum expected grade

aspirational grade

attendance and punctuality figures

coursework grades

targets and other comments

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Discussing knife crime, facts and figures, it's impact and the law that applies to carrying knives

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Check out this Presentation designed by Richard.Eaton.

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What is PREVENT? Discussing the differences and the links between radicalisation, extremism and terrorism

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Check out this Presentation designed by Richard.Eaton.

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Free Careers Programme Tool

Free careers programme, linked to the Gatsby Benchmarks, and access to the online editor tool. Use our free template, create your own using the tool, or choose to use a programme from one of our partners.

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Grofar - Careers Service, Work Placement, and Work Experience Software

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Grofar produce award winning Careers, Work Placement and Work Experience software for schools, colleges, & learning providers

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Answer the questions on the Pen Portrait to introduce us to you, your achievements so far and how you think you learn best. You should spend approximately 30 minutes on this. Answer each question as fully as you can. When you have finished, submit it here on Canvas. You will receive some feedback in Canvas that you can comment on.

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Find, in the past 12 months, (1) the average amount of hours worked per week as a developer; (2) the maximum hours worked per week as a developer; (3) the percentage of developers who think their company has been very successful in their sustainability efforts

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Find, in the past 12 months, (1) the average amount of hours worked per week as a developer; (2) the maximum hours worked per week as a developer; (3) the percentage of developers who think their company has been very successful in their sustainability efforts

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Become a game designer working on a mobile game in a state of complete chaos! *

Welcome to the official ZeptoLab Game Designer Challenge page! Although the latest round of the contest is not yet available, you can test your skills in this fun test in the form of a text adventure. Find out what type of game designer you are and try to survive in the chaos of mobile game development!

The test is based on the best questions from the ZeptoLab Game Designer Challenge 2016 and takes about 20 minutes to complete.

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Pass the Zeptolab Game Designer Test and find out what type of game designer you are!

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Sapien Labs | Neuroscience | Human Brain Diversity Project

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You must be 18 years or older to take this assessment. We do not collect any explicitly identifying information. You can read our privacy policy here. Your response will form part of the Global Mind Project (previously the Mental Health Million Project), providing insight into the mental wellbeing of the global population.

What is Mental Wellbeing and What Does the MHQ Tell You?

Mental wellbeing is the ability to handle life and its various stresses and challenges. The MHQ is therefore a snapshot of your self-perception along various dimensions of mental function that determine your mental wellbeing. It is not a measure of happiness or life satisfaction. You could, for example, be experiencing very difficult or sad circumstances in your life but nonetheless have all the capabilities to cope as best as one could, and therefore have a high level of mental wellbeing.

Your MHQ Score and Report

The MHQ will automatically provide you with a composite mental wellbeing score when you have answered all the questions. You can also request an optional report with sub scores along six dimensions of mental health along with explanations and recommendations by providing your email.

Scores across 6 dimensions of mental health

The six dimensions of mental health in the MHQ

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The #MHQ - Mental Health Quotient - Sapien Labs - Mental Heatlh

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What is your Mental Wellbeing Score? Take the MHQ to find out.

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The Skills Promise (click to read more about each one) is our promise to you. It means you can be sure that when you complete your course, you’ll not only have an industry recognised qualification, you’ll be job ready with the transferable skills you need to make an impact in your chosen industry or profession.

They are:

Ambitious

Confident with English & Maths

Creative Thinker

Digital Expert

Entrepreneurial

Global Mindset

Good Communicator

Good Problem Solver

Job Ready

Professional

Resilient

Self-confident

Show Initiative

Strong Leader

Team Player

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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software - Canva

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Welcome to the Entry Level Skills Hub, a collaborative platform designed to offer detailed insight into various entry-level roles in the games industry.

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Free personality test - take it to find out why our readers say that this personality test is so accurate, "it's a little bit creepy." No registration required!

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There are many types of contraception available and none are perfect. The Contraception Choices website provides honest information to help weigh up the pros and cons.

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Check out this Presentation designed by Zoe Tierney.

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Interim feedback on your project, attendance and punctuality etc.

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Black History Month - why do we celebrate this?

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Check out this Presentation (4:3) designed by Richard.Eaton.

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We’re currently checking your connection. This shouldn’t take long.If you keep getting this page, check if there’s a problem with Canva.

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Browse the chart. Pick 3 roles that appeal to you. 

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Browse the chart. Pick 3 roles that appeal to you. 

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Discussion - what evidence have you seen of this?

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If you are experiencing consistently late arriving buses, you can make a complaint to the bus service you use here:

https://www.trentbarton.co.uk/contact-us/contact-details

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/help/contact-us

https://www.diamondbuses.com/staffordshire/contact-us/

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trentbarton are proud to be the really good bus company, serving Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire & Leicestershire in the East Midlands.

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Games or VFX? - read the summaries of both and consider your options

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Games or VFX? - read the summaries of both and consider your options

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Click 'Apply Now'

Click 'Already Enrollled'

Log in

Answer yes to studied here before

Enter the buzzword: STEP24

Amend any personal details that may have changed

Work through the sections of the application, then submit it

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This is a two year study programme which is equivalent to 3 A Levels, however a one year option is also available which is equivalent to 1.5 A Levels. Both programme years will accrue UCAS points should your chosen progression route be a UK university.

If you are unsure which option is right for you, this can be discussed with the Course Leader during your recruitment interview or alternatively with our professionally qualified Careers Guidance Team. To speak to our Careers Guidance Team about your course choices, career aspirations, employment goals or university options, then please drop in to the Learner Hub, call us on 01283 494473/494474 or email us at iag@bsdc.ac.uk.

This course has been designed to give you the skills you need to pursue a career in the computer games industry. It covers topics such as game engines, level design, concept art, story development, 2D and 3D animation, narrative image making and the structure of the computer games industry.

You will have the opportunity to develop a working relationship with Playtonic, a global games development company. Previous learners have pitched ideas to Playtonic, receiving advice and feedback from industry professionals.

Part of this course will involve developing your skills in the workplace with an industry placement.

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This is a two year study programme which is equivalent to 3 A Levels, however a one year option is also available which is equivalent to 1.5 A Levels. Both programme years will accrue UCAS points should your chosen progression route be a UK university.

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(Continued)
Discussing your induction project and your pen portrait. Identifying a Skills Promise to work on.

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Login link

Sign in with Office 365 and use your college login: IDnumber@bsdc.ac.uk followed by your login password

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BADGR INTRODUCTION - BE INDEPENDENT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

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BADGR INTRODUCTION - BE INDEPENDENT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

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iDEA is an international award winning project that helps you badge your brilliance. Through our series of online challenges and events, you can win career-enhancing badges, unlock new opportunities and, ultimately, gain nationally recognised awards that help you stand out from the crowd.

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Login link

Sign in with Office 365 and use your college login: IDnumber@bsdc.ac.uk followed by your login password

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b_line discount travel card - Derbyshire County Council

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b_line is our cut-price travel discount and library card for young people aged 11 up to 19 who live in Derbyshire.

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We’re currently checking your connection. This shouldn’t take long.If you keep getting this page, check if there’s a problem with Canva.

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Knife Crime Awareness Online Quiz | Early Action Hub

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Early Action Hub is a Voluntary Organisation run in partnership with the West Yorkshire Police Early Action Team to provide positive Activity Sessions to young people whilst delivering Crime Educational Sessions on subjects such as Knife Crime and County Lines. Located in Halifax, Calderdale

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ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY - WHAT IS YOURS? PUNCT. MIN. 97% - ATT. MIN - 90%

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ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY - WHAT IS YOURS? PUNCT. MIN. 97% - ATT. MIN - 90%

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As a reminder from your first year, go to bsdc.ac.uk and navigate to the Learner Access Hub. Then click on ProPortal. Here you can check your second year:

minimum expected grade

aspirational grade

attendance and punctuality figures

coursework grades

targets and other comments

https://ilp.bsdc.ac.uk/

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ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY - WHAT IS YOURS? PUNCT. MIN. 97% - ATT. MIN - 90%

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ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY - WHAT IS YOURS? PUNCT. MIN. 97% - ATT. MIN - 90%

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As a reminder from your first year, go to bsdc.ac.uk and navigate to the Learner Access Hub. Then click on ProPortal. Here you can check your second year:

minimum expected grade

aspirational grade

attendance and punctuality figures

coursework grades

targets and other comments

https://ilp.bsdc.ac.uk/

# data[].attributes.body
If your journey starts or ends in Derbyshire for example Derby to Burton or Burton to Swadlincote - you can use your B-Line card which limits the bus fare for that journey (single) currently at £1.50. Also available for Trent Barton customers (V1 bus service )

B-Line cards are available up until your 19th Birthday.

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b_line is our cut-price travel discount and library card for young people aged 11 up to 19 who live in Derbyshire.

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Explore our easy-to-follow, common sense guides to studying. For students and life-long learners our pages will help you to learn how to learn effectively.

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Research is the foundation of any essay - if you have nothing to say, how can you write an essay?! Research is a process though, with many components. Brainstorming is a great way to kick off this process. However, your reading skills are just as important to how well you research, as are your note-taking skills and an effective retrieval system.

Brainstorming

This is time very well spent as part of your research strategy. It is not a time-consuming task, yet it will help you to use more of your own ideas and avoid wasting time in your research. Once you've learnt to do this, you will be able to make two important things clear to yourself before you start your research:

1. What you know about the issues the essay question raises.

2. The questions you want your sources to answer.

If you begin your research without doing this, certain things are likely to happen:

Reading skills

Most of us spend hours reading texts that we need not have read. To avoid this you must read purposefully: you need to be clear why you're reading a particular text, what questions you need to answer, and what reading strategy is the most relevant for this purpose.

Many of us get into the habit of reading every passage word-for-word, regardless of our purpose in reading it, when in fact it might be more efficient to skim or scan it. Adopting a more flexible approach to our reading in this way frees up more of our time, so that we can read around our subject and take onboard more ideas and information. It also gives us more time to process the ideas not only into clearer structures that we can remember more clearly, but also in ways that allow us to criticise and evaluate what we read, rather than just accept what the author tells us.

For more advice, see reading strategies.

Making notes

The key to good note-taking is to make the structure clear. The mind remembers structures, not lists nor paragraphs of continuous prose. So, keep it free and uncluttered. Don't convince yourself that unless you include this one fact you'll never remember it. You will. The structure will act as a net bringing to the surface of your mind more than you ever thought you could remember. But it has to be a good net - well constructed, with clear logical connections and free of all unnecessary material.

Remind yourself that you do have a good memory if you help it with clear structures. Try not to be seduced into recording things that "might" be useful in the future. Inevitably, this results in masses of notes that obscure the main structure, which is the only means by which we can recall them in the first place.

For more advice, see making notes.

Make an outline plan for your writing

It takes time to rewrite each draft of your writing. The more you have to change, the longer it will take. This makes it worthwhile to develop a detailed outline of your writing. You can reorganise your plan as necessary, and progressively build on this until you complete your final draft.

An effective retrieval system

If we are to generate and use more of our own ideas and insights, we will have to spend some time organising an effective research strategy. The key to this is to have a retrieval system that is sufficiently adaptable to catch the material whenever and wherever it shows itself, and then provide us with a means of accessing it easily whenever we want it.

To create such a system isn't difficult, but it means going beyond the normal loose-leaf folder, a few wallet files and a reliable source of A4 paper. It calls for a thoughtful approach, a little imagination and, above all, flexibility. Unless we choose and organise its various components thoughtfully, we're likely to lose most of our best ideas, and produce work that is predictable and imitative of the ideas we've been given.

To put it simply, our system should promote, not frustrate the quality of our work. This is not an unimportant part of our pattern of study, and its influence is never neutral. Get it right and we can find ourselves with an abundance of insightful ideas that are genuinely our own. Get it wrong and our work struggles to rise above the mundane and imitative.

So, think about carrying a notebook, keeping a journal, running an index card system, and using a project box.

For more advice, see referencing and plagiarism and writing skills.

This content has been written by Bryan Greetham, author of How to Write Better Essays.

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Be Sessions - 90 minute session for 1 to 1 reviews, discussion of wider topics to support positive, professional behaviours and progression

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Be Sessions - 90 minute session for 1 to 1 reviews, discussion of wider topics to support positive, professional behaviours and progression

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One to one progress review meetings, SMART targets set and added to your ILP

1:1 meetings as required to set and monitor clear expectations and targets around attendance,
punctuality and work experience placements (WEX)
Highlighting opportunites to develop Skills Promise skills

Monitor formative and summative assessment, setting submission targets and link to progression

Highlighing and supporting opportunities to develop English and maths skills in coursework and by using Century English & Maths, wether you are working towards a GCSE not

Support with mental fitness using Fika

Providing a safe environment (as in all sessions), to discuss topics such as County Lines, knife crime etc.

Complimenting and expanding on the Be Independent topics

Assignment work and Be Independent must be carried out in regular class sessions and in your own time respectively - not in Be Sessions!

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Burton and South Derybshire College - Identity Provider

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Read the first page, then carry out activity 1

On the session padlet, in your column, put your answer - A or B

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Imagine holding the entirety of the world’s knowledge in your brain yet knowing absolutely nothing about how to use it. What would that even be like? Well, it’d be a lot like the homepage of ChatGPT.