Why ILC College is very different from school, and you will experience many different ways of studying, you will have work and reading to complete outside of your timetable, which will be completely organised by you. At ILC you will need to develop a deeper style of learning, where you discuss and reflect on ideas taken from books, journals and lectures to develop and explain your own thoughts and ideas. This is not just about learning things by heart. You have to gain true understanding of the material so you can apply these theories and ideas, for example in your future work. Lectures Lectures usually involve a large group of students. The lecturer will deliver information and you will be required to take notes. Don’t expect to write everything down word-for-word, but you need to make notes of the main points. You may be provided with handouts before or after the lecture on your schools Virtual Learning Environment but the points are explained and expanded on during the lecture. Just as an unopened book serves no purpose, a lecture without your own notes is useless! Some lectures use material that is very recent (e.g. from that day’s news) and so it is not always appropriate to be given notes in advance. Others may have a style of delivery that does not lend itself to rigid structure, and handouts will be less useful in this type of delivery. Tutorials Tutorials are held in smaller groups. You can discuss material covered in the lecture or private study, ask questions and apply theory through tasks. It is important to prepare before a tutorial, by looking over notes and completing any recommended reading. This will not only prepare you for any questions that you may be asked, but will also help you to pinpoint any areas that you are unsure of so that you can get help during the session. Tutorials can be very successful in learning different ways of thinking about a subject, clearing up misconceptions, and getting feedback on your own progress. Make sure you go! Practicals Some modules involve practical sessions, where skills are developed in solving problems and in applying theory to practice. Again, it is useful to prepare in advance on practical topics, so that you can think about what it means rather than just 'following a recipe'. You generally have to write up a practical session, using theoretical discussion of the topic. Coursework As well as forming part of the assessment, coursework assignments are an important part of learning. You should allocate time for coursework in your diary throughout the duration of a module. This will allow you to gain the most from it and produce a good piece of work. It will help you manage bunched deadlines. In professional life you will be expected to multi-task and handling several assignments simultaneously is excellent training. You may even find that the work for one assignment can relate to that in another! Private study You will be given additional reading. This broadens your understanding of topics and adds value to your work and assessment. It is important to make notes from your reading. If you reference this work you can cite the information in exams and coursework. Notes on how to reference can be obtained from the Library and on the website. Even if what you read isn’t relevant immediately it may be useful later in your course – good notes and a reference can save you a lot of time. Change of course If you wish to transfer from one course to another you must discuss this with the academic staff of both courses and obtain their written permission on a Change of Course form which you can obtain from your Admissions Office. The completed and authorised form must be returned to the Admissions Office so that your student record can be updated. Withdrawal You are advised to discuss your decision to withdraw with your Lecturer before taking any decision to do so. However, it is not sufficient for you to tell your lecturer that you wish to withdraw. You must inform the Admin Office immediately in writing. The date of withdrawal is the date on which the Admin Office receives the notification.