WK02 - Summary

This week has been surprisingly short due to a number of factors one being the exams for students other than the ones in our group who will probably do their exams later on in the year and the second being a change in schedule due to a tutor who was unavailable on the days that we were supposed to have her so we had a shorter Thursday and Friday (We usually finish at 3pm but instead we finished at about 12:30pm). Programming Concepts was pretty basic stuff (Learning how to code with IF statements this time round but nothing changed since I did programming during my BTEC) while during maths we learned how to convert Octal to decimal and vice versa.

In the Hardware and Networks module, we learned different parts of the inner workings of the computer tower such as the CPU and Northbridge/Southbridge (A far-cry from what we learned in the BTEC). While over in systems analysis and design we learned how to create Information Flow and Context diagrams. Lastly during Professional Communications and Digital Skills we were split into groups of three and tasked with creating a powerpoint based on our chosen key skills that needed serious help with, some that needed some help with while some were our better skills and we presented these points via the presentation in front of the other groups.

Expectations and Aspirations

Hello, my name is Daniel Halliwell. I am a disciplined and conscientious individual with exceptional organisational skills and a willingness to learn. I am also a practical and resourceful person with the ability to adapt to the needs of any organisation while also keen to gain valuable experience in any role within an organisation.

Often times, I'd read newspapers and books (non-fiction) to gain better knowledge and understanding about the outside world and what is happening at the present moment. I am also an avid gamer who prefers to work with others co-operatively at a time when this kind of teamwork is considered to be a strong form of developing team skills to apply to certain situations.

For several years, I have been attending the Air Training Corps in the Wigan area (723 Wigan Sqn). As a cadet I have had the opportunity to take part in numerous outdoor and sporting activities. The A.T.C has a strong emphasis on personal development and developing qualities of leadership and good citizenship. I regularly take part in parade and drill work in order to become disciplined and develop team-working skills. Flying and learning about aviation is also a key part of the programme.

Through the A.T.C I regularly take part in voluntary work in the local Wigan community. Some of the work has involved selling poppies for the Royal British Legion and bag packing in various supermarkets in aid of the veterans society and of course the RBL.

My time as a cadet has been challenging, it has helped me to develop new skills and confidence and meet new people with similar interests. I'm in the final three years of my service with the A.T.C and am looking to put the skills I have learnt towards any job.

Key Skills:

• I can perform equally well in both team oriented work and as an individual.
• I am highly literate and numerate, with strong I.C.T skills that include a proficiency in using Microsoft Office (Any application).
• I am self-reliant and proactive with the ability to deal with issues with no difficulty as they come my way.
• I am highly punctual with no issues towards attending any compulsory meetings or equivalent.

My previous education has taken me to areas of the world that are new to me, such as skiing in Schladming, Austria and camping in the wilderness with fellow Air Training Corps members allowing me to gain new skills in many new areas of expertise.

I am a student at St Helens College studying for a foundation degree in applied computing having recently completed a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in IT at Distinction Merit which was worth the same as approximately three A levels whereas the degree is approximately two-thirds (Two years) of an honours degree and will allow me to complete an extra year to upgrade it to a full honours degree. Hopefully with the degree in hand, it will allow me to pursue a career in the Royal Air Force as an engineering officer in communications/electronics.