Right, it’s another year at Nescol, which means another round of tracking our meta-skills for the HND. It’s a required part of the course, so I've got to lay out what I'll be working on.

After doing this last year for the HNC, I've got a better idea of how it works. My plan for last year was a bit all over the place, trying to improve too many things at once. This year, for the software development course, I’m just going to narrow it down to three specific skills that I know will come up in our projects.

1. Focussing (Self-Management)

I had this on my list last year, and it’s staying. Why? Because it’s one thing to focus when you’re learning basic HTML, but it's a completely different challenge when you’re deep in a complex database problem or debugging a tricky application. Distractions are the enemy of good code. My plan is to continue using techniques like the Pomodoro method, but also to get better at structuring my coding sessions so I can maintain that deep concentration for longer. This is all about building professional stamina.

2. Collaborating (Social Intelligence)

Most of our bigger projects are going to be group work, so I need to be better at this. It's not just about doing my assigned tasks. I need to get more comfortable using tools like Git properly, giving useful feedback on other people’s code, and making sure my work actually integrates with what everyone else is doing.

3. Integrity (Self-Management)

Let's be clear, this isn't about never looking for answers online – every developer does. The point is to not copy code blindly. For me, integrity means taking the time to understand how a solution works and why it solves the problem before adapting it for my own project. I should be able to explain every single line of code I write. This way of thinking also applies to using AI. You can and should use it, but the goal isn't the speed of writing lines of code; it’s about understanding the process behind it.

So, that’s the focus for this year. This blog is where I’ll be keeping a record of how I’m getting on with these three skills. We'll see how it goes.