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.

So it's been a few weeks into the new year and I wanted to write something down while it's still fresh.

Focussing has been... mixed, honestly. The work is more complex than last year — there's a lot more going on at once and I can feel the difference. I've been trying the Pomodoro thing properly and it does help, but only if I actually commit to it. The problem is I don't always do that. Some days I'll sit down to work and two hours later I've done about 40 minutes of actual coding. I know what the issue is, I just haven't fully fixed it yet.

Integrity-wise, I think I'm doing better than I expected. I use AI and online resources a lot — that's just how it works now — but I've been more careful about how I use them. One thing that's actually helped is using AI to learn rather than just to get answers. I'll ask it to explain something like I'm a beginner, or to help me prepare for a test by quizzing me on a topic. That way I actually understand the material instead of just getting a working solution I don't really get. It takes longer but I feel more confident when I can explain what the code is doing and why. That feels like progress.

Collaborating hasn't really been tested yet. Most of the work so far has been individual. I know that's coming though, so I'm trying not to think about it too much.

End of semester. Good time to check in on how things are going with the three skills.

Focussing — better, but not where I want it to be. I've got better at structuring my sessions and I can concentrate for longer than I could in September. The Pomodoro method helps when I actually use it. The honest issue is consistency. Some weeks I'm really disciplined and some weeks I'm not. I think that's just how it goes but I'd like to be more consistent in the second semester.

Integrity — this one has actually felt natural. I think because the projects this semester pushed me to really understand what I was doing rather than just getting something to work. There were moments where I found a solution online and had to stop myself from just copy-pasting it. Taking the extra time to understand it properly made a difference when it came to explaining or adapting it later. I feel more confident here than when I started.

Collaborating — I've done a bit of group work and it's been fine so far. Nothing major yet but I can already tell that my instinct is to just take over and do things myself rather than properly collaborate. That's something I'm going to have to watch in the second semester when the bigger group project starts.

We've been working on a group project for a while now and this feels like the right time to write about Collaborating properly.

It's been fine but it hasn't been easy. I said back in September that I prefer working alone and that's still true. When I'm on my own I can organise things exactly the way I want and work at my own pace. In a group you can't do that, and adjusting to that has been the main challenge.

What I've been trying to do differently is actually ask before assuming. My natural instinct when something isn't done or isn't done the way I'd do it is to just sort it myself. But that's not really collaborating, that's just working around people. So I've been making more of an effort to check in, communicate what I'm doing, and give people space to do their part.

Git has also been something I've had to get more comfortable with in a group context. Using it properly when multiple people are working on the same thing is different from using it solo. I've made a few mistakes but I've learned from them.

Overall, it's still my weakest area but I can feel it improving. The project is going well and I think that's partly because the communication in the group has been decent.

Coming up to the end of the year so it makes sense to write a proper reflection on the three skills I set out to improve.

Focussing

This has genuinely improved. I'm not perfect at it — I still have sessions where I get distracted — but I handle complex work better than I did at the start of the year. I think the difference is that I've stopped fighting it and started planning for it. I know when I work best and I try to do the harder things in those windows.

Integrity

This is the one I feel most confident about now. It's become more of a habit than a conscious decision. I read through things before using them, I make sure I understand solutions before I adapt them, and I can explain the code I write. Using AI as a learning tool this year — asking it to break things down, explain concepts, help me revise — made a real difference. It pushed me to actually engage with the material rather than just get through it.

Collaborating

Still the hardest one. I've improved, especially during the group project, but it doesn't come naturally to me and I don't think it will after just one year. What I have learned is how to communicate better within a team and how to use shared tools properly. That's a real step forward even if there's still a long way to go.

Overall I think the year went well. Choosing three focused skills instead of trying to improve everything at once was the right call. I have a clearer picture of where I'm at and what I need to keep working on.