Progression: University and Gap Years
University
Although I'm not sure whether I want to attend university right away, I thought it would be a good idea to apply this year to have a place if I wanted it, with the option to defer to the next year if I feel like a gap year may benefit me.
Open Days
The open days were really helpful in gathering a feel for the place, the university and the course. I wouldn't have had the same impression from research online so I really valued the opportunity to visit the place.
Falmouth University 2016
I visited the open day at Falmouth University as I had heard good things about the Interior Design, Illustration and Fine Art courses that were held there. This was the first university I had looked at in my last year of A-Levels to get myself thinking about where I was going next (before I decided on doing a Foundation course). I was really impressed by the open day overall - the studios were very functional and professional while the staff seemed approachable and and helpful. The layout of the university and architecture was also very impressive, as it was clear that they had taken time to make the Falmouth campus a professional learning environment. However I was a little disappointed in the Fine Art talk, which was held in a lecture theatre as opposed to the other talks I attended which were held in the studios of the subject. The representative of Fine Art didn't seem to sell the subject very well, as he stood in the theatre without a presentation of any images until the very end. The talk began to drag on and became rather boring. So I then came out of the talk feeling as though Fine Art wasn't for me - the subject seemed too broad and wish-washy. I thought I might be better suited to Interior Design or Illustration, however I didn't make time to speak to any Fine Art students or see the studios due to being disappointed at the talk.
I also remember being very impressed with the location - the town of Falmouth was a really lovely, alternative place which, although a little quiet, seemed quite homely. I could imagine myself living there at the time. I must say it was quite a nice, sunny day so my interpretations could be slightly biased.
Brighton University 2016
I had the opportunity of visiting Brighton University, in which I was also quite impressed with, due to the course structure of the Illustration course I was looking at. I was also impressed by the amount of space that the Fine Art: Painting students had as well. I attended a Portfolio and Personal Statement advice talk there which was quite helpful for my application process. The actual university wasn't extremely attractive, however its location was prime - just two minutes walk from The Lanes and walking distance to the nearest Halls of Residence (Phoenix Brewery) and the beach. The city itself was very vibrant and alternative which was really attractive to me as a place to live and breathe for the next 3 years.
Goldsmiths University 2016
I was really disappointed in the open day that I attended for Goldsmiths University. The Fine Art talk I attended was not what I was expecting. A large part of the course was linked with art history and just didn't seem appealing at all. My friend and I wondered if we were even in the right place! The art supply shop was nice and cheap though... Overall the feel of place was a bit odd and I wasn't impressed by the location either, already I wasn't too keen on living in a big city such as London.
Arts University Bournemouth 2017
The university was quite interesting in the way that it had been laid out. Each subject usually had a separate block which was nice because students would get a good dedicated space. I was a bit disappointed in the Fine Art course that ran there. A lot of it involved 3-dimensional and installation art and not a lot of painters seem to exist there. I did look at the Illustration course there which was quite appealing. The studio was really nice and had lots of windows and sunlight. The university was quite far from the city centre so we had to drive into town to get an idea of what the place was like. The high streets seemed a bit grubby and typical high street-standard shops, however there was a nice park that held a carnival during our visit which was interesting. Overall, I wasn't extremely attracted to the university or location but I was glad I went to visit.
Plymouth College of Arts 2017
I was very impressed and excited about Plymouth College of Arts. The facilities there were among the best I had seen so far, and both courses I looked at really excited me. Originally, I was planning on looking at the Illustration and Fine Art courses there, but after speaking to some students I found out about a Painting, Drawing and Printmaking course that they ran there which sounded quite exciting, so I went to speak to one of the tutors about it and became really excited about the facilities, studio spaces and the course structure. Fine Art was also quite exciting, as there was a block dedicated to only Fine Art students with a Mac Studio and specialist studio spaces. Students suggested that Fine Art was a good course to take if you were interested in concept and 3-Dimensional making. The Painting, Drawing and Printmaking course was process-based which meant that you would realise your concepts and ideas through the process which I found quite interesting, as that is usually the way that I come to realising my own ideas. The whole system set up at the College of Arts seemed very logical in the way that you could use any sort of facility and attend lectures no matter where your speciality is, which would therefore be great for cross-course collaboration. The actual location of Plymouth was quite appealing. It was quite industrialised and urban however it has the seaside which I am always drawn to.
Bath Spa University 2017
I decided to visit Bath Spa University as I had heard good things about it through friends and family. I had visited the city before and quite liked its unique setting and history. I find that the location of the place I will be learning is very important as I am easily inspired by The Sion Hill campus had a gorgeous view and the necessary space and facilities. I was a little disappointed in the size of the painting studio, which was really a small cabin. However I then remembered that students also had their own studio spaces and most other universities did not have a dedicated space for painting. the students I spoke to there seemed really confident in where they were headed after university which really reflected the depth of professional practice they get on the course. I definitely wanted to consider applying for a place at Bath Spa.
Applying
The application process was quite a lengthy one as I had to carry out more research into the university and course I wanted to apply for. After specialising in Fine Art on the Art Foundation course I am currently studying, I decided that I wanted to study something similar at university. Although I had looked at a lot of illustration courses, during my time on the Foundation course I have become more interested in Fine Art and working towards my own concept. Despite not having visited them, I was very nearly tempted to apply to Leeds Art University and/or University of the West of England due to my research and great reviews I had got from friends, tutors and online research. However the final five places I applied for were in fact universities that I had visited on open days.
Fine Art - Bath Spa University
I chose to apply to study Fine Art at Bath Spa because I am really impressed by how the course was laid out and the enthusiasm that the students and tutors had for the course. Everyone seemed very passionate about their careers and were extremely pleased with the output of the course when I visited at the open day. The tutors were well-invested in their teaching and students and it seemed that the students would consistently be pushed to do their best.
Fine Art: Painting - Brighton University
I chose this course as I am really interested in applying for a course that specialises in a medium that I am really passionate about. It was also made clear to me that other materials and mediums can be brought into overall practice on the course; it was reassuring to hear that it wasn't strictly based on paint alone, although paint is what I am currently all about.
Fine Art - Falmouth University
I chose to apply for Fine Art at Falmouth as although it isn't top of my choice, I wanted to have a backup choice just in case I didn't get into any of my other choices. I knew what the place and facilities were like so I thought it would be a good choice to fall back on.
Fine Art - Plymouth College of Arts
I chose to apply for Fine Art at Plymouth as I was really impressed by the course on my open day and really interested in the course. I really liked the way that the course was laid out and how the students had their own block dedicated to Fine Art.
Painting, Drawing & Printmaking - Plymouth College of Arts
I chose this course as the open day I attended made me aware of this unique course that was run. I think that the course structure really suits my way of working and I have the potential to really succeed on the course and learn lots of new valuable skills and techniques, as well as gaining professional practice to prepare me for life after university.
Interviews
I received invitations to interviews from all of my choices I had applied to through UCAS, however once I had these invitations I withdrew my application to Falmouth University to study Fine Art as it was a backup choice and wasn't worth driving all that way when I knew I didn't really want to go there.
Fine Art - Plymouth College of Arts
My first interview was for Fine Art at Plymouth. I was quite nervous about the interview and giving a good impression, however once I was there I felt calm and welcomed by the staff. The interview itself was very lowkey. The tutor interviewing took a look at my portfolio for about fifteen minutes before inviting me into a large room where there were about three other people having an interview at the same time. In a way, it was more comforting having other people in the same room going through the same process, and wasn't too distracting either. The process of the interview was talking through my portfolio to the tutor who was very enthusiastic about my work and engaging in conversation rather than barricading me with lots of stereotypical interview questions. The interview lasted around 25 minutes and went far better than I thought.
I was also given a campus tour to remind myself of the facilities and have an opportunity to ask students questions. Four days later I received an unconditional offer which was both surprising and rewarding!
Painting, Drawing and Printmaking - Plymouth College of Arts
On the same day as the Fine Art interview, I had my Painting, Drawing and Printmaking interview at Plymouth. This interview also went just as well, with the same sort of process. The interviewer challenged me a little more as he asked me questions referring to my personal statement, experiences that have led me towards choosing university and my future aspirations that come after university. I felt prepared for these questions however and the interview was actually quite enjoyable. I also received an unconditional offer for this course.
Fine Art - Bath Spa University
In contrast, my interview at Bath Spa didn't go as well as I had hoped. I was late to my interview which didn't help, although all I missed was part of the welcome talk they gave to everyone being interviewed on that day. We then were split into two groups to be interviewed or taken on a tour of the campus. I had a tour first which was nice in order to remind myself of the facilities and layout of the university. The interview itself was not what I was expecting. I was led to a small office where I was asked to layout my portfolio and sketchbooks. The interviewer then began asking me lots of questions that sort of threw me off balance, such as 'What art do you not like and why' I felt like the interview was being led by the interviewer rather than me, as I wasn't prepared enough. It was a good learning experience though and they offered me a conditional place if I achieve a Distinction on the Foundation Diploma I am currently studying.
Fine Art: Painting - Brighton University
After submitting an online portfolio and artist statement, I was invited to my last university interview for Brighton. I arrived in good time and after registering myself at the reception, I was directed to the Fine Art: Painting corridor in a group of about six people. We dropped our stuff off in the interview room and then had a tour of the studio rooms. The students had a decent studio space and the work they were producing was just incredible! Strangely there were a lot of sculptures alongside canvases as large as the wall which made the course seem even more exciting. I was the first to be interviewed which was good because I like to get them over and done with, despite it taking about forty-five minutes in total. The structure was similar to that of Plymouth. The tutor and ex-student spent about fifteen minutes looking through my portfolio before they invited me in. Once I had been invited in the tutor asked me a few general questions, such as how I found out about the course, why I chose to apply to Brighton and what sort of other courses I had applied for. We then went through the portfolio and spoke about the work I had provided. I actually had some constructive feedback during this part of the interview about my A-Level work that I had provided. The tutor wasn't a fan of it; he could see that I had imagination and skill, but he said that the painting itself was quite tight and flat, leaning more to illustration. Comparing it with my current paintings he could see that I had developed with the medium of paint. He said that the strategy of bringing my A Level work to compare with my current work was risky but it worked. After this process of going through my portfolio, I was then sent out of the interview room again to give the interviewers time to make their decision and prepare feedback for me. The feedback was that they would like me to visit more exhibitions and galleries in order for me to see art in real life, scale and form. I think they also would have liked to see more experimentation with paint, but overall they were impressed and liked my response to the Art Foundation course. I received an unconditional offer a day later.
Decisions
I am currently in the process of making the decision between Painting, Drawing and Printmaking at Plymouth and Fine Art: Painting at Brighton. I am drawn to both courses as they are specialist courses rather than a generalised Fine Art course. This means I can have a more directed learning experience, developing lots of new skills in the areas I am most interested in. I am leaning towards studying at Brighton as I am really inspired by the place which I consider a really important aspect to think about when selecting a course at university.
Gap Year
I am considering having a gap year in order to give myself a break from education and the time to recharge, work and travel before committing to another three years of education. It may be the time I need to reflect on which direction I really want to take in life and which will be best for me.
Work
I have the option to work full-time at Star Anise Arts Cafe where I have been working part-time for the past two years. This will give me an idea of what working full-time is like, including how to manage my money and what I would do with the rest of my time. This will also give me the ability to save up to go travelling which is something I would really like to do before life passes me by.
Travel
Volunteering
I would be really interested in volunteering abroad in order to conserve wildlife and help building communities. I feel like something like this will make travelling really worthwhile and improve my outlook on life. Helping people and the environment is something I am really passionate about so I would be getting a lot from the experience. It will give me the opportunity to learn, travel and enjoy new experiences while giving something back to the people and environment.
Women's Empowerment Project Nepal
Thailand Elephant Village Volunteers
Women's Empowerment Project Nepal
Thailand Elephant Village Volunteers
Exploring
I would really like to explore some new places through experiences and adventures. The cheapest option would be organising my trip myself rather than going with a programme. I am really interested in visiting Australasia, especially New Zealand as I have family who live there and from my research it seems like such a vibrant and beautiful place to visit. I would also like to visit more destinations in Europe independently such as Rome and Florence in Italy, Amsterdam, Budapest, Vienna and Istanbul.
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