Art Foundation. DS lost his mojo....

[Miljah]

Argh!

If it's not one thing, it's another.

DS has wanted to do digital design, morphing into Graphic Design, since middle of Y11. Did pretty well in GCSEs; 87AAAA6BC; but was determined to 'Go Digital Art' in sixth form despite being eligible for any A level bar Maths (the 7); so chose Geog AS, Graphic Design A level and a 2 A level equivalent BTEC in Creative Design Technologies. Got A in the AS; A star in the GD A level, Distinction star x 2 for the BTEC. Happy Days.

He wants to aim high for Graphic Design at Uni (current fave is Kingston Uni). They have 1000 applicants for 110 places, and take 80% of DC post Art Foundation. I am glad DS opted to do the Foundation if only because I have seen how much more ready boys in particular are for uni at 19. He's at a local Tech which succeeds in Kingston applications (and which is known to KU Graphic Design).

Earliest date for application (UCAS) is Jan 15th and we know they give more consideration to early applicants due to time constraints. And he'll only have til I think mid March, is it?, tops.

So he goes to Tech as of last Monday. It's 9-4.30, Mo-Weds with an optional Thurs, any time, which he reckoned 'wasn't on' last week, but it was. I made him go in today for 2 hours, which he's quite grumpy about.

Basically, he needs to hit the ground running. He needs to produce a portfolio he feels is his best work, by Jan 15th. He needs for his course leaders to see enthusiasm and commitment, to recognise his ambition. I shouldn't be having to make him go in on a Thursday. I explained that today's attendance was win/win: he'd get some work done and he might be seen to be getting extra work done by at least the techs if not the lecturers.

This is just a rant, I know. I can't make an 18 year old decide to get stuck in.

I chatted to him earlier while driving him to college; I asked what he thought the barriers to getting into it were. He said, once I told him a grunt was not a reply- he wasn't sure if the 'mood' of Kingston was for him (he's known to diss things in order to cushion possible failure); I asked what his second choice would be (we've been to eight now... Leeds, the last, is next week); well, he's not sure...; I tried to, without being too ranty, explain that this, this course is the most important thing he can do towards entry- was he maybe resting on his 'top-marks/teacher's favourite' laurels from sixth form? And he has had a (too long) 3 month break from end of sixth form to now. All he has to do is to work hard and consistently for 4 months. Like he managed, consistently, in sixth form. I am not suggesting the other four or 5 don't matter, but these four absolutely do.

He did water colour for the first time ever yesterday (which I find a bit odd given how much 'art' he's done, but anyway). I have already volunteered to help teach him some water colour technique; how to stretch the paper, how to blend... how to produce work he might like to have in a portfolio, esp for the unis that want a wide range of techniques (KU doesn't. It only wants your best work, regardless of medium). This was met with a shrug.

It is so frustrating to watch!

I knew it was a bit niche 😂

It’s early days though isn’t it? I appreciate that he needs to hit the ground running for foundation but if he’s moved to a new environment/ new people, he needs to settle into it a bit and work out how everything ticks in this new place.

Was the watercolour work suggested to him as a way of making his portfolio have more of a range of techniques? Or is it a project that they are all doing? perhaps he has little choice but to follow a brief at this stage.

What did he do over the summer? Did it all go a bit flat ? He did so well with his A levels, and must have been working his socks off to get those grades. It can be hard to find that momentum again when you’ve got out of the habit

Don’t forget many applicants who apply to Kingston will have applied elsewhere. There are not 1000 live contenders for places.

However it’s fairly early days for a portfolio. Look at what the other universities want and work around those. If Kingston doesn’t mind, then one portfolio for several applications helps. They are a lot of work! It also helps to have an idea about what it will look like and how he will present it. My DD had to discuss hers and he needs to work up ideas and include trial and error. What worked and what didn’t. How did he get to his best work? Don’t make the portfolio huge and don’t skimp either. His lecturers will advise. Also be keen to talk about graphic design and working up design in his portfolio is usually a good route to take.

You mentioned Thursday was optional? Is there is something he wants to work on at home which he thinks a better use of his time given he most likely has set projects he is working on?
There is time to build up a portfolio between now and then but the concern would be his lack lustre attitude, is he having second thoughts about his initial course choice or maybe just not feeling inspired having started his foundation course.
Maybe dont push him on which uni just focus on his portfolio for now as it may all start coming together once he has a couple of completed projects and final pieces and has feedback from his tutors.

Just an additional thought. Foundation courses are very different to taking art subjects at A level by nature the application and approach requires a different thinking. Could it be this transition period is making your DS question his choices.

Thank you all for your contributions. I think pretty much everything you've said has at the very least a grain of truth in it!

Thursdays are optional, in that the unit is open, with a technician present, but no 'formal' teaching.

Students leave this course to go onto all sorts. They do get people into Kingston, but also onto clearing courses in not-high ranking unis. It is a broad church (which is also good as a wide range of people to bounce ideas off). We have a family friend who has done this exact course, and she is doing entirely what is right for her, following MH issues and 'losing her way'. The uni experience (in Halls tho only 10 miles from home) is a slightly less pressured environment will hopefully see her blossom. The course she is doing, DS a) wouldn't be that interested in, and b) he'd be rubbish at it via his own admission. I want to make it clear I am not dissing her choice or sneering at her uni!

And DS isn't 'in' anywhere, yet!

I mention this because until people like DS tell the course leaders otherwise, they may not know he has ambitions for Kingston. If he's aiming that high, he needs to demonstrate to them how invested he allegedly is! Especially as UCAS opens in 4 months.

TBF, KU has entirely been his choice, having 'rejected' applying for Edinburgh Uni (Graphic Design is a bolt-on to Fine Arts and is a couple of computers in a corridor); Loughborough (lacklustre presentation, student work that I honestly think DS is producing better, already and sport central); Nottingham (Trent, I think, DH went- all Masters and PhDs, no push regarding industry links); Bournemouth Arts (first one he saw, plays second fiddle to BU next door, not well equipped); University of the Creative Arts, Farnham (was OK, actually, but suffers, like Bournemouth Arts from not being part of a Big Uni where the 'cheap-to-teach' English students subsidise the more expensive Arts students, and the very expensive Engineering students); University of the Arts, London - (Elephant and Castle, too gritty, far too many Chinese students and, dare I say a leeetle bit 'wanky' .)

However, I believe he will a have UCA on his UCAS, and, oddly, UAL as he didn't seem that interested on that day!

I'd hoped his BTEC which was deadline and content driven, go go go, might be a good bridge between A level and Foundation! Maybe not?

They did a bit of water colour but he, and we- are mindful that some unis want a bit of everything; others want 'your best work only'. (KU: 'If you're rubbish at photography, don't have any in your portfolio').

As for the 1:10 chance of getting in; of course not all 1000 students will be desperate for KU, but it's not anyone's insurance place!

Yes, it did all go 'a bit flat' over summer. A month off would have done it, not three!

Anyway, I am not going to nag him (apart from that going in on Thursdays, if only for 3 hours, could be win/win all round for him .)

But oh, how I wish he was as 'on message' now as he was heading towards the end of Y13!

Your DS has obviously been doing all the right things, has studied hard and is obviously passionate about what he wants to do and where he would like to do it.
Everyone doing foundation is under the same pressure, having to apply to uni following only one term of foundation, but at least your DS already knows he wants to do graphic design, many haven’t even decided which pathway they want to take.
Having already visited many unis he will have seen the standards required, hopefully his current college will help him to achieve it.
As an x art school student myself (a very long time ago) and having a D.C. at art school now, I don’t really agree with some of your comments regarding what some unis are like, often being small arts only institutions make the whole atmosphere special, rather than being an arts department in a large uni, I don’t think any of the students would think they were playing second fiddle ( I’m thinking here about Leeds, Norwich, Bournemouth) but that’s my own personal view.
I’d say back off a bit and see if he settles into his college, if he really wants to go to Kingston he will probably put the work in, if not maybe he needs a bit more time and can apply next year.