Part 2: Continuation of 2023 uni (and other) applications for those pursuing art and creative routes

[Duchessofmuchness]

As requested transferring us all over hear for the continuation of the 2023 journey. Have so enjoyed the company and support of all on the first thread. Link to original thread copied below (I hope!)

2023 uni applications for those pursuing art and creative routes www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4626697-2023-uni-applications-for-those-pursuing-art-and-creative-routes

Sorry to hear that @mondaytosunday where is she again?

Morley. They had a summer project and she said some of the other work was impressive (of course some didn't do it at all). I've seen good work come out of there too.
I also think as she's changed direction for her future she's wondering why she's bothering with it. She wanted a break from the intensity of A levels but I think she's already missing academic work. She likes three of the four teachers they have.
I guess at the moment the teachers are spending time explaining what they are going to do over the year rather than them getting on and doing it. Plus I tell you the heat is oppressive in London at the moment and they have very big windows with the sun streaming in!
Any way early days yet.

@mondaytosunday Oh no, that doesn't sound like a great start. I do hope that they're just bringing them all up to speed and that things improve soon.

DD has now settled in to her new room (which apparently was grimy, so she bought cleaning supplies and Dealt With It) and is champing at the bit to get started on the course. They've been sent a bunch of short stories and have to pick one to illustrate.

One week into Foundation Art year and D2 is really enjoying it so far. They've had a bit of induction stuff and are doing one day in each of the specialist areas - so far ceramics and printmaking - and when the timetable starts properly they will be doing a few weeks in each one.

She will be getting a buspass which should arrive next week and has money for lunches loaded onto her id card. Having just discovered that one of the cafes does gorgeous cheese scones (warm) she's very happy with that. The pastoral side looks good so far, she's got a tutor and a support tutor to help her stay on track. At school she had got behind in Y13 and was just unable to work or do revision, dx ASD and ADHD just before Easter having been on the waiting list for 4 years.

At the moment her plan is to apply for Fine Art or possible Fine Art with History of Art to start next year.

Sounds good @JulesJules! Love a cheese scone!
A good thing at my daughter's FAD: it's such a small cohort that it's easy to get to know everyone. About 15 of them head out to the park to eat/sit around and chat at lunch. They are just discovering what each others interest is, and a couple already have places at uni (one at Cambridge for architecture)! Only one other interested in Animation- a guy she hasn't warmed to. Definitely more diverse population than her selective independent school.

@mondaytosunday sorry your DD off to shaky start. DS started last week and hasn't said much yet. He's a bit of closed book on it all . They did life drawing last week which is not his strength so I suspect he would be feeling a bit vulnerable and not so confident when he saw some of the other work. But he didn't say so. Other friends on gap years or heading to uni so that is another factor I suspect - bit of FOMO and wondering if doing right thing.

@JulesJules I am sure you’ve said where your DD is doing their Fiundation but would you mind repeating for those (me) hard of remembering at the back. DD is wobbling between going straight to uni, work or an art course. TBH I am less and less sold on the merits of art foundation, unless she wants to do fashion BA at CSM, and I am not sure that would be the right course for her. She’d be looking at Morley or the new UAL Foundation.

My dd is also unsure which way to go although I think at the moment she is leaning towards university. I quite liked the idea of an art foundation as think dd would benefit from a year where she can mature, decompress from her time at school (it hasn't been easy) and just do lots of art without the pressure of needing to achieve a grade. But it's not my choice to make.

For what it might be worth, DD is glad that she went straight into her first year without a foundation. Although first year work is graded, it doesn't count towards the final degree (she was one mark off a First anyway!) But then she's known for a while which specialism she wanted to do.

She also had a really tough time at school in the last year.

Deciding to do a foundation year locally was as much about having another year at home before university for D2. She (and we) felt she would benefit from another year at home while she starts some treatment. It's a bit of a halfway house, and an opportunity for her to concentrate on art and explore some specialisms with better facilities than school had to offer.

Thanks all. I’ll keep watching this thread to see how the Foundation students are getting on. I think what I’ve seen is that it’s a really personal decision based on so many life factors.

True! DS heading off to UWE on Sunday, welcome block starts Monday.
This year, rather than being terrified and worried about his ability, he is excited and cannot wait!
A year living away, but not too far away, and doing his FAD has massively upped his chance of success this year.
He believes in his own artistic ability, that Fine Art is really for him and that he can live alone and not starve! And he has explored many other artistic areas and can hit the ground running.
He wouldn't have necc applied to UWE from 6th form. Talking to FE tutors and technicians at DMU who knew him as an artist and a person led him to this choice. Which we hope is a good fit for him. The art world at FE and HE levels seems a small place and everyone seems to know everyone which wasn't the case with his school teachers . They were then able to suggest places that he hadn't considered.
Doing an FAD living away wasn't easy because of that almost immediate UCAS pressure and the lack of his cohort who actually lived away but it was still a good decision for DS.

FAD has been better this week. They started their blocks - sculpture the first one for DD and ten of them in each. They decamp en masse to the park for lunch but not sure what they'll do when the weather gets cold! Though there is a café in the building. Also this week the start of tube issues 🙄🙄.
She was at Cambridge open day yesterday so missed school (college?) - @PhotoDad drove by ARU but didn't see the art building.
Too hot again - but now confirmed the college and C is her top choice. She's put animation aside, though as I've said before, all but one of her animation courses were in clearing this last year so if she has yet another change of heart still a possibility!

That’s great to hear @mondaytosunday . I really hope Morley works out for her.

is DD planning to go to Cambridge Uni for art history? I don’t think the uni teaches art?

@ArtGarfield apparently she had been wavering about a creative degree for a while as she is very concerned about job prospects after graduation. 2D animation is not big in this country. She doesn't want to work freelance either .
Then after she got her results, (A star for Art, History and Psychology plus A star EPQ) and she thought maybe she is good enough for an academic degree (silly as that sounds). So a bit of a turnaround and no not interested in Art history but is applying for Human, Social and Political Science at Cambridge and Sociology or Sociology/Anthropology elsewhere. In particular she is interested in how society's systems affect access to and outcomes in countries with national healthcare (surprisingly unequal here).

Good luck to her, @mondaytosunday! My DS (just started Y12) is thinking about applying to Cambridge, so if DD does a placement year they might overlap in the city (and not, if not). Unfortunately you can't see the lovely Edwardian art building of ARU from the road, it now forms one internal corner of the glass-and-steel ARU campus. (It looks a bit out of place as it's obviously designed to front onto a street and no longer does!)

I am currently in Cambridge, having dropped off DD's stuff (she's been living out of a suitcase for a week). We spent the afternoon chatting in the Botanic Gardens (a hidden gem in the city) and she's excited and apprehensive in equal measures about Year 2. Off to Seville on a class drawing trip next Saturday!

@mondaytosunday well done DD, what amazing Alevel results. Such an interesting degree choice. I hope she gets in to Cambridge. I’m surrounded by Cambridge alumni and they all seem to have had such a wonderful time there ( and know such interesting people!).

I love that she’s doing an art foundation for the love of it. I’ve a friend who did the same before going to medical school. It was a lovely year for her and surprisingly useful.

@ArtGarfield as I've mentioned before she wanted a break from all the academic work and stress of A levels, and wasn't yet ready to leave home for uni. But after the summer admits she quite misses the pressure and writing essays! Also as she has changed her plans did for a bit wonder why she's still doing an FAD. But the alternative is to work (and then travel I suppose) but she doesn't have anyone to do that with.
Anyway she is still very creative and still has niggling doubts about 'giving up her dream'. I am not pushing one way or the other, I myself did a creative degree and career.
I think meeting some of the others on the course who still want to do a FAD even if they already have a uni place (one with a place at Cambridge for architecture) and as she gets more in to it she will fall in to the rhythm. Her PS and Cambridge application is taking up a lot of time and she's certainly glad she not also working at her A levels!

How are everyone's DC getting on?
Day 4 of DS doing Fine Art degree at UWE and so far he is loving it.
Despite it raining pretty much non stop he is loving Bristol and has been exploring the countryside around the Bower Ashton campus and yesterday ended up in some National Trust woods!!
Today he is getting a workshop overview at Bower before Techfest next week when they are inducted into all the workshops on one day.
There is a lot of emphasis on 'settling in' and understanding around people moving away from home etc. So these first 2 weeks are quite structured. He wants to just get on with all the ideas Bristol is prompting in his head, but he is journaling furiously so he has them all down when he does 'start'.
Yest he went to the MA Print show which he found very thought provoking, although non of the artists came out of their huddle to speak to him which he found odd. But he has lots he wants to try now.
Flat mates are good and he has been out twice (which for my DS is amazing) and actually enjoyed himself and they are chatty in the kitchen etc. Also found some 'normal' (his words) people on the course that he likes.
It's early days but so far UWE is living up to its billing!

Such good news @Lottsbiffandsmudge! Reading on WIWIKAU how so many kids are not settling in and already wanting to go home it's great your son is enjoying himself!
Third week at FAD and my DD is getting into the swing of it. Liking the sculpture rotation and has a friendship group with three other girls. Totally because of them reaching out to her rather than the other way around. Cambridge application seems to take up the rest of her time and waiting on feedback for second draft of PS.
Started her MS treatment which knocked her for six the first day. But all in all she's pretty cheery these days! Hope everyone else is settled in well too.

@Lottsbiffandsmudge and @mondaytosunday you both must be relieved that things are going well. Really positive about the structured start at UWE. Bristol is a lovely small city to be a student, so much to do and so much to see.

It would be lovely to keep the thread going and hearing how everyone's DC are getting on at their respective universities.

Just packing up to go to Herts on Sat. Dd did get straight As and I did feel a bit wobbly about whether she should do a more conventional academic degree but this is what she wants to do. I worry about her future job prospects but as she points out - my own specialism is pretty obscure and niche so I am hardly a role model.

She's made some contact with others there online just hoping she can settle in and find her tribe. House is absolute chaos in preparation - looking forward to getting my house back in order!

Good luck to all the starters and about-to-starters!! (DD settled back in for Year 2, and off to Spain this weekend on her class drawing trip...)

Well done Little @Acinonyx2, Herts' animation, SFX, model making courses are fantastic and their graduate prospects are excellent.