Dd unsure about her chosen course

[RockyKeen]

She spoked to do media production in ljmu . She’s very arty. Probably will get A or A* for a
level art , and has also done sociology and history of art predicted A and B. She really wants a creative degree and was adamant that she wanted to be in Liverpool. Not sure what to advise her.

It sounds as if she’s thought about all the things that have been suggested on this thread-different cities, different unis, different courses, red brick and trad courses and ex polys- but she weighed everything else up and decided on Liverpool J and media.

At some point in life you make choices based on various knows, unknowns, likes and dislikes and assumptions. It’ll become the right choice because it’s the one she made. If she wobbles when she gets there then she makes other choices.

LJMU and media production see seems well regarded and has decent links to jobs.

Just to say as well, we let students switch course in the first couple of weeks or so after they start too. She should ask these questions to reassure herself of her options.

Has she spoken to the disabilities team about her ADHD? My experience is it is best to do this early to ensure her needs are communicated.

She hasn’t . She wants to do it in person. Her main struggle is time management and needing alone time at some point during the day. She has very good coping routines in place .

If/when she does become more open to talking, suggest this career aptitude test. It's quick, free and i've found it useful in the past for focusing decisions https://onetinterestprofiler.org/

From what you've mentioned in the thread - good at art and drawing, considered graphics, wants a creative course, A level Sociology - Product Design is an option that comes to mind

I would also suggest an art foundation course to allow her to explore different media and find a sense of direction. FE and adult education colleges offer them as well as HE. Less pressure and she will be in a more confident position next year. Look at your local options…

That's fine but I would recommend she lets them know via email before she has an appointment. It won't be either online or in person I don't think. It really helps students get a good start if academic staff are aware of any needs during induction week. It can take a while for in person appointments to go through for disability services.

I would suggest a gap year to work, travel do something else and research carefully what she wants to study instead of rushing such an important decision, wasting time and money. Maybe she isn’t ready to go to university yet.

OP, you mentioned graphic design as a possibility. One thing to consider is how much is AI taking over various sectors. I believe graphic designers are finding the job market very difficult at the moment due to AI and likely to get worse.

I do think doing a year of the free art foundation course at a local college would buy her time. A friends dc did it and loved it.

Will suggest this !

is she unsure because she’s genuinely not convinced it’s the right course or nerves at the next stage? It’s such a difficult time making a decision when it feels like you’re deciding your whole life.
An art foundation course is a really popular route to help that process, but it seems she’s not keen on that. I would be asking questions about what she enjoys about drawing, because if it’s the creative freedom, she likely won’t enjoy having to work to a design brief or sitting a media desk doing computer editing. If that’s the case then graphic design & illustration, fine art or a combined art course might be a better fit.

Even if she is interested in an art foundation she may well be too late. I’d be wary of giving something as an option which is going to be difficult or near impossible to organise.

The DD would need to start the course this September to benefit from the free tuition. Most courses are likely to be full, especially in London. Their terms start much earlier than degree courses tend to. There’s fewer and fewer art foundation courses anyway, although if money is no object the private course at City and Guilds may have spaces.

maybe look yourself to see what’s available- at Working Men’s College in Camden; Morley college for the level 4 course at their Chelsea campus and UAL school of pre degree studies at Lime Grove Shepherd’s Bush. And then there will be local colleges running the course.

I am assuming London because of the bbc and a state school doing A level Art History, so apologies if I’m wide off the mark. Other areas might be different for their art foundation courses.

Does anyone know where I can research art foundation courses up north. Is it too late at this stage.

Go to UCAS and search for clearing, then put in art. But why foundation if she's doing art A-level and is expecting a good grade?

Not too late. You can register with individual universities for clearing priority too - but not sure when this closes.

I just googled art foundation colleges in the north west and the following popped up

Local and Regional Options

• Wirral Met College: Runs the UAL Level 4 Foundation at the Twelve Quays Campus in Birkenhead, focusing on portfolio building and material exploration.
• Birkenhead Sixth Form College: Offers a dedicated pre-university Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media.
• St Helens College & Carmel College: Both provide dedicated UAL foundation pathways with specialist studio routes.
• Southport College: Delivers the intensive Level 4 Foundation Studies bridging course for creative progression.
• Manchester School of Art (MMU): Offers a well-known diagnostic foundation program for higher-level creative specialisms. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Typical Entry Requirements

• Aged 18 or older (or relevant adult/19+ funding tiers).
• Usually 4 to 5 GCSEs at grade 4/C or above (including English).
• At least one A-Level or relevant Level 3 creative qualification (like a BTEC).
• A satisfactory portfolio review and interview.

I would strongly advise against an arty degree, and would doubly advise against it unless you are 100% sure.
The chances of you building a career in the field, unless you are a nepo baby are very slim

No, it’s not a foundation year at uni she wants. She wants a free course at an FE college. They’re fully funded.

Oh I see, misunderstood!

They the one I meant was at a local college fully funded as yr14.

https://runshaw.ac.uk/course/foundation-diploma-art-design-2/

The one I’ve linked is near Preston.
Roughly what area are you looking for up north?
The description sounds like a good fit for her and bonus is it’s free.

You'd be looking at local FE colleges for a foundation course (btec) if she wants to do this.

It used to be the best route. I still think they're really valuable but seemed to fall out of favour with students who wanted to go straight to uni.

She could accept and defer her uni course to start in 2027 (bearing in mind she may well be able to swap courses within the chosen uni) or withdraw and start the UCAS process again with a January deadline.

You will probably find that local further education colleges offer it. DS did a UAL level 4 art foundation at local FE college. While it is late I’d imagine not impossible to secure a place in Aug before they start in Sept (school terms rather than uni). Unis also offer - it’s not through UCAS. Direct application. DS course was 3 days in college. He had a part time job along side. Was great experience for him in terms of his artistic practice and being ready for uni, We had 2-3 FE colleges within commutable distance offering either level 3 or 4 plus a couple of unis (although I think you would have missed hi deadlines at this point) but will depend on where you are in country . There isn’t a central register so instead I’d suggest working through you local colleges to see if they offer it

Thais I’ll take a look

I appreciate this is not in Liverpool, but this course might be of interest. It does have a high percentage of employment afterwards. https://www.westminster.ac.uk/film-and-television-media-and-communication-courses/2026-27/september/full-time/film-and-television-production-ba-honours

given her responses and adhd is she in need of calm, reassurance and a list of options rather than rethinking? It’s a really stressful time - if she’s suddenly panicking she’ll not get the grades I’ve known students call ucas and withdraw to prevent being rejected (don’t let her do this!)
the foundation courses sound a good idea, especially with adhd as her neural pathways are likely to be slightly behind her peers too so the extra year will make a difference
But the pp who said you can’t build a career is wrong there’s still loads of options. They aren’t phenomenally well paid though, and she might need to look at digital art to have longevity.