"When I left St. Julian’s in 2009, I took a Foundation year at Camberwell College of the Arts – while it was an enjoyable experience, and especially helpful for getting adjusted to London life. I think that, if you have managed to reach a high grade in Visual Arts at IB level, you are most likely already well-prepared enough to start your studies at BA-level; most UK students take a Foundation year as a time of exploration – if you are still unsure as to what you might want to do, taking this degree might be the right choice. The perks of entering at foundation is that you will most likely get in, and when you finish the degree and are applying once more through UCAS, you automatically get to the portfolio review stage of applications for any of the UAL colleges. (St. Martins, Wimbledon, etc.) However, you are not guaranteed an interview.
I’ve only just recently finished my
BA(Hons) Graphic Media Design degree at the London College of Communication.
It’s a three-year course, but you have an option to undertake a one-year
‘Diploma in Professional Studies’ (DPS) – basically, a year in industry but for
creatives.
The LCC is a massive university with great
facilities – printmaking, bookbinding, and so much more. There are hundreds of students, so you have
to take an interest and persist to get attention and learn how to use the
facilities. Don’t be a wallflower.
At LCC students are very much encouraged to
be independent – if you have had a chance to visit any student shows in London
in the past, you would be able to notice that there is not one defining ‘look’
to the student body of work. This is one of the strongest selling points of
being a student there – at Chelsea or St. Martin’s there is very much a ‘look’
that comes from having attended the college, and the tutors regularly let you
know what is ‘wrong’ or ‘right’.
If you are interested in interaction and moving
image, I strongly suggest looking into the IMI course at LCC – it’s still small
and has been getting great reviews – a very hands-on course that’s doing a lot
of very forward thinking stuff.
I took a year out because I needed a break
from university life and to explore my options for the future, while building
my CV. The course director for DPS has a number of connections, and essentially
bombards you with emails for the whole year. Like everything else at university
level – it is what you make of it. Having a plan of action for the future
always makes things easier, but also being open to opportunities you didn’t
foresee also comes in handy.
If you are interested in a Visual Arts
degree, you have a great vantage by having done the IB – you most likely have a
more well-rounded knowledge base to inform your future projects and interests,
can manage your work load and are used to working both in groups and
independently – you will be amazed at the amount of visual people who have
problems in communicating their opinions to an audience, in things as simple as
class presentations. Being able to talk confidently will get you very far and
your teachers will take an interest in you for starting a discussion in the
classroom.
I strongly recommend you look at creative
blogs, websites such as Creative Review, and see their blogs on degree shows
around the country – you’ll get a better sense of the body of work of each
place."
Thanks Margarida!
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| A sculpture that Margarida presented in her final show at St. Julians. |
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| An image of her most recent work |
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