AUCB Arts University College Bournemouth for Art Foundation?

What was the interview like? I've got mine soon and Im so nervous. Especially if its a group one.

For my interview each interviewer took groups of about five or six students, asked us to keep our portfolios in the room for them to look at and then sent us outside. We were asked to wait for about fifteen minutes and then each come in at ten minute intervals or something like that. When I went in, my interviewer just chatted with me really, and talked to me about my portfolio. No difficult questions or anything like that. Don't worry too much, I was really nervous too, but the interviewers seemed really nice and friendly. Good luck!

So you went to an interview as well. I thought you live in China.

I do live in China, but I flew over to the UK for interviews I'm half English and I have family in England.

Oh I see. Gosh do they expect you to spend all that money to fly to the UK just for the interview? So you speak Mandarin...or Cantonese?

Nah, I could've had a telephone interview I'm sure (I did for Kingston). But I wanted to go to the UK to get a feel of the different universities again, since I still wasn't sure.

I speak Mandarin, though not completely fluently. I'm studying it right now as part of my gap year...thought I'd learn as much as I could before I go over to the UK! I can speak a little Cantonese. I used to be able to speak it fluently when I was younger because my mum is Cantonese, but when I moved to Shanghai I forgot a lot of it. I'm better at listening than speaking.

So excited for Bournemouth! I can't wait to try out all the different areas of Art. XD XD XD

Oh I see
Did you go to an international school in Shanghai then?
Oh, so you used to live in Hong Kong, now you're in Shanghai and you're going to move to the UK soon. Cool!!
Does your mum talk to you in English?
I speak Cantonese But brought up in the UK. I can speak a little Mandarin, but I think Im better speaking than listening. Madarin speaking people speak so fast I can hardly pick out words!

Bournemouth is apparently full. They put me on the waiting list. Oh Well. Should be going to Ravensbourne now.
The campus didn't really impress me. It took me half an hour to find the reception!
I suppose its gonna be a totally new experience for you.

Yeah, although I moved schools in between. I actually went to a sister school of a UK school in London - Dulwich College - from Year 10-13. That's really cool that you can speak Cantonese...mine is absolutely atrocious, as I mentioned. So are your parents Cantonese or did you learn it somewhere?

That's too bad about Bournemouth. But Ravensbourne has a good reputation as well doesn't it? At least for film and television. I'm assuming you meant the campus for Ravensbourne was confusing? Don't worry about that...I'm sure you'll find your way around eventually!

It really is going to be a new experience. The thing I'm most worried about is money. I don't know how I'm going to tell what's expensive and what isn't because compared to China EVERYTHING is expensive. Oh, and I know this sounds weird, but it's going to take me ages to get used to the fact that there is English everywhere - on signs, newspapers, magazines, television, posters...the last time I was in the UK I really noticed it. It made my head hurt because I could understand everything and I wasn't used to it! The human brain is so weird.

Oh so is the school system exactly like the UK's? Do you have the same exams and everything? English teachers?
My parents are both Cantonese but i was born here.

Yeah, Ravensbourne is good. Im glad i got in.
No, I meant the campus at Bournemouth is confusing. I had to ask 3 people before i could find the reception. Its like a maze in there. And its right out of town as well, so i don't really like it.

Lol, i suppose. You'll get used to the currency very soon. I think its around ₤1 to 10RMB at the moment.
Its a good thing you'll be able to understand everything. Life will be much simpler You;ll be able to read magazines, watch tV etc. and enjoy social life.

Yeah the school system was the same, although I did IGCSEs instead of GCSEs and took the IB instead of A-levels. There are British schools in Shanghai that offer the A-levels...or at least they used to. Now the IB is more preferable in international schools. In international schools students are taught in English (unless it's like a French or German school but those aren't as well-known as the international ones)...although our Chinese classes are taught in Mandarin, of course.

Yeah I guess the campus is slightly confusing, but it's small so once I'm there for a few days I'm sure it'll be easier to get around. I've gone to some big schools with confusing campuses and AUCB isn't that bad.

I suppose it'll be a good thing I can understand everything, although I get by just fine in China because I understand Mandarin. It's true there will be more choice of magazines and things...but TV shows were never a problem And the social life in China can be enjoyed both by foreigners and locals. There are a lot of foreigners in China and a lot of "foreign" events. In fact I think I'll really miss the presence of the Chinese language! lol

Do you know what you want to do after your Foundation? I know loads of people go in wanting to do one thing and come out wanting to do something else, though. Do you have any idea?

Never heard of IGCSE and IB before.
So are your teachers English (apart from your Mandarin teacher of course)? It'll be strange if there are chinese teachers who teach you in english.

AUCB is small? I think its massive! lol. Its too overwhelming for me.

Do people speak to you in Mandarin in China? Do you think you look more Chinese than English?
Foreign events...sounds good! I've never been to Shanghai before so don't know what its like there. I like Beijing and Hong Kong is amazing!
There are chinese schools in the UK...something you can look into. Classes are normally on Sundays, though some schools do Saturdays as well.

I want to do fashion, maybe textiles if they think im better at textiles. At the Ravensbourne interview, they seem to think that I'll do well in textiles design. How about you?

IGCSEs are the international version of the GCSEs. I believe there's not a huge difference between the two except the IGCSEs don't have as big of a focus on coursework. The IB stands for International Baccalaureate...it's not so popular in the UK just yet (I think!) but my parents preferred it to the A-levels because it's broader and more well-rounded.

Some of my teachers were English, some were American, Canadian, Welsh, Australian, New Zealanders...had a teacher from Holland a long time ago, but he spoke with a British accent. The Chinese teachers can speak English, of course, but yeah, they don't teach us anything other than Chinese.

Yeah I thought AUCB was pretty small! I've seen bigger places, although those were actual universities and not "university colleges". I'm staying at Tsinghua University at the moment in Beijing - now that's massive. I get lost very easily if I leave the "white brick district" (which is where all the foreign students are.) So I thought AUCB was pretty small in comparison!

I love Shanghai and Hong Kong...Beijing is OK. I'm not too fond of the way it's laid out; the roads are too wide and everything's a bit spread out for me. Shanghai and Hong Kong are a lot denser and easier to get around. Beijing does have lovely sites though...including the Great Wall. It's so beautiful...never ceases to amaze me. Plus, Beijing has Peking duck (SO DELICIOUS!) How many times have you been to Beijing/HK?

I'm thinking film and television...more so television though. I absolutely love making videos (and watching them...teehee.) That's one of the reasons why AUCB was my top choice, since it has a really good rep for film. Ravensbourne does as well, I think. Do you think you'd stay at Ravensbourne for all four years?