1st Year Cov student here, if I can help

I have just finished my first term as a Cov Uni student and if I can help and answer any questions for you then I'll do my best.
I am currently studying photography at undergraduate level so I am based in the Ellen Terry building which is also home to the media and performing arts. I chose to live in Uni owed housing rather than halls but I have been to many of the halls as my course mates stay in them and also seen some of the private owned halls.

I prefer pubs to clubs so I can't help on the clubbing scene but I can point you I the right direction for a decent pint or a meal.

I am also on the Global Leaders Programme which enhances your degree with international experience, I am a student rep and attend the faculty meetings, I have just completed my advantage module and I have just started my second business with two students who I met here and become good friends with. This has allowed me to see what is available for the entrepreneurial types out there. My colleagues in this venture are studying Business IT and Event Management.

Ill do my best to answer any questions I can but I am back in my home town for the Xmas break and working as many hours as I can to raise much needed drinking money and I have a holiday project to complete so if I am a little slow to reply, please forgive me.

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Reply 1

jeannienicolas

I've got an offer to do media and communication in the Ellen terry building for 2014!
I keep getting mixed feelings about Coventry, some people are like 'it's rubbish' but then others tell me that it's great if you know where to go! What do you think? Like you I'm not much of a clubby person, probably will go in freshers to meet people and socialise but other than that more of a pub and dinner/bowling/anything else kinda girl :smile:

Also, I know you said you stayed in housing but in your opinion what is the best halls?- I'm currently looking at callaice court and Victoria halls

Thanks for helping me! X

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Reply 2

Spookman

The Ellen Terry building looks quite dated on the outside, particularly when compared to the modern buildings nearby but it is a very nice place to work inside. It is always a hive of activity as so many people use it. It's location is very good with it being across the road from the hub and main campus and some of the best bars such as 'The Oak' and 'Quid's Inn' are about 100 yards away. Food is easy too with 'Simply Eat' nearby offering baguettes for a £1 (and they are nice too) or the hubs food court very close.

Having seen most of the accommodation it struck me that they were nearly all identical, none of them offer any more than the other and it really comes down to the people you share with. This is unfortunately a bit of a lottery and some of my friends are really happy and others not so much. The reason I opted for housing was the room I am in had its own seperate kitchen and bathroom. This made it almost like my own flat and the price was much less than what some of the halls were charging. The possible negatives of the housing is that they are further from the uni, about 15mins walk but I have grown to really enjoy that walk, it keeps me healthier and fitter and even with all the food and beer I actually lost weight. The other possible negative is that there is no communal area other than the shared kitchen so I have never really got to know my housemates that we'll. However, I made the effort to get to know my neighbours and they have become very good friends.

I have heard some of Coventry Uni's detractors but mostly the complaints stem from an individual's poor experience that could have been solved with a little effort. I love it here and when I have come up against something I was not happy about I just resolved it through talking to the appropriate people.

I hope this helps.

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Reply 3

Midd11

Hi! I have an unconditional offer to study Photography at Coventry from September.
I had my interview in December and have only met Jonathan, what are the other two members of staff like? What do you think of the course in general so far and has there been anything that you didn't expect?
Thanks :smile:

Reply 4

Spookman

Original post by Midd11

During my first term my primary contact has been with Matt Johnston. Jonathan Worth lectures for the second and third year students along with Caroline Molloy. Paul Smith also lectures but since he was promoted his remit covers the entire media department so we do not see him as much. During the contact I have had with them they have all been very friendly and their lectures have always been engaging and interesting.

We were introduced to Matt at the start of term and this is his first year leading the first year modules. I admit I was a little unsure at first as he is quite young and being new to the role I felt this could be a recipe for disaster. I am pleased to say that I could not have been more wrong. Matt is outstanding, his lecturers are fun and enjoyable and he is excellent at delivering the information you need. His work rate is also incredible, he is the first person in the building at 7 each morning and don't be surprised to get emails from him at 11 at night. Matt has also taken total ownership of the course and students, if you email him you can expect a reply very quickly, you want to see him and he has 1 to 1 surgery's every week. You need feed back on something send it to him and he will review anything you want and you will get a reply, normally within hours. Matt's knowledge is also impressive, it's like he is a walking encyclopedia of the photographic world. Matt has a clear commitment and dedication to his students and it is obvious that he has a very bright career ahead and I am really glad that I will be able to say I have been taught by him.

Before I chose Coventry I did as much research as I could on the other courses around and what struck me was how different this course was. All the other universities seemed to follow a path, either commercial, artistic or journalistic but the Coventry approach was almost philosophical and psychological. We spent a few lectures learning how to deconstruct an image, both literally and emotionally so we could better understand how and why it might work. This process can often be applied to all imagery regardless of its type. This system allows each student to pursue whichever photographic direction they prefer with much of the course focused on both promoting and engaging with the industry at large.

Because of the unique nature of this course I never really had any expectations but what did surprise me was the workload. We got a project on our first day during freshers week for hand in 7 days later and this was just the start. In the second week we got 2 major assignments and then we kept getting mini projects and research work along side. At one point my head was spinning I just didnt know which way to turn and everyone was feeling the pressure. However, we all started to pull together and help each other out, we got better organised and started to manage our time more efficiently. It was just what we needed to realise that we had to spend a few more hours in the library and a few less in the pub. The result was that at the end of the first semester every single student had passed.

It is worth mentioning that whilst speaking to some academics from my old college and explaining to them what we did they happened to remark that the process and workload was not dissimilar to that of the Oxbridge methodology.
So, if you are looking for a course that will really challenge you and push you to being the best you can be then I would heartily recommend Coventry. The facilities are pretty good, there is an excellent media loan shop but most importantly there is a vibe, an excitement and passion that starts from the lecturers and just seems to infect everyone else.

I absolutely can not wait to get back next week. :getmecoat:

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(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 5

Midd11

Thanks

very helpful, did not expect a detailed reply like that!
Have been to an open day there and was impressed with the enthusiasm of both the staff and students. I have noticed that the facilities don't seem as impressive compared to other universities which i have visited. However, taking into account that Coventry only has one Photography course with less students i don't think it is a problem. Have you ever found it difficult to access darkroom facilities and equipment? Also what are the timetables like each week? Do you know when you have lectures in advance and is it fairly similar each week? Just interested to know as from seeing Photography students at Falmouth, they all seem very confused and moaning about having to check when they have lectures each day (this puts me off going there especially as i would want to book cheap train tickets in advance as i live 4/5 hours away from Coventry!)

Another few questions:
Does each Photography student get a laptop to use and keep for the whole three years?
How many hours would you say on average each day you and your fellow course mates spend doing work outside of lecture time?
And what are you general impressions of the place so far? :smile:

Not being familiar with the area, say you were given a landscape project for example would you be given advice on places to visit to photograph?
Keen on going to Coventry and interested in hearing students thoughts, just want to make sure i'm making the right choice! thanks :smile:

Reply 6

Spookman

Original post by Midd11

Thanks

I am glad I can help and ill try to answer each of your questions.

I have not had any problems in accessing any equipment so far. One of the first assignments we did was purely analogue based and required us to shoot on both 35mm and medium format film. I never had a problem booking out the cameras when I needed them and most of the time the darkroom was almost empty. The only time things got a little crowded was a few days before deadline when everyone was perfecting their prints and people where arriving from 7am to get started.

We get out timetables in advance. This year we are in Tuesday and Friday (9-4.30). Previously they used to split the time up over the week and there would be extra days in but following feedback they reduced it to just the two days. This will occasionally change to accommodate field trips with a recent trip to London moving to a Monday but we had the Tuesday off instead.I already have my full timetables for next term with details of what we will be covering each session and this has allowed me to read up in advance on some of the subjects.

All media students get a 13" Macbook Pro laptop for their studies and this is yours to keep. However for the 3 years you are at the uni it remains the property of the university so if you leave early then you have to pay for it. Beyond that it is yours to do with as you please but they do ask you not to put stickers all over it. It also comes preloaded with all the software you need including Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office. It is also the students responsibility to make sure that it is insured.

It is very difficult to say how much time is spent working outside lecture time. We all work on blogs and after a lecture we have the option of writing up a summary of the lecture along with our ideas and critical thoughts. These input sessions are connected to the assignment overall and will help to make up the body of the project to demonstrate how you have used the techniques learned in your final outcomes. My advice would be not to procrastinate, make notes during the lectures, most students type up things on their laptops during the lecture and then finish them off at home. This means that you can get these lectures written up allowing you to focus on the assignments. I also strongly recommend working in the library. Free of distractions I can get more work done in 30 mins than I can at home in 3 hours as I find the atmosphere of dozens of students studying away conducive to my own ability to learn.

We are given some direction with each project and this is normal in the first year. In freshers we were set the task of creating a series of images based on New Topographics. We were given some back ground information and a series of locations to visit to create our own versions. We could use these or choose our own but needed to show our own interpretations from research on the subject and demonstrate our understanding of the topic.

Before I chose Coventry I was caught in two minds on which course to choose. I am aiming to work in a commercial environment so I naturally looked for universities that were geared to help me move in this direction. The more I learned about Coventry the more I realised that this was the right place for me. It is challenging and hard and pushes the students to constantly improve and work harder. This meant that I was signing up for a harder time than I would have got at other uni's but ultimately I would emerge better for it.

I have included a link to my blog which shows some of the work I have done during the first term. Feel free to have a look, comment and follow it through the next term and ask any more questions you might have.

http://leemorley.wordpress.com

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 7

Midd11

That seems good that they give you your timetables in advance and i think having a laptop with all the adobe photoshop on it is a plus compared to other universities as you can do work pretty much anywhere. Does every student get help into making a blog/website to share your work online? And have you had much involvement in Phonar/picbod yet or is that in another term/year that you start that in lectures?
Thank you :smile:

I shall have a look!

Reply 8

Spookman

One of the early lectures is about blogging and they explain how it all works before helping you set up your first one. After that it's up to you what you put in it. We have not done any work on phonar or picbod yet. I believe we start them in the second year.