Studying Fine Art/Design?

I am 17 and just finishing my first year of college (AS Levels). I absolutely love art, drawing and painting, i achieved an A* at GCSE and spend a lot of my free time drawing. However, after being told that doing A-level art was "useless", and that i "wouldn't get a career out of it", i decided just to study science and maths. (AS Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths). This year has taught me that if you are not passionate in a subject than don't pursue it. I don't enjoy what i am doing so do not put the effort in to do well, i am dreading getting my AS results back as i'm sure i have failed at least two of them. I just want to do art and if i could change my A levels i would. But this would put me behind a whole year? And is that frowned upon? :frown:

So what should i do?

Start all my A-Levels over and Study Art at A-Level? How do i go about applying for a Foundation in Art and Design? Do i HAVE to have an A-Level in art to pursue it to undergraduate? What is the best way to do this? Help! :frown:

Thank you!

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by emrosald

Thank you!

a Foundation in Art and Design is better preparation for an art degree than Art A level.

COntact your local colleges and ask them what FAD provision they have. Some will offer 2 year Extended diplomas that are the equivalent of 3 A levels (and are less selective in terms of portfolio for entry).

Have a look at the advice in the Art and Design university courses forum - there's some stickied threads with advice about portfolios and a lot of students who are in the steps ahead of you who are likely to be willing to share their experience.

Reply 2

Jodles

My friend went through the exact same as you, he studied all maths and science AS levels and hated it. In this second year he restarted and took up Fine Art and Photography (I believe he continued with one of his previous courses too though) and in his third year (A2s) he completed all his courses and applied for uni and got in with an unconditional! Although he wants to study Games Design, not Fine Art.

I myself studied Fine Art, English, and Maths for my A levels and got AAC. I had initially planned to study both art and photography but I was told I shouldn't study more than one art subject. I wish I'd ignored what they said and never studied Maths and picked something else instead so I got a higher grade haha! I've also just completed my Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at the college I did my A levels at (I would HIGHLY recommend doing this if you want to do an Art subject at uni).

Just keep in mind that if you are 19 or over at the start of your FAD course you will have to pay for it - it was free for me as I was in my 'third' year of college. So you can redo your A levels for the next two years, and then pay for the FAD course. Or you can keep doing the A-level you're doing, and try to get into FAD course in your 'third' year, for free. However, getting into a course without any art subjects may be difficult, so you'd have to work very hard on a portfolio.

I would personally recommend you restart your AS levels and pick subjects you know you will love! And keep doing any of the subjects you're doing now if you enjoy them and think you'll do well at them. Then I think you should look into a FAD course - even if you have to pay for it, it's an absolutely amazing thing to do (I have friends who have paid for it because they are a year older and don't regret it for a second).

Studying Fine Art/Design?

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