Should I transfer to UAL CSM for my second year?

Ive been having a life crisis about whether I should stay at my current illustration course or try to transfer to csm to study graphic communication design.
I finished the foundation at csm in the GCD pathway with a v good mark, so I think that would give me a better chance at being accepted. It also means i already have a lot of friends in the gcd undergrad course, so ive been hearing about how theyre enjoying it, meanwhile Im having doubts about mine.
I feel like gcd would give me better career prospects since having graphic design/computing/adobe skills would set me up for being a versatile designer (which is ideal), and it would feel like im actually learning something for the 9k im paying annually. Theyve also already been introduced to so many facilities, and its super open, you get to meet so many people from the different years. The tutors are also apparently amazing. Only thing is that theres less of a focus on illustration, but im willing to give that up if ill learn more on gcd.
My current course is very self led, and facilities have hardly been introduced, and we’ve stayed quite bubbled in our own class. Theres also WAY less tutors. However, the city im in is amazing and more student friendly. Also really not that far from London, so i usually visit for exhibitions etc.

The biggest thing about transferring to ual is that i grew up in london, so id probably be living at home to avoid london rent costs. The pro to this is that itll be way cheaper even after counting the daily transport cost, but the cons are that I feel like I’ll miss out on the proper uni experience of living with flatmates after halls, I’ll miss the smaller city, and I might miss being more specialised in illustration.

Basically, I dont know how to choose between a course with better career prospects that feels more worth the money vs. living in a nice city and studying a chiller course. Does anyone have any experiences/insight?

(Also before anyone suggests other ual illustration courses, im gonna keep my decision limited to csm bc of the fact that im already so familiar with it)

Reply 1

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Have you compared the learning outcomes for your current first year to the learning outcomes of the CSM degree?
If they’re not a good match then would you consider restarting from year 1?

Reply 2

insidedesigner

Let me guess... Brighton?

It sounds like you've made up your mind to me. Just get in touch with CSM and see what they say. If you know people on the
course who are enjoying it, the chances are you will too.

If you're worried about career prospects, there are other options. A lot of the big/famous agencies don't bother going to the CSM final year show because a lot of the work their students produce is disconnected from industry realities. That's not to say it's bad - CSM is full of amazingly bright students - but it often tends towards the critical/speculative/theoretical - as opposed to the kind of work the majority of agencies actually do. It is brilliant in many ways, but there are other, more practical options out there.