Don't know what to study at University

After a gap year, I have failed to figure out what I want to study at Uni. I know I am a very creative person but the problem is that the creative industries are so difficult to enter without a degree, and there is basically nothing available to those like myself with little experience.

Thought about courses like fine art, games art, graphic design, film production but I don't want to waste money on I degree I don't end up using or enjoying.

What do I do? Take a £9250 a year risk to study something I'm not certain I will love, or waste a year doing something completely unrelated like working at ASDA...??

This all depends where you see yourself in life, working in the UK or aborad?
Also what A levels/B-TECs did you do? Some A levels and B-TEC's that compliment each other work well with certain degrees.

I'm 18 so I don't really know if I will stay in the UK yet

As for Alevels and BTECS. I did IT, Business, Graphic Design and Media Production (Games Dev)

Not going to lie, I actually didn't enjoy my A-levels and BTECS as much as I thought I should.

I get you. Very little amounts of 18 year-olds know whether they want to live abroad or not at your age. Give it time, a pathway will become apparent.
From your A level/B-TECS, Uni courses like, Business and Management, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Games Design and Programming, Media Studies, Design, Marketing, Accounting, Computer Science, Information Systems or Film are degrees that according to Uniguide that go well with what you've done.
The choice is up to you. You'd have to find Universities that cater to these types of degrees, and you'd have to meet the grade entry requirements... But would you feel happy studying any of these for 3 years potentially?

I would say games design, design, media, and film are likely the ones that stand out. My biggest worry is basically ****ing 30 year old me off. I don't want to wake up in 10 years unhappy because of a decision I made in my teens.

Well, you don't have to go to University now or in general. You can take a gap year, go into the world of work for a little while, alternatively you could see if you can get an apprenticeship, etc. I'm not sure how it works but I think you can apply to University and defer your placement for a year if you need more thinking time. Some people prefer going to University when they're a year or two more mature (you'll have to look more into that though).
If you're worried about tuition fees then I believe you don't have to pay it back unless you get a job over £27k-£30k, but look more into it again.
And if you're worried about living costs and taking out loans to live you can always commute. However this depends if the University you want to go to is in a closer proximity to you (and travel costs).
The choice is yours, personally I don't think you'd regret University that much. But it can depend on what you want to do, where you want to live and where you want to go in life. Have you applied to to a University yet by the way?

Do a 1 year Foundation Diploma in Art & Design.
Widely recognised by Universities, it exposes you to all sorts of different art/design, skills, and techniques and is a great way to identify your interests and strengths before moving on to Uni study or 'what to do next'. More info here - https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/what-to-study/art-and-design-foundation-diplomas

Yeah, I applied to five earlier on in the year but unfortunately got rejected by them all. Was really disappointed because at the time I thought I had a plan set out to study Media but now I just feel like all my confidence in my decision-making has gone.

I'm sorry to hear that. What grades did you get at A level & BTEC L3?

What was your FAD specialism?
Did you enjoy your FAD more than your A levels/BTECs?

It might be worth getting a graphic design internship in a marketing depart/agency for a couple of years to see how that suits you (and build up some experience and cash at the same time).

My Fad specialism was graphic design, but in all honesty, I didn't really fall in love with it as much as I had expected. I did graphic design for A-level as well and although I was fairly good at it, I just didn't sense a passion. As for FAD itself, I really enjoyed the beginning (where we just experienced with all the specialisms like fashion, fine art, photography etc) but once that ended I quite quickly stopped enjoying it. I know I want to do something creative with my life but the problem is simply what. I also understand how difficult it is getting into the creative industries which is why I am really worried about choosing the wrong degree course.

After a gap year, I have failed to figure out what I want to study at Uni. I know I am a very creative person but the problem is that the creative industries are so difficult to enter without a degree, and there is basically nothing available to those like myself with little experience.

Thought about courses like fine art, games art, graphic design, film production but I don't want to waste money on I degree I don't end up using or enjoying.

What do I do? Take a £9250 a year risk to study something I'm not certain I will love, or waste a year doing something completely unrelated like working at ASDA...??

Hi there,

My name is El and I thought I could shed some advice for you.

Maybe looking at Foundation courses may be good for you such as Foundation Diplomas/Degrees In Arts. These are only a year long, may help you in solidifying a position at certain Uni's if you choose to do your foundation course with them, allows you to explore all art genres such as Fine Art, Animation and so on. Here is the link to Coventry's if you're interested: https://www.coventry.ac.uk/course-structure/ug/diploma/foundation-diploma-in-art-and-design/

Coventry University also allows you to have a few months in first year to explore the course and change freely and easily if you realise you prefer doing another subject; as long as it's in the arts and not in something entirely different! Otherwise you may have to do another interview and possibly start later. But if you simply do Fine Art but decide its not for you and want to move to Games Art, that is fine and easy!
Coventry understands that choosing this is a big deal (because it is!) so we try our best to make sure you're happy before moving forward.

You should consider on doing a joint degree, so for example, I did Illustration & Animation and so I was taught by almost every teacher- I learnt from a Fine Art Teacher, Games Art Teachers, Animation Teachers, Illustration Teachers and so on! And so, I learnt a little bit of every subject throughout the three years at Coventry. Animation overall though, is a brilliant course to consider because it will blend into games art, learning VFX, Game Design, film/editing/producing, digital 3D (Maya which a lot of companies desire!!) and illustration/design, which may work good for you too as it's very flexible!

I hope this helps you and makes you consider looking into animation, especially at Coventry University because the lecturer is truly brilliant. Coventry Universities courses are so freeing and allow you to express yourself however you want through your work! They simply aid us into preparing for our future whilst we explore and find ourselves out. For example, I came to Coventry wanting desperately to do 2D animation... but with a bit of exploring, I realised I loved making stop motion films and designing characters in clay!

El

Hi there,

Don't worry about it. It happens to the majority of the students, including myself. What is your long-term career goal? Should I ask you where you see yourself in five years? It's fantastic that you are already aware of your interest in art. You could enrol in a general art course like Fine Arts or Commercial Arts. In that case, you will have the chance to learn more about the art world, at which point you will be able to decide what field you want to pursue.

If you are interested in a specific university, you can attend the open house to determine which courses are best for you. You can look around the campus and the amenities. Additionally, you are free to ask any questions of lecturers and current students.

Best wishes
Kylie

After a gap year, I have failed to figure out what I want to study at Uni. I know I am a very creative person but the problem is that the creative industries are so difficult to enter without a degree, and there is basically nothing available to those like myself with little experience.

Thought about courses like fine art, games art, graphic design, film production but I don't want to waste money on I degree I don't end up using or enjoying.

What do I do? Take a £9250 a year risk to study something I'm not certain I will love, or waste a year doing something completely unrelated like working at ASDA...??