The Student Room Group

Sciences at uni or art

Hi, so I applied for natural sciences and biochemistry for university in October. But since September I've really gotten into making art. Recently I've come back home everyday and made something everyday for nearly a month now I love it. I love working on many mediums but drawing and illustration is probably one of my favourites. I am also applying for a foundation course with ual via ual directly and applied for an animation course with SAE as I enjoy using blender a lot. I'm just not sure what to do, should I go with science at uni and do art as a hobby for the four years and then maybe get a decent day job and do art as a hobby until I can do it full time. Or should I do a foundation year at ual and do an art degree after that and just see where life takes me. This year has been crazy, at the start of it I was still wanting to do medicine lol. But I hope that's clear and I'd love for some support and feedback thank you!!!!!
Reply 1
I'd say you should try work out if the art hobby is just a phase or not. If you've always been interested in science and only recently had an interest in art then I'd say stick with science. Whereas if you've always done art and enjoyed it and just took it up again, it could be worth doing that
Original post by Oregan
Hi, so I applied for natural sciences and biochemistry for university in October. But since September I've really gotten into making art. Recently I've come back home everyday and made something everyday for nearly a month now I love it. I love working on many mediums but drawing and illustration is probably one of my favourites. I am also applying for a foundation course with ual via ual directly and applied for an animation course with SAE as I enjoy using blender a lot. I'm just not sure what to do, should I go with science at uni and do art as a hobby for the four years and then maybe get a decent day job and do art as a hobby until I can do it full time. Or should I do a foundation year at ual and do an art degree after that and just see where life takes me. This year has been crazy, at the start of it I was still wanting to do medicine lol. But I hope that's clear and I'd love for some support and feedback thank you!!!!!

I would recommend that you apply for other foundation diploma courses, contact your science courses to defer your application and spend a year studying art full time.

At the moment you’re enjoying your art in your spare time so spend a year trying it out as a full time thing and your only subject of study. A foundation diploma is counted and funded as FE study so it doesn’t eat into your university funding. It’s the perfect way to test out full time art study without burning your bridges to choose to switch back to science.
As above - explore the art-thing and see if it reallly is what you want to do.
Defer your Uni place until 2023 entry and do an A&D Foundation at a local college - more info here : https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/what-to-study/art-and-design-foundation-diplomas
Reply 4
Yep thank you so much that sounds like a really good idea.
I don't think u realise how different art is as a subject compared to a hobby

I wud know since i did it at GCSE and one year at alevel, that 1 year of alevel put me off art to the point I stopped drawing at all for like 2 years (i actuslly know a lot of people this hapoened to)...ive only started again recent doing some little watercolour paintings for fun, but haven't picked up a pencil

Art as a course is not that fun, its stressful, so u shud seriously consider ur decision...plus if ur not thinking of using it for a career then I wud strongly advise u keep it as a hobby at home, its more fun that way

If u decide to do a course for art, I suggest it's 1 year so u can trial it and not waste time...watch some YouTube videos on people who are doing the course u want to do
Reply 6
Original post by PQ
I would recommend that you apply for other foundation diploma courses, contact your science courses to defer your application and spend a year studying art full time.

At the moment you’re enjoying your art in your spare time so spend a year trying it out as a full time thing and your only subject of study. A foundation diploma is counted and funded as FE study so it doesn’t eat into your university funding. It’s the perfect way to test out full time art study without burning your bridges to choose to switch back to science.

Omg I found a UAL accredited foundation course in the city next to me, I'm going to learn more about this and go to an open day and talk about it with my parents.
Original post by Oregan
Hi, so I applied for natural sciences and biochemistry for university in October. But since September I've really gotten into making art. Recently I've come back home everyday and made something everyday for nearly a month now I love it. I love working on many mediums but drawing and illustration is probably one of my favourites. I am also applying for a foundation course with ual via ual directly and applied for an animation course with SAE as I enjoy using blender a lot. I'm just not sure what to do, should I go with science at uni and do art as a hobby for the four years and then maybe get a decent day job and do art as a hobby until I can do it full time. Or should I do a foundation year at ual and do an art degree after that and just see where life takes me. This year has been crazy, at the start of it I was still wanting to do medicine lol. But I hope that's clear and I'd love for some support and feedback thank you!!!!!

degree in art = life in poverty (exaggerating but you get the point)
degree in natsci without white-collar work experience = life in poverty
degree in natsci with white-collar work experience = the good life
Reply 8
Original post by HelloHello143
I don't think u realise how different art is as a subject compared to a hobby

I wud know since i did it at GCSE and one year at alevel, that 1 year of alevel put me off art to the point I stopped drawing at all for like 2 years (i actuslly know a lot of people this hapoened to)...ive only started again recent doing some little watercolour paintings for fun, but haven't picked up a pencil

Art as a course is not that fun, its stressful, so u shud seriously consider ur decision...plus if ur not thinking of using it for a career then I wud strongly advise u keep it as a hobby at home, its more fun that way

If u decide to do a course for art, I suggest it's 1 year so u can trial it and not waste time...watch some YouTube videos on people who are doing the course u want to do

Okay thank you I'll look into doing the one year course
Reply 9
Original post by A Rolling Stone
degree in art = life in poverty (exaggerating but you get the point)
degree in natsci without white-collar work experience = life in poverty
degree in natsci with white-collar work experience = the good life

So how do you get that white collar work experience?
Original post by Oregan
So how do you get that white collar work experience?

apologies i wrote that in a rush - to clarify, get humble work experience (weekend/summer jobs in cafés, shops, restaurants...) and then you will have a good white collar opportunities with a natsci degree. technically the same applies to Art but much more difficult
Reply 11
Original post by A Rolling Stone
apologies i wrote that in a rush - to clarify, get humble work experience (weekend/summer jobs in cafés, shops, restaurants...) and then you will have a good white collar opportunities with a natsci degree. technically the same applies to Art but much more difficult

Oh okay thank you I think I've already been doing that.
Original post by Oregan
Hi, so I applied for natural sciences and biochemistry for university in October. But since September I've really gotten into making art. Recently I've come back home everyday and made something everyday for nearly a month now I love it. I love working on many mediums but drawing and illustration is probably one of my favourites. I am also applying for a foundation course with ual via ual directly and applied for an animation course with SAE as I enjoy using blender a lot. I'm just not sure what to do, should I go with science at uni and do art as a hobby for the four years and then maybe get a decent day job and do art as a hobby until I can do it full time. Or should I do a foundation year at ual and do an art degree after that and just see where life takes me. This year has been crazy, at the start of it I was still wanting to do medicine lol. But I hope that's clear and I'd love for some support and feedback thank you!!!!!


Hey so I am a current NatSci student at the Uni of Nottingham. I can't speak for other unis but there is some flexibility in the NatSci course to take a module that is off specification. Many chose to do languages but if you justified why, and it sounds like you have a real passion for art, then it would definitely be considered by the course lead.
Whatever you end up taking at whatever uni I would also suggest looking at what societies are available. This could help you get a bit of everything while you are at uni so you don't have to give up anything that you are interested in.

Hope this helps and if you have any questions please let me know :smile:
Emily
Reply 13
Original post by EmilyClarke24
Hey so I am a current NatSci student at the Uni of Nottingham. I can't speak for other unis but there is some flexibility in the NatSci course to take a module that is off specification. Many chose to do languages but if you justified why, and it sounds like you have a real passion for art, then it would definitely be considered by the course lead.
Whatever you end up taking at whatever uni I would also suggest looking at what societies are available. This could help you get a bit of everything while you are at uni so you don't have to give up anything that you are interested in.

Hope this helps and if you have any questions please let me know :smile:
Emily

Thank you that sounds rly fun I'd love to do an art module for Natsci if I get into it at UCL. And I will definitely join art societies! :smile:
Original post by Oregan
Hi, so I applied for natural sciences and biochemistry for university in October. But since September I've really gotten into making art. Recently I've come back home everyday and made something everyday for nearly a month now I love it. I love working on many mediums but drawing and illustration is probably one of my favourites. I am also applying for a foundation course with ual via ual directly and applied for an animation course with SAE as I enjoy using blender a lot. I'm just not sure what to do, should I go with science at uni and do art as a hobby for the four years and then maybe get a decent day job and do art as a hobby until I can do it full time. Or should I do a foundation year at ual and do an art degree after that and just see where life takes me. This year has been crazy, at the start of it I was still wanting to do medicine lol. But I hope that's clear and I'd love for some support and feedback thank you!!!!!

Hi there,

My name is Eleanor Hopkins and I'm a student ambassador at Coventry University- I'm in my third year and studying Illustration & Animation.

I, too, did a foundation degree in art -at Stourbridge College- and I have to say it was one of my favourite years of education and was the place I grew most as an artist! I didn't know what art medium I liked and soon I discovered Illustration during my Foundation Course- after that I knew I wanted to go to university and study this. Beforehand I had no idea what I wanted to do and if I even wanted to go to uni full stop.

Coventry University has been a wonderful uni for art and their lecturers are all so passionate and clearly love teaching and passing on their skills to us as students.

Coventry University does Foundations in art so if you're interested, here is our link: https://www.coventry.ac.uk/course-structure/ug/diploma/foundation-diploma-in-art-and-design/?term=2022-23 (I'm unsure where you live so its understandable if Coventry is too far away for you!).

Although it's entirely up to you what you choose to do, I would say that Foundation art was a great experience for me and I learnt a lot of my techniques from that one year of studying. It also meant that I got unconditional acceptances from Universities thanks to the extra UCAS points and the fact that a Foundation Diploma is seen as a year 1 university level.

If you have anymore questions or need assistance- feel free to reply and either me or another Ambassador will get in touch soon!

El

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