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Worried about my choice: UAL Foundation Diploma in Art and Design

Hey there,

I'm starting my 1 year in Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at UAL this September and was doing some (last-minute) worrying about if I've made the right choice 😭 (outside of the usual fears of meeting friends etc)

I was accepted on my portfolio consisting mostly of hobby graphic design and photography work. I would have preferred to go in right away as Specialist (with the goal of getting into Graphic Design Communications at CSM) but the portfolio reviewers thought I'd be better doing Diagnostic, which makes sense because my portfolio was quite broad.

My main concern is that I'll have to do more of the artsy stuff like painting/drawing which I'm not very good at and am quite self conscious about, basically I'm just scared that I'll feel very out of my own depths during the non design/photography stuff. I appreciate and am grateful that this gives me a year to really lock in what I want to do at a higher level but am still frightened nevertheless, I guess I'm just imagining walking in there and them expecting me to concoct some beautiful thought-provoking paintings which... is not my area of expertise to say the least 😭

If anyone can offer some more info on the learning curve and content of the course I would be really grateful!!!
I have a relative that completed a foundation diploma last year (AUB) and it really was not like that at all.
They did have a diagnostic stage but very quickly settled into their chosen pathways. It was also very experimental and much more about the process rather than outcomes, if that makes sense.

Try not to worry or assume any expectations but enjoy the opportunity to explore creativity in a way that A levels do not really allow you to do.
Original post by finlaycm
Hey there,
I'm starting my 1 year in Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at UAL this September and was doing some (last-minute) worrying about if I've made the right choice 😭 (outside of the usual fears of meeting friends etc)
I was accepted on my portfolio consisting mostly of hobby graphic design and photography work. I would have preferred to go in right away as Specialist (with the goal of getting into Graphic Design Communications at CSM) but the portfolio reviewers thought I'd be better doing Diagnostic, which makes sense because my portfolio was quite broad.
My main concern is that I'll have to do more of the artsy stuff like painting/drawing which I'm not very good at and am quite self conscious about, basically I'm just scared that I'll feel very out of my own depths during the non design/photography stuff. I appreciate and am grateful that this gives me a year to really lock in what I want to do at a higher level but am still frightened nevertheless, I guess I'm just imagining walking in there and them expecting me to concoct some beautiful thought-provoking paintings which... is not my area of expertise to say the least 😭
If anyone can offer some more info on the learning curve and content of the course I would be really grateful!!!

Hiya I’ve just done the UAL foundation course but at Loughborough (same curriculum as yours will be though) and there was no pressure at all on forcing students to do Fine Arts stuff. I had friends who were photography focussed and the most they made us do was a bit of life drawing, the rest was very experimental and you could interpret briefs how you want to (you’d also be supposed at how many people on an arts course are really really not good at drawing hahaha). Mine was so much fun and I made heaps of friends so I think you’ll have a great time, plus the diagnostic portion was actually really helpful and it was over by Christmas anyway :smile:
Reply 3
Original post by trivial-spook
Hiya I’ve just done the UAL foundation course but at Loughborough (same curriculum as yours will be though) and there was no pressure at all on forcing students to do Fine Arts stuff. I had friends who were photography focussed and the most they made us do was a bit of life drawing, the rest was very experimental and you could interpret briefs how you want to (you’d also be supposed at how many people on an arts course are really really not good at drawing hahaha). Mine was so much fun and I made heaps of friends so I think you’ll have a great time, plus the diagnostic portion was actually really helpful and it was over by Christmas anyway :smile:

Thank you so much!!
Hi @finlaycm

Just to back up what the prior poster said, my experience of the UAL foundation was exactly the same as theirs. There's a first quick, diagnostic portion where you get to try a whole lot of different things, but the rest of it you get to make your own choices and specialise in what you want. That first module is more guided, but in all of them you get a theme that you can interpret as you want.

I found the whole diploma really enjoyable.

Hope that helps.

Andrea (Student Ambassador)
Arts University Plymouth Rep
Aup.ac.uk
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