University research

University research and analysis

As I was coming to the end of my foundation degree I needed to look ahead to the future and this involved researching universities and courses that would suit my abilities and aspirations.

Bournemouth University

 I started by looking at Bournemouth university because I had heard good things from both my tutors and it was where I originally had looked at inline and in person back when I was in sixth form deciding where I wanted to go from there.  They offered a variety of courses within the animation/art based area but it was the computer-based courses that I was more interested in. Another decision I needed to make before going to deep into my university research was weather to go on and do a full 3 years honors degree or weather to do just a top up year. The money was a factor when making this decision because to do another 3 years would be another 3 years of student loans and another 3 years I wouldn’t be in work and going out into the working world is something I’m craving.  Because of this I decided to look mainly at the top up courses but also keeping an open mind about a potential 3-year course

Bournemouth offered a one-year top up course with the following details.

3D Computer Generated Imagery: Modelling and Animation BSc (Hons) - (Top-up)

Course overview

For 2013 entry: This course is open for late and UCAS Extra applications (UK/EU and non-EU).

This course is delivered at Bournemouth and Poole College, a BU Partner College.

The course is designed principally to meet the needs of today's industry and for students who wish to qualify as modern day technical illustrators. The course will produce graduates who are innovative designers in 3D CGI- based design, able to research, develop and utilise the modern technology needed and used by industry. At the end of the course, graduates will have developed the capacity to:

•  Innovate

•  Effectively work within a team, taking initiative where necessary

•  Make informed decisions using initiative

•  Respond to and create solutions to complex challenges

•  Communicate confidently and effectively

•  Demonstrate full and innovative use and understanding of new 3D Computer Modelling and Animation technologies and techniques

•  Take measured risks, and recognise and respond to opportunities as they present themselves

•  Conduct industry relevant in-depth research on new technologies, with a view to adapting to modern innovations

Critically analyse and evaluate.

This course was attractive and appealed to me as a description because I felt it met my abilities and personality for example my ability of working in a team and the focus on 3D is something I would enjoy because its been what I’ve been doing most of lately.

The entry requirements of this course were an average of 60% at a foundation level which is something I’m close to but not sure of weather I’m going to achieve it just yet and 4 GCSE’s at A-C which I have.  So I’m fairly confident this is a course I could get onto if I wanted to and I liked the sound of it so I added it to my preliminary short list.

I did look at the other 3 year courses that they had to offer but the entry requirements were higher than I believe I’m going to achieve.

Brighton University

I looked at Brighton University next again because I had heard good things and because something on the south coast was appealing to me location wise. Brighton University didn’t offer an animation course but they did offer other art and design based courses such as illustration and graphic design. Illustration is something I’ve enjoyed doing so I decided to have a closer look, after a closer look I found the entry requirements for this course again were very high and the course itself seemed very theory based and this is something I’m not so keen on doing. In the way of top up courses they did no have anything that was in the areas I wanted to go in so I carried on my search.

Newcastle College

It’s still an option to stay where I am. I could do my top up at Newcastle College where I am currently studying; the obvious positives are that I’m familiar with the city, places to live and the college itself. Knowing people at the college I was able to ask some questions and find out about the third year and it sounds very different form what I’m used doing here. The top up year would be mostly written and theory based which is not something that appeals to me and staying at the same institution would feel like I’m on the same course but doing work I no longer enjoy. The appeal really though is the work would just be for one year and I would get my degree and that’s the whole point of the third year so I kept Newcastle college as an undecided possibility.

Northumbria University

I Looked at Northumbria university because its close to where I am at the moment so the benefit of knowing the city is good but after a closer look at what they have to offer its only 3 year courses that center around animation but a closer look at the course showed me the first 2 years would be very similar to the first 2 years of this course and repeating myself is not something I want to do.

After looking at universities that weren’t very close to home I decided to look at places that were in driving distance so I could stay at home whilst studying.

Hertfordshire University

The university closest to me is Hertfordshire so I decided to look at what they had to offer. No animation of 3D courses were available and this is they key area I want to look into and no top ups were available either so I decided that looking at other courses that didn’t meet my needs would be a waste of time just for the luxury of location.

University of the Arts London

The university of the arts London offered what was the most appealing course so far, it was a top up for a and fda that required a merit level. A merit is something I think I’m going to achieve and after reading more about the course I found it would quite suit my broad style. The institution is obviously in London, which is close to home, so this again made it very desirable.  The year would be based around a dissertation or equivalent though and this amount of writing is something that at the moment I’m not confident in doing and it doesn’t appeal to me as I think it would slow down my workflow. This course though after all my looking was, if I decided to do a third year, going to be my first choice.

After my university research and talking to tutors and other people for guidance and talking about what I wanted to do with my future I found myself wanting the experience of work. When looing at all the courses I was looking for the ones that could give industry experience, guidance or a module that mimicked the industry and I just thought to myself that I may as well go out in to the industry and see what its really like. University is not something I’m writing off by any means, I’m still going to keep the option open for next year or any time in the future because a degree is desirable for employers and also myself.