1. You don't have to be traditionally good at art to do well - When I say 'traditionally' I mean being amazing at realistic drawing and painting. While having these skills are great they are not necessary, it is more about having creativity and individuality. I remember at the beginning of the year I felt very intimidated by the people around me who were amazing at these things, but I soon realised that it didn't matter because we all have different skills and areas of specialism. Art is all about creating something person and interesting, whether that's a beautiful drawing or abstract films. I am rubbish at that area of art but finished the year with a distinction, so just trust your abilities.
2. Freedom and independence are very important in order for you to create your best work - My foundation year was much freer than my A-Levels and GCSE's had been. The college environment was just generally much less strict than being in school, which is great when in a creative subject (and I expect any type of subject, but I'm just talking personally here). Having the freedom to use my time as I want and work on developing my own ideas has made my work and my confidence much stronger. It really helps to get the creative juices flowing,
3. You may not want to do what you originally thought you wanted to do - During my A-Levels I was sure I wanted to study Fashion Design at uni and later become a designer. I even applied, looked around unis and went to interviews, but something didn't feel right. I didn't feel comfortable or excited about it and just felt like that wasn't what I wanted to with my life. So I withdrew my application, applied for the foundation year and went in with an open mind. I still incorporated fashion into a great deal of my work, including my final project, because I was good at it and still enjoyed it, but I discovered that I had a passion I didn't even realise I had before because I had never really considered it an option. Now I'm going to a university to study film and I am so excited about it!
4. An extra year of education (as daunting as it may seem) can be very beneficial - The thought of doing yet another year of education between A-Level and university wasn't something I was very excited about. However, in retrospect, it was another year to make choices about my future and to discover who I am and what I am passionate about. I wouldn't be going to study film next month if it wasn't for that extra year and honestly I probably wouldn't be going to uni at all if I hadn't done the extra year. I've discovered a lot about myself and my passions throughout the last year, as well as becoming more confident and independent. An extra year for all that is completely worth it.
5. You're own ideas are actually great - In the past year I have learnt that your own ideas, regardless of how crazy or different they may seem, are all great and can be developed into some incredible art. It is also important to remember that a final idea isn't just going to come to you straight away, its a process. Work on smaller ideas, develop, change things, try things out, and eventually you'll get there. My final project was pretty wacky, and definitely something I never thought I would create, even at the beginning of the project. But I love it, I'm proud of it and I got a distinction from it. Trust your instincts and try news things. Being different is great and will make your work stand out more.
If you're thinking of doing a foundation year I would say it is definitely worth it. Overall I wasn't impressed with the college and how they dealt with everything but it was still greatly beneficial to me. You just have to make it work for yourself and figure out you're own ways of working. I did this and discovered that I only want to work within a creative industry and specifically that I want that to be Film.
Emma xox
