Please can someone convince me that undertaking a Foundation Degree and then a 3 year degree in fine art is a good idea and is likely to lead to a happy and fulfilled life then please do so as Im desperately trying to remain positive for my daughter and struggling. Havent said this directly but it seems like a waste of time and money unlikely to result in a decent career and landing a massive student debt! Im an engineer so wtf do I know. Help!!!!!
Let it play. if she's happy be happy with her. Maybe its a test, to see if no matter what, she needs your suport.
If she does not do it, she will regret it. May not earn pots of money later but if she is lucky enough to work in some kind of art career she will be happy. I did Art college and worked as an artist for a while. I've ended up in a completely different non art related career but I am thankful I had the opportunity to try for the art career.
There is a vast range of degree courses which - I imagine - rarely lead off to a career directly related to that subject Astronomy & Astrophysics Theoretical Physics Philosophy & Theology Archaeology History English Mathematics are just a few off the top of my head. When I was at school, we were advised not to think too much about the job prospects of a specific degree because a) it was impossible to predict what the job market was going to be like in 3+ years time b) the general point of a university education was to prove that you could apply yourself under your own steam for three years and actually think things out for yourself c) you'll do much better in a subject you actually enjoy, rather than one you're doing just because you think you should. [sub]Disclaimer: This advice is 25 years old and may no longer be accepted wisdom. But it still sounds reasonable to me.[/sub]
I did an Art history degree in my spare time and while its not really informed what I do now, it's well worth it. She'll have a qualification that will place her in a position to be both creative and intellectual...and if the creative thing doesn't happen, she will have the track record that shows she can stick something that takes commitment and brains. And if all else fails she can go into teaching.
She's obviously a talented artist to even consider it as the competition will be immense. It may be a tad cliched to say it, but you do only get one life... Who knows where it will lead and what doors it may open for her. If she doesn't get a job in Art after her degree, at least she will have spent 4 years doing something she loves, and will be infinitely more employable bacause of it. Have you spoken honestly to her about your worries? I love teenagers optimism...she'll probably convince you.
I did 2 degrees. I graduated 13 years ago and can honestly say I haven't used either degree in my working life. I have been employed because I have a degree as it shows my eagerness to learn and further education. So, if she's uses the degree then great, if not she's got a degree. Either way it's a good thing. You should be happy she wants to do a degree and not doss about.
I did my first degree in Fine Art/Art History, I discovered that I was never going to be a great artist so went off in other directions. The Masters degree was in Science, I discovered I wasn't really all that keen on that either :- I'm now finishing off my B.Ed. this year & thoroughly enjoying teaching, I can even bring some of my original art training into the classroom which is great.
We had the same issue recently with our daughter and now again with our eldest boy. Our daughter is into music, plays sax and piano to grade 8 plus a bit of guitar. The problem was that although she loves music, she was not up to standard playing to go for a proper performance school (even if the sax were an instrument with plenty of professional job oportunities, which it isn't) and studying music at university leaves very limited options. In the end she went with the science option and is in her second year at Leeds studying biological sciences. She has kept the music up to a certain extent, but has other interests now as well (photography in particular) and is doing well in her degree. Our eldest son wants to go to university to study history and drama. He is an average accademic student and wants to work for National Trust, English Herritage etc. We can't get past looking at the cost of the degree and the debt that he will be left with at the end of it. We are hoping that he will take a year out now and do some volunteering / intern in the sector to get a better feel for it, see if he likes it and see if he really needs to take a full time degree for this type of career (OU option?). As you will know if you're an engineer, technical graduates are always sought after in the job market and a technical degree doesn't restrict you to a particular field of work. This is not the case for arts subjects, unless from Oxbridge maybe.
I'm an Engineer too, I'm afraid I agree with yourself...lol Surely a job doing anything (no debt, bringing in money) is as good when you go to get a normal job as saying you earn't a degree in Art... Unless of course the job she has in mind does indeed require that degree!
I have a degree in fine art & have 3 points to make; Don't worry about the debt, it's not a debt, its a revised tax code. I do not make a substantial income - yet I made a little film which was exhibited at Tate Britain & went on a nationwide tour, therefore I am an artist. http://s1068.photobucket.com/albums/u451/barefootdave/?action=view¤t=RICHARDS_zpsc3b10e29.mp4 Sadly this is a very low resolution version, but it was great to see it in Cinemas.
My brother wanted to be a doctor, all through his teenage years. He went to university to do medicine, and then realised that it wasn't for him and abandoned it after one year. He then started a philosophy & theology degree. After graduating, he tried various career paths before eventually settling on accountancy. He did all that training, moved up the food-chain, and now herds bean-counters for a living. My point is that a non-vocational, non-science degree is not guaranteed to lead to a life of poverty. What it might do though, is help create a rounded, happy young adult who is learning to make their own life decisions.
I had a place to study fine art at Liverpool University, change a change of mind and did a teaching degree instead, practical, yes, but I always have the feeling that I should have followed my heart Moira ditto to Julie's advise ^-^
One final thought from me then I promise I'll shut up. Imagine in ten years' time, you overhear her saying "I was going to do a fine art degree, but my dad convinced me to do biochemistry[sup]* instead." *[/sup] or get a job, or whatever you are actually think she should do When you hear her voice, is it tinged with happiness and relief? Or wistful regret with a hint of resentment?
Follow your dreams, not the dreams of others. I am a Mechanical Engineer. There is more to life than vocational degrees. I am sciencey but I envy arty people. I expect arty people may envy sciencey people. Its also not all about the subject. A degree is about experience and finding yourself. Making mistakes and learning. No-one can predict the future and life has a funny habit of steering you to where you need to be rather than where you want to be. Or where others expect you to be. Each person has their own path to follow and no matter how much someone may try to guide them down another path eventually they just return to their own path. I did the foundation year. But I also did another year previous to that for my A Levels as I left school with only 8 CSE's. Thanks to a progressive Labour council who let me sign on and study my A Levels and paid for them. Previous to that I'd been on the dole for a year or two. The foundation year is handy as it gives you more time to study and revisit items you may have struggled with before it all kicks off proper. Plus you get to reserve your spot in the Uni bar and its another year of uni. I wish I was back there. I loved it.
The future could also have your child in a series of dead end jobs and asking you why you did not give them better / more forceful advice to get a vocational degree. There's no point looking at the future this way and being scared to say something in case it's perceived to be the wrong thing in the future. All you can do is give them the facts as you see them and then let them decide, but the advice does need to be realistic - i.e. A vocational science based degree will give you better opportunities for employment in the future.
