University help!

Caza_BellowCaza_Bellow Posts: 1,045
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I sent my UCAS form away in December, and I applied for Media Studies, Media Studies & Production and Media Communication & Cultural studies. However, creative writing, drama and storytelling is what I really want to do, and I honestly thought that media, communication and cultural studies was the appropriate choice to make, however, now I am not so sure!

Is it too late for me to add another choice, and what course do you think would be the best to take if I wanted to do creative writing/storytelling etc?

Comments

  • codebluecodeblue Posts: 14,072
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    If you don't want to do that degree, change your mind.

    Contact the universities.
  • eluf38eluf38 Posts: 4,874
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    Like code blue said - contact the universities.

    Be aware that many creative writing degrees are joint honours (usually with English or Journalism) so that it's unlikely that you will get to concenrate on creative writing. I did English with Creative Writing at the University of Wales and the writing element accounted for only 1/3 of the course. The rest was English, and to be honest I found that coping with the demands of that side of the degree made it difficult to spend as much time as I would have liked writing. Try to find a less theory-driven degree - I did a term of Theatre Studies, which was really good fun and helped with developing plot and characters.
    My friend at Bangor did a BA in Creative Studies, which was theatre, creative writing, media and film combined. In retrospect I wish I'd done that too!
  • PoppylenaPoppylena Posts: 119
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    I don't know whether it is too late but if you don't/can't change have you thought about seeing what extra-curricular activities your choice of universities offer?

    I know my university had both a drama society and a writing society, not to mention a newspaper, radio and TV station so a variety of opportunities that might catch your interest.

    Also, can you see yourself doing something like creative writing as a degree choice where it is likely to be structured or would you prefer it to remain a leisure activity where you can just write whatever you fancy? I have a History degree but I was still able to do a lot of writing - mainly short stories but also a short novel and obviously the essays for my courses.
  • GaditanoGaditano Posts: 2,224
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    Some Media Production degrees will have scriptwriting modules, but only one or two probably, so in general it does sound like you need to rethink. Check if the universities you have currently applied to have degrees in your preferred areas, then if they do email the Admissions Office. If the degrees you really want are at other universities you might need to wait and reapply.
  • Bex_123Bex_123 Posts: 10,783
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    I agree, contact the Universities.

    Also, you might find TheStudentRoom forums more helpful as it's full of people who will have had similar issues.
  • Caza_BellowCaza_Bellow Posts: 1,045
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    codeblue wrote: »
    If you don't want to do that degree, change your mind.

    Contact the universities.

    Do you mean I should contact the University in which I'm looking to do the course, or the University in which I have applied for a course, but don't particularly like?
  • 007Fusion007Fusion Posts: 3,657
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    You should of applied to a film academy instead or something more in line with what you wanted. You can change course after your 1st year by the way.
  • AaronWxAaronWx Posts: 2,531
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    Isn't there a thing called ucas extra where you can turn down your offers and apply for some different courses?
  • GaditanoGaditano Posts: 2,224
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    007Fusion wrote: »
    You can change course after your 1st year by the way.

    Or during your first year, depending on the university's rules/regulations about transfers.
  • GogfumbleGogfumble Posts: 22,155
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    Lots of people change course in the first few weeks of uni so even if you can't change now hopefully you can in the future. Just make sure you go yo s uni that has the course available that you want to switch to.
  • maxsimaxsi Posts: 2,412
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    Agreed .. Go with the uni that does the course you'd ally want to do and swap it after a couple of weeks or months.. But if you can get the correct course from the start just go girl it, talk and voice your feelings.. Good luck
  • turquoiseblueturquoiseblue Posts: 2,431
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    My cousin did creative writing with English. She found it enjoyable, but it's very difficult to get published. She's now training to be an English Teacher.
  • eluf38eluf38 Posts: 4,874
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    My cousin did creative writing with English. She found it enjoyable, but it's very difficult to get published. She's now training to be an English Teacher.

    I'm still in touch (through Facebook) with the people I studied creative writing with... One has had a few poems published in an anthology, and I've been comissioned to write a play; but I don't think a single one of us has been commercially published. The friend I mentioned earlier who did Creative Studies now works producing TV / stage productions, but has to do admin work between shows to pay the bills.

    Creative writing was fun, and it was a good introduction to the different genres and formats - but as a route to publication it wasn't much help. If you know what you want to write, you're better off just writing it and trying to get an agent, rather than paying for a degree. (Besides which our course tutors were very academic and we weren't encouraged to read or emmulate commercially successful authors. It was more about art and expression than writing to make money.)
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