The Story Behind My Decision to Study DPS
As I approach my third year at UAL, I find myself reflecting on my first two years at university. During the first and second years, I was actively involved in volunteer work, which gradually made me realise the professional challenges that lie ahead. In the course of volunteering, I not only learned various creative techniques and gained valuable work experience, but I also had the opportunity to engage deeply with industry professionals. This experience made me profoundly aware that, despite feeling free and creatively unlimited within the ivory tower of art, I still need to prepare for the real world.
This realization was unsettling and made me feel very scared. I don’t know if students from other disciplines feel the same way, but for me, the past two years in the art world have felt almost like living in a bubble. During these two years, I was repeatedly taught to observe, experience, empathize, and criticize, to use all my senses to create recklessly. I felt very free and carefree. But obviously, this pure environment cannot last forever.
The more I thought about it, the more I worried about what happens after graduation. When I suddenly lost this creative environment, left school, and left the place that supported me, who would teach me how to face the society I had criticized?
I wonder if I’ll be equipped to face the reality outside of university. Will I have the courage to tackle the challenges that lie ahead, armed only with a few resumes and portfolios, hoping to secure a job that will cover my bills?
This overwhelming fear has been weighing on me, especially because my future and career path feel so uncertain. While fine art offers a great deal of creative freedom and space, it also lacks the clear direction that many other fields provide. I realized that I needed to take action. At the beginning of my studies, I wasn’t mature enough to recognize all this, but now I’ve set a goal for myself: by the end of my studies, I want to have developed the independence and skills necessary to transition from the academic world to the professional one.
I believe that when I feel worried and scared, these emotions are actually reminding me to face the problem. I took it as signals that point to areas where I need to grow. These fears are an invitation to confront my weaknesses and see them as opportunities for development.
When I first heard about the DPS course, I was excited. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore the professional world while still having a safety net to fall back on. However, as I started preparing, my anxiety grew. I doubted whether I would even be accepted into the course. As an international student, the requirements are more stringent, and I had to work at least 25 hours a week, which made finding a job much more challenging. But in the end, I made it! I’m proud of myself for overcoming these obstacles through the hardest time and taking a significant step into a more challenging, real-world environment.
I may not figure out my entire career path during this year, but at least I feel better prepared for what’s to come. In my next few blogs, I’ll share how I found my job and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
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