What to do next year... advice please

PurpleVintage

I'm really freaking out about what to do...
I want to do Fashion Design in college, but I don't have a portfolio... I applied to a portfolio course (Colaste Dhulaigh) 2 weeks ago but didn't get an email telling me if i'm late or what... i'm almost sure it's already too late.

What am I gonna do this year?! If I dont get into a portfolio course this year, i'll have to try and get into one the following year. Which means i'm wasting 2 years of my life. I'll be going to college with 19 turning 20. I know that's not very old but ffs, it is for me... it feels like a waste of 2 years of my life, and it's a huge frustration.

Are there any portfolio courses that follow the ncad brief that are still taking applications? Idc if they're part time or full time, I just need something... i'm desperate right now =\.

I've tried looking for information on studying fashion abroad... but can't find anything thats of much help, everything is confusing, and I cant afford the cost of the courses and living on my own (+ supporting a little sister) so i'm completely lost.

If anyone has any suggestions... any advice, please tell me. If anyone was/is in the same position i'm in, could you tell me how you handled it? I cant even find the right word to describe how i'm feeling right now... but because of worrying too much im actually feeling really dizzy

Tiriel

Hi Purplevintage,

I can't offer you any useful advice I'm afraid but I can tell you that starting aged 19/20 can be a good thing - you will be more focused and it is common for people to change their minds, change courses, etc. Don't be worrying - you will be just fine.

In the meantime, explore your interests, get some work experience if possible in a related area, start building up notebooks and sketchbooks full of ideas and keep yourself interested and motivated. Hopefully you will find a portfolio course and get support on here also!

Best of luck, again - don't worry about age and 'wasted time' - time is only wasted if you sit back and do nothing with it. Use it!!

spinandscribble

try GTI in galway. I know you're in dublin but you'll get the grant to study this year and at this stage you need to widen your options. Of course try every portfolio course as close to your home but if you really wanna do it this year, you need to widen the net.

Their portfolio course would be one of the best in the country I'd imagine by the amount of people entering 3rd level. I went there and can't recommend it enough. They do not expect a portfolio at the interview but as I've said perviously to you on another forum on this site (we spoke roughly a year ago on this very topic http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=67579581 ), it would be best if you had at least a sketchbook to show them because you dropped art after JC as they'll take into consideration your dedication to the course when choosing applicants. It'll show interest, I know GTI (probably all schools) values a dedicated student over a natural talented student because you can teach those who want to be taught.

Literally ring/email every portfolio course you can.

I agree with cork girl- time is only wasted when you do nothing.

megaten

If you don't want to waste your time then don't. Other collages like ballyfermot do portfolio preparation courses so ask them about theirs too. e-mail lecturers in the collage and ask what they look for in a portfolio and try build one yourself. Since one of those things is almost certainly life drawing you should consider going to the trinity arts workshop on Pearse street which hold life drawing classes every Tuesday and Thursday evening and Saturday mornings as well.

PurpleVintage

@ Cork_girl
Thank you for your reply maybe (if) when i'm actually done with the 2 years, i'll agree with what you said... but right now, it seems like a complete waste of years, and a barrier between me moving forward and closer to being happy. Ofc I wouldn't waste my time not doing something, but the years would still feel like a waste. 2 years is a long time

@ spinandscribble
Wow, feels a bit nostalgic reading a reply from you on the same topic, almost a year later! Reading that thread just makes me even more stressed, had a year to try and sort myself out... and instead, dug myself in deeper. Ultimate failure.

I looked up GTI, the course seems promising, and I read a lot of people raving about it around the boards, but a bus/train ticket is e10+ per day from Dublin to Galway... that's more than what i'd recieve from the Grant, excluding lunch money and all the extra bits and bobs.
I'd be more than happy to gtho of here, but i'd have to take my little sister with me and that's not a possibility... I can't even support myself let alone myself and a 9 year old.

I looked into the Bray portfolio course a few weeks back, contacted them too but they weren't taking any more applications, despite the website clearing stating otherwise. That bugs me, I had a sheer bit of hope, they could've at least updated their information.
Applied to Colast ofc, and contacted them 2 days ago... waiting for an answer. Hopefully it'll be positive. I've looked into every course in Dublin and near Dublin that comes up on google, but they all seem to be "closed" for applications. My friends and elder sister also say i'm already too late.


@ megaten
Well my definition of "wasting my time" is not being in a course that will actually help me get to a fashion course.
I had already looked into those Art classes before actually... they seem kinda interesting.. there aren't that many simple classes like that around.

Thanks for the replies guys... at least here nobody tells me to go do medicine or business. As if I wudn't be doing it if I was remotely interested in it...

Bubs99

From what you're describing as your chosen ambition/career, I really think you'd like this course.

I did it a few years ago (I planned to finish and then if I passed, I could skip 1st year of Interior Design).

This course is all fashion, fashion, fashion and a mixture of other stuff too but trust me it's mainly fashion.
There's also drawing, CAD, photography, etc.

For work experience in the second year, you get some in any BIG chosen store in Dublin.
I got A-Wear and M & S. Others got Brown Thomas and Arnotts.
Also, during my time there, there was a big treat (if you could afford it)...you had the choice to pay 1000euro for a few days/week chance to do work experience in the windows of Harvey Nichols or Harrods in LONDON! 4 did it from my class.

I applied for the course using a portfolio from a mixture of school stuff, my own things and I did a PLC art,craft,design course.

I had Feck all leaving cert points!

This course is 2 years long and can be quite intense but you can get contacts and learn so much about fashion and you must design your own many times during the course too.

Check it out and good luck.

Sapsorrow

Don't panic!

It is a bit late for applying to courses online, so ring the admin departments to talk to the course coordinators in person, to see if they can arrange an impromptu interview for you.

Also, people often drop out of these courses early on, or don't show up from day one so there's still time to get a spot and if you talk to them they may be happy to give you a chance to do the course if someone does!

Otherwise, if you don't get into a course you can still learn a hell of a lot in a year by yourself. Since January (in preparation for starting fashion design in college this year) I have thought myself dress making from patterns, the foundations of draping on a mannequin, pattern drafting and have developed my illustration skills 10 fold simply by using books, blogs and youtube.

Six months ago, I didn't know how to thread a machine and know I am in the middle of designing my first dress from scratch, perfectly tailored to my measurements.

Get onto thebookdepository.com and start collecting some good beginners books, DK do some great sewing bibles, other ones I would reccomend are 'the art of manipulating fabric' and 'dress pattern desinging', 'more dress pattern designing' and 'dress fitting' by Natalie Bray. I got the 1964 editions for around a fiver each online, the new editions are 52 euros and the books are the exact same as my editions. The old editions have metric supplements included so thats not a problem either.

Obviously, you would need a sewing machine (you can get a great singer in Argos for 150 quid), also an adjustable dress form is useful for checking how things look as you go along, I got one in TK maxx for 90 bucks.

Then order a few cheap dress patterns on Etsy.com, start simple like skirts and work your way up to more complicated stuff. As you make these you will start to get a grasp of garment construction as well as developing your sewing skills.

Check out Burda.com for free-patterns and lots of support from their online community. Google is your best friend, you can find a tutorial on everything from threading a machine to putting in a zip.

Good luck!