"I would love to be a student in London…" Courses and schools: essential steps to get informed.

Central Saint Martin's summer courses catalogue image

The wish of studying abroad should mean, at first, much more than the blind choice of a famous school, or even, the decision of living in a city "where you had an unbelievable summer holiday..."

To live out of your mother country means, to have disposition for untangling a new culture, other language ( most of the times), customs, life styles and even different ways of teaching and learning. Availability to overcome barriers, to learn much more than the course disciplines, surpass track obstacles - probably much different than the ones which are faced "at home" - it is the least needed to start thinking and making plans. The following steps are: check the finance and do much research and contacts, to have the best possible decisions.

London is one of the cities most searched by foreigners, in several professional areas, mainly in fields connected to fashion, design and art. And as it has an university tradition, not only in the capital, but several British places receive, annually, uncountable students.

There are options for several tastes, needs, time availability, school levels, but not for all budgets. The web site Universities & Colleges Admissions Service for the UK gives an idea: it is possible to find out about 250 options of courses - including the specialisation for each one- researching only "fashion" or "textiles". And yet, it offers a search by region and a databank about more than 50 universities - even including the female and male proportion of students as a whole.

Disclosure image of the MA courses in fashion at London College of Fashion.

The best way to access information about the schools is to get in direct contact with them. Most of them have their own web sites, besides the information service which can answer about doubts and specific details for each case and demand. Besides that, to access these services is a good English test... Yes, most of the universities of graduation and short courses don't require heavy proficiency tests and offer English courses in parallel, but it is a need to know how to survive and have basic knowledge of the area chosen. Since the beginning.

The British Council also has got an information and orientation centre in the educational area and promises to help in answering "What", "Where", "Which one is the best course" and "How much it will cost". Through the sites www.educationuk.org, www.britishcouncil.org or e-mail Education.enquiries@britishcouncil.org, or yet from the organisation's Brazilian unit is possible to consult.

Camberwell College of Arts/2001/200's catalogue images

It is huge the number of foreign students in the country, including Brazilians. And the contact with someone who lived - or is living - this experience, also can be very useful. There is always a "friend of a friend of a friend" who certainly will describe pros and cons with legitimacy. Beyond that, sometimes it isn't easy to understand some particularities, as for instance, the option for graduating in European Fashion (???) at Kent Institute of Art and Design, As much information is obtained, smallest is the chance of mistakes, waste of time and money.

Besides getting the experience as a student, other good opportunity are the training periods , the chance of working in the area and experience the international market. It is what is happening to Olívia Hanssen, 20, Brazilian, who ends up in July/2001 the 1st grade of Fashion and Promotion (course directed for journalism, image and public relations), at London College of Fashion.

Olivia's path has started in Brazil, where, beyond doing everything which came up in the fashion area since she was 17, she devoured publications and tried to follow all the events -"even without invitation". When she was accepted by the English school, she made good use of the waiting time to work in the Alexandre Herchcovith's store, the Brazilian designer who she most admires. She came to London with the same investigative spirit and doesn't hesitate in stating: "I know much more about international fashion than most of my colleagues, many of them were born in here..." The battle for the fashion shows has continued and Olivia didn't lose the opportunity of attending Herchcovith's exhibition in the last Parisian season. That rendered her more than the show: the opportunity of getting across with Isabela Blow - one of the hottest and most linked Londoner stylists, Sunday Times Magazine's fashion editor.

Olívia Hanssen, in Tate Modern, in front of Nick Knight's polemic photos for the Dazed and Confused magazine, in the Century City exhibition (April/2001).

After three months trying contacts, received an answer from the girl's assistant and started an "experience of organising bags in the newspaper". Some time after, the bags decreased while the exchange of ideas, research and the follow up of Blow's work have increased gradually. Since then, Olivia has lived a sort of fashion fairy tale, as she has had the opportunity of knowing some of her great idols among designers, editors and photographers. As it wasn't enough, she applied - and got - a month training period at i-D magazine. She has joined much work and study and doesn't deny: -"I have turned to good account of the course, mainly the journalism discipline, but also I am literally sucking the town, the international publications and everything which this opportunity has been offering to me being here. When I finish my course, I want to return and work in styling in Brazil."

MAIN DIRECTIONS

- The London Institute
Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Chelsea College of Art and Design, The London College of Fashion and The London College of Printing. 65 Davies Street - London - W1K 5DA - Tel: +44 XX 20 7514 6000 x6197 - Fax: +44 XX 20 7514 6198
E-mail: c.anderson@linst.ac.uk

- University of Brighton
Mithras House - Lewes Road - Brighton - BN2 4AT
Tel: +44 XX 01273 600900 - Fax: +44 XX 1273 642825
E-mail: admissions@brighton.ac.uk

- De Montfort University
The Gateway - Leicester - LE1 9BH - Tel: +44 XX 116 255 1551 - Fax: +44 XX 116 257 7515

- Kent Institute of Art and Design
Oakwood Park - Maidstone - Kent - ME16 8AG - Tel:+44 XX 1622 757286 - Fax: +44 XX 1622 621100
E-mail: info@kiad.ac.uk - Contact: Charlotte Lynsdale

- Reading College and School of Arts & Design
Crescent Road - Reading - RG1 5RQ - Tel: +44 XX 800 371 434 - Fax: +44 XX 118 967 5344
E-mail: enquiries@reading-college.ac.uk

- University of Southampton
The University of Southampton - Southampton - SO17 1BJ
Tel: +44 XX 23 8059 5000 - Fax: +44 XX 23 8059 3037
E- mail: admissns@soton.ac.uk