Hi, just wondered who i'll be sharing the next 4 years with at Coventry!

I'm doing the automotive design course, bit nervous about moving away but i'm sure it's gonna be great! Cant wait to get started now!

Gav

Good Luck Gav!
Ive just finished the Vehicle Design course after 4yrs.
Cov itself is a dump but get in with a good crowd and enjoy yourself!

But remember hard work pays! I worked bloody hard and just got a 2:1

oi oi Gav

im starting on september too (depends on my results on 18th august really)...

im really not bothered about Coventry being boring or if the university itself is a bit shabby...because im not going there to enjoy the social life and make new friends...i wanna go there so i can become the next J Mays, Fisker, Le Quement...etc

Gav did you attend the first open day or the second one for your "interview"? did they ask you to submit your 2050 vehicle design challenge?

and for the Automotive Design, merc560sec did you have to sit a written exam or there's no such thing?...

We only had open book tests in maths and engineering in 1st yr but the course structure has completely changed since I was a lad!

Flair, my interview was on the 16th of march, i had to do the 2050 thing too...this guy was asking me allsorts of questions about it on the train on the way down

Thanks merc560sec

Gav

hey Gav

i was meant to attend the 16th march interview but i called them to rearrange another one, i said i was very sick...(i haven't the 2050 thing that's why a cancelled the first interview) so they arranged another one a week later.

i also had a woman asking me all sorts on the train as i was rendering my sketch...i had to pack all my stuff tho because some family had to sit down next to me and there was no space to do my thingy.

Yeh i was just finishing off a few of my sketches and this guy was really interested in my work, i was 45mins late to the interview! I've got my student loan information through now so thats sorted, got my college results just need to sort out my accomodation now...oh and i need to sell my car aswell!

Gav

hey gav

did u go to college or 6th form school?

what did you study?

Alrite Guys,

I'm starting on a Transport Design degree course in September as well but have spent the last year in Cov doing an Art Foundation. When you get there don't be suprised if you see a group of about 40 people getting on really well- its because we all know each other from the last year lol. Also don't be suprised if there aren't many girls: you are going to have to meet them mfrom outside your course. There are just two from the 40 or so people I know.

Was reading the other thread about how Coventry is basically crap and I do kinda agree. I have made friends in the year above me (those guys now starting their second year) and spoken to lots of other people from years above and it appears that we will have to work really, really hard to succeed. I think that there are about 40 projects to do in the first year and the guys I know worked so hard. If you are not 100% dedicated and prepared to take the initiative, then there is little point in you wasting your money at Cov. I think about 30 people dropped out of the first year and that number will only increase as the course goes on.

A few tips that I learnt over the last year for success:

1. Don't let crap Coventry get you down, even if you get your face smashed in by locals (like one of my flat mates did for looking at some guys 'the wrong way').
2. Practice your car drawing all the time. Start small with biros.
3. Try and get copies of Photoshop and 3D studiomax (often off DC++ the Cov uni version of Napster/ Kazaa)
4. Go to every lecture you can, try and get in on lectures from the upper years. On wednesday afternoons there are often lectures from people im industry. This year we had ones on the new Discovery, 1-Series and Ford concepts, as well as one from the editor of Autocar magazine.
5. Don't be suprised if you spend alll your time doing work. I've got friends at 'better' unis like Cardiff, Cambridge and Bristol, who seem to have loadsa time off, and talk to me on MSN at 2am whilst I'm still desperately trying to design a taxi that I've been doing for the last 18 hours...
6. Like they all say: make the most of it. You have to make an effort to speak to any tutor (even on Foundation...) so always think about what you want from them: advice? Help? etc. Take that attitude of if you don't ask, you don't get.
7. Go to the sketch classes organised by final year students. In October (ish) you will see posters going up around the Graham Sutherland building for sketch classes on a wednesday afternoon at £3 a session. Go to them: they are so helpful. Last year I had Matt Humphries (the Cov Grad who designed the Morgan Aeromax) and a couple of other guys sitting down showing sketch skills and tips that you wont get from the tutors.

Despite everything bad you hear about Cov, it really is what you make of it. You need to work so, so, so, so hard, not getting wasted every night of the week. Put in the hours and you'll be (kinda!) rewarded. I think one of the greatest things about the last year at Cov was that I got to make friends and meet all kinds of people. I now got friends that I email in China, India and Russia, something I never had 12 months ago. Oh and also try and stay in Singer Hall- it's where I was and is good. Dont waste your money with Liberty Park or Trinity Point, they are so expensive.

Ian

Oh and also (again lol), despite what you hear about the Colosseum (a cub in Hillfields), it really is actually quite good on a monday night--> 50p all drinks all night! Take £5 and get hammered lol.

Good to see people who want to get into Coventry trying to find out about it before they start. You will find that it is up to you to put the effort in, and get on top of the work. If you don't do it you will just get a poor mark, and the lecturers will learn to not waste their time on you! Some of them like to talk themselves up as well, but that is another story...

Sorry for the harsh start, but you really do get out of Coventry (and the course) what you put in! I have just finished, and was probably one of the guys 'Ian K' met when we were doing the sketch classes last year. You will find that some of the guys (and yes very few 'girls' are on the course, we had two or three) in the years above are happy to give you a few pointers as long as you show that you have made an effort in the first place!

Dont worry though, if you get the work done when it needs to be there is still plenty of time to go out and have a good time!

From what I can gather, on the new course you will do very little 'car design' in your first year unless you do it outside Uni. I can not emphasise enough that if you want to design cars then you should draw all of the time. It is the only way to improve! You will do various projects to help you better understand and expand your thinking and design work, but it takes time to get to the car projects.

If you want some pointers get in touch, and/or check out the tutorials!