Robert Phillip Alexander Wooster
Diploma in Visual Arts Tītohu mō te Toi Ataata student
Starting his university studies with the Diploma in Visual Arts Tītohu mō te Toi Ataata reminded him how much he loves photography and the arts, says Robert Phillip Alexander Wooster.
“I loved photography in high school, and wanted to see if I still like doing art and being creative. I took a two-year break between high school and university, and going back to school and learning new art skills and engaging with art again has sparked new creativity in my life. By doing the diploma I’ve learnt that I still love visual arts, especially photography, and want to either do analogue photography as a hobby or have a career in family photography.”
It was a recommendation from a high school teacher that encouraged him to come to AUT for his studies.
“I chose AUT through my careers teacher at my high school, Mrs Hunter, who showed me the different universities, and explained the limitations and possibilities their programmes had. I ultimately chose AUT because the diploma was a lot more varied and encapsulated everything in the one-year span. This allowed me to reignite my creative spark back quite quickly, with AUT's course structure letting me quickly engage with all the art styles, and enabling me to focus on photography in the second semester.”
Enjoying university life
He has enjoyed life as a university student and bonding with new people, says Robert who plans to move into the Bachelor of Visual Arts Te Tohu Paetahi mō Toi Ataata in Photography, Sculpture and Moving-image next year.
“I’m an ambivert, a mix between an introvert and extrovert, so university has been a completely different lifestyle, and I've loved everything this comes with. I’ve especially enjoyed the quick hands-on art style in the diploma. It’s not something I’m necessarily used to, and it was a bit of a challenge on day one, but it’s become increasingly more interesting and has added an extra later of expertise. I've found that this has enabled me to quickly come up with ideas during the making process or before starting a new project.”
He wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Diploma in Visual Arts Tītohu mō te Toi Ataata to other students.
“If you had an interest in art but don’t know if you do anymore, I'd highly recommend the diploma as it brings you back into that spark of creative interest quickly. If you’re entering the programme directly from high school, it will be a challenge as the learning style is different from high school. but definitely give it a go. I’ve enjoyed it because we focus on the concepts, ideas and intent of an artwork rather than just the final piece. I’d 100% recommend this programme.”
Advice for other students
Robert has some great advice for other students who are thinking about university study.
“Prepare for both the challenges and enjoyment of university. Don’t stress too much – it’s different from high school and there are always options for completing assignments.”
Don’t forget to connect with the people you meet at uni, he adds.
“Engage with your tutors; they’re invaluable resources. Also, connect with as many people at AUT as you can. That was probably the biggest challenge, meeting completely new people. Being from Hastings in the Hawke’s Bay, I knew no-one from Auckland, so meeting a lot of new people was quite difficult. However, the courses Mahitahi | Collaborative Practices and Core Studio really helped me meet and bond with lots of different people, creating friendships I’ll cherish forever.”
