History of Art and Film studies, 2016
“The opportunity to take part in a field trip to Paris was something that really attracted me to the course at Brookes – and now that I am here I really enjoy the insightful and frequent visits to museums and galleries that are organised as part of the course”
Originally from Vietnam, Vy chose to study History of Art combined with Film Studies as it matched her keen interest in visual cultures. In the future she hopes to work in museums or art galleries as an art curator or a gallery manager.
After finishing high school in Hanoi, Vietnam, I came to the UK to study A-levels in English Language, Media Studies and Film Studies at Chichester College. I have always been interested in visual cultures, and at that time, I couldn’t decide whether I should do a course in History of Art or Film Studies so I was glad to find out that I could combine them at Brookes.
The opportunity to take part in a field trip to Paris was something that really attracted me to the course at Brookes – and now that I am here I really enjoy the insightful and frequent visits to museums and galleries that are organised as part of the course.
Although Oxford is a relatively small city it has a diverse population, often hosting international and cultural events. It is also a student-friendly city so international students feel very welcome here. Oxford is also very conveniently located close to London, where most of the best museums and galleries are. However, Oxford also has many fantastic and world-renowned local museums like the Ashmolean, which are especially useful for History of Art students.
I went to California to study abroad for a semester during my second year. It was a truly amazing experience as I made many new international friends and learned a lot about American cultures. I also had a chance to travel to other cities across the US, such as Washington DC, San Francisco and Las Vegas.
In the future I hope to work in museums or art galleries as an art curator or a gallery manager. I have been able to gain practical skills and experience during my course through a module called Curatorial Practice, which engages students with various aspects of curating.
As an international student I participated in the Global Buddies scheme in my first year to help new international students get to know Oxford and Oxford Brookes University. It really helped me to improve my interpersonal communication as well as build my mentoring skills. My advice to any international students thinking of studying here is that you can learn about a new culture a lot faster by making friends with local people. Being engaged with the place you live is key! One way to engage is to volunteer, for example by applying for the volunteering scheme offered by Oxford University Museums.
Overall I am happy with the course and definitely made the right choice coming to study History of Art at Brookes – everyone is very helpful and the staff are so friendly!