International Exchange - not sure about classes

burntheladle

I found out a few days ago that I've been accepted to come to the states as part of my university's international exchange program. I'm a digital arts student, and will be studying at an art school in California.


This is all excellent, except for one thing - in the time between applying and being accepted, my focus as an artist has shifted considerably. My application and portfolio were centered around my animation work, and I have been accepted into the "photography and animation department".

I've recently realised that while I enjoy watching animation, I don't really enjoy making it very much. I'm much more interested in programmatic art; and I've also developed a really strong interest in community based art as well. The school I will be going to offers a lot of options for study in both these areas. The problem is, as I've been accepted by the animation department, I don't know if I will be able to access those courses.

I'm unsure as to whether I should contact them now and discuss my change in interest; or wait until I actually get there and am doing my face to face orientation and enrolement. I don't want them to withdraw their acceptance if I tell them I'm not interested in what I said I was interested in; but I also don't want to get there and have to do another full semester of animation work when I've decided that animation isn't for me anymore.

I know if it was my own university I would just rock up and see my head of workshop, explain the situation to him, and we'd go from there - but it's not my own university and the only contact I've had with these people has been through very formal channels. I don't really know how to proceed. Advice?

lifeincognito

Talk to them and explain how your focus has shifted from the time of your application. What you said in your original post could probably work to give them knowledge about your position. Hopefully they will be understanding and allow you to continue with your exchange and take courses towards your new focus. If not, those are the brakes kid and you stood up and you did the right thing. Maybe some other die-hard animator will now have the chance, since they will not be offering classes through your program in the field you wish to pursue, and you can feel swell about their opportunity.

You do not want to tarnish your, nor your Universities, reputation by showing up and pulling the old "Oh hey, that stuff I signed up for? Yeah, I do not do that anymore so can I just do this other stuff instead?". Remember, you represent a whole lot more than just yourself during this foreign exchange programs, which I am sure they bash into your head when you applied in the first place.

Additionally, talk to the people are your University that coordinate the program to see if this has happened before, which it may have, and see what they did for that student. If you address it early enough and as professionally as possible I see no reason they would give you the boot and you could not come state side for a bit.

Good luck.