17 Feb 2021
The U@Uni Academy organised by University of Technology Sydney, has offered many schools across the state a free entry pathway to study at UTS after high school.
Their first event from the program was Summer School, which occurred from the 11th of January until the 22nd of January.
Here is a recount from one of our Year 11 students, Cana Matic, about her experience on the program:
We selected a subject that we wanted to participate in, months beforehand. I chose Design. Throughout the two week period we participated in workshops, developed and learned new skills, met new people, travelled and got an overall feel for university life. This program pushed me to learn and experience many things, so anyone thinking about participating in U@Uni should definitely do so.
In the first week, the design faculty was split into 5 different groups. We participated in workshops, shifting between classes everyday. The workshops included Photography and visual communication, Animation, Fashion, Product Design and Architecture. In these workshops we were introduced to the topic, in which we completed activities that contributed to our mini project. At the end of the day we were given time to reflect on our performance in class. At the end of the first week we were given a slip of paper to list our top three preferences for workshops. This slip of paper was to decide which class we would participate in for the next and final week of summer school. During this last week we would work on a bigger project to present at an exhibition, which was to be held on the last day.
To start off the second week, we received our designated meeting area where we were informed of what workshops we were placed into. I got my first pick, which was product design. Our product design group was then given a goal, which was to create a studio capable of creating household products that would tackle everyday issues we face to enhance our quality of life. The first day we brainstormed ideas such as our studio name, sketched multiple drafts for our logo and came together in pairs to design our product. The second, third and fourth day involved our group piecing together our products using a variety of materials, colours, themes and ideas. On the fifth and final day, everyone was focused on making final touches and adding any extra details we could think of. During the last few hours, we reflected on the week, visited the exhibition which presented the work of every faculty and thanked our mentors for their hard work.
Everyone worked hard throughout the two weeks and produced great results. Personally I enjoyed working on my project with my partner. We were very cooperative and our ideas were innovative, which motivated us to work harder and finish our product on the fourth day. We made a cooling system which manipulated the temperature of the household, while also acting as a light source and humidifier. For the duration of summer school I was encouraged to achieve many great things. Myself and my peers are beyond grateful for the opportunity given to us by UTS and look forward to any upcoming events.
Written by: Cana Matic