Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Let Design take you somewhere new

AOD Design Foundation Programme introduces an opportunit­y for after O/L students to explore creative thinking - the brain trait known to supercharg­e young futures.

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Making an informed choice about higher education pathways is a challenge for most students who are right after O/ Ls. Providing an all-important opportunit­y to explore creative thinking, which is one of today’s most important traits for any kind of career, AOD’s Design Foundation Programme presents an all-inclusive curriculum that walks after O/Ls students through several creative discipline­s with the help of an expert internatio­nal faculty. After completing the programme, the students have a guaranteed place in a 100% internal Northumbri­a UK design degree of their choice, which can be completed at AOD or the opportunit­y to get selected to other design universiti­es as well as approach any other higher education pathway with a qualificat­ion that places them a step ahead of the rest. AOD Design Foundation Programme is an eight month long course and is currently enrolling for its 2017 January intake.

Foundation studies in design are important for most students who consider design for higher education, but have no previous experience in art and creativity. AOD Design Foundation Programme bridges this initial knowledge gap and prepares students for higher education in design with guaranteed placement in a Northumbri­a UK design degreein Fashion, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Fashion Marketing or Animation Design at AOD. With introducti­ons to major design discipline­s and hands-on experiment­s that allow the students to get a taste of working in each creative sector, the AOD Design Foundation Programme serves as a practical and easy-toundersta­nd pre-university course. The programme is delivered by an experience­d internatio­nal faculty led by Nadia de la Santos hailing from her studies and training in New York.The AOD Design Foundation Programme is delivered at AOD’s high-tech design studios and industrial standard computer laboratori­es along with unlimited access to Sri Lanka’s largest dedicated design library situated at the campus. This allows students to learn and experiment within standards accepted by university degrees and the industries that they will be employed in eventually.

British designer, AOD principal Karen MacLeod spoke about the importance of this programme and the success of the graduates who started their design journey with the AOD Design Foundation Programmme; “The AOD Design Foundation is an important course for personal discovery; at the end of the eight months students always discover that they have understood their strengths, weaknesses, addressed their challenges and discovered personal career pathways too. Because of the comprehens­iveness of the programme and because it allows early access to younger students, AOD graduates who started with this programme have gone on to do great things at a very young age. We have had OshadiPara­nawithana who was a first class degree awarded graduate who was nominated to represent Sri Lanka at Spikes Asia Award through her current workplace LOWE studio. BhagyaWith­ana who is following her masters in Australia and Sawsan Ahmed who won the national award for special achievemen­ts in the Maldives. It is a course that sets the foundation for students to find great success wherever they go in design.”

AOD is currently recruiting for its 2017Januar­yintake for the Foundation Programme. The course leads to 100% internal Northmbria UK degrees in Interior Design, Fashion, Fashion Marketing &Design Studies, Graphic Design and Motion Graphics & Animation Design that carry worldwide recognitio­n, and have guaranteed job placement in Sri Lanka, through AOD’s 100% employment policy. It is also a sure pathway to enter design and other related creative degrees at any other university, or to enter a completely different pathway with the added advantage of creative thinking which gives students a head start.

Walk in to AOD, 29, Lauries road, Colombo 04, from the 19thto the 23rdDecemb­er and get yourself a free career guidance session. Call us on 0775 980 141, or visit our website

www.aod.lk for more informatio­n.

Some of the questions that you need to ask yourself are: How big do you want the school to be? Where is the school located, and does that neighborho­od match your lifestyle? Would your family be happy there? Visit the business school, if you can, to get a firsthand look at what a typical day would be for you. Oxford College of Business is located in the heart of Colombo 07 in close proximity to the University of Colombo and the British Council. Oxford College of Business has all the state of the art facilities that are required in ordered to be regarded as the “No.1 Business School” in the country. Some of the facilities involve WIFI facilities; fully equipped class room facilities with the latest technology, online learning portals, IT Labs, study lounges and ample parking space for students.

Put emphasis the national recognitio­n and rankings

Yes, you’re going to a business school to make profession­al goals more attainable. Going to a highly recognized school will without a doubt help recruiters recognize you faster, and it will be the ideal match if you are able to find a top ranked Business School offering foreign qualificat­ions which are also ranked among the very best! The Head of Academic at Oxford College of Business states “if Business Schools were ranked in Sri Lanka, we would be No.1! At Oxford College of Business we set high standards and look at internatio­nal benchmarks, which always make Oxford College of Business the No.1 choice among undergradu­ate and postgradua­te students in the country.” The 12month MBA program offered by the Australian Institute of Business at Oxford College of Business is ranked #4 in Australia and #10 in the world according to the CEO Magazine (UK). Our partnershi­p with Heriot Watt University for postgradua­te programs gives students interested in obtaining British qualificat­ions a chance to graduate from a University which is ranked #13 on the Guardian League Table (2015/16). Therefore you are not only joining the Best Business School in the country, but you are also obtaining world class qualificat­ions from some of the world’s best ranked educationa­l institutio­ns. Joining

Each school’s applicatio­n is different. One school might have a different focus in the essays or a unique component. Usually, these details are indicative of the school’s culture and values. For instance, Oxford College of Business recently added a team interview component to its applicatio­n to make sure candidates would be well-suited to group projects once they enter the undergradu­ate programs. “Induction is a “big deal” at Oxford College of Business. Students who join our Postgradua­te courses need to go through a 3 1/2 hour induction process, where the academic team studies everything about the student from the students IQ, emotional intelligen­ce, to leadership skills. It is important that we identify where exactly the student is when he joins Oxford College of Business and how much they have improved themselves at the end of the selected programs,” say the Head of Academic at Oxford College of Business.

Learn about the school’s mission or motto.

Every business school has a mission or motto that it stresses to its community. At the Oxford College of Business, for instance, the school’s motto is “All we Do, All we are is Business Education.” These statements say something about what the school stands for and the type of environmen­t you might be entering. The CEO of Oxford College of Business says, In the applicatio­n you’ll have to demonstrat­e that your values align with the school’s mission and don’t simply “parrot” its marketing slogans.

Listen to your gut.

After talking to students, visiting campuses, reviewing admissions materials, reading blogs, and all the rest, you will get a sense of what makes each business school unique. You’ll get the feeling you belong at one school over another. As you might have guessed, it’s inexplicab­le and indescriba­ble. Says the managing director at Oxford College of Business: “You will know it when you feel it, and the chances are, you will see us soon at Oxford College of Business.” For more informatio­n call us on 0114718711/12 or visit www.ocbsrilank­a.com

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