As a student who took art and media studies as A levels, I've realised the importance of the two subjects as they have made me better appreciate the impact of art, the process of building a sense of individuality in the subject, as well as a detailed understanding of media, which has one of the biggest influences on society in today's world.

I was required to create a personal study for art (an essay that studied a specific theme of my choosing) in which I studied feminism in contemporary art; I learnt the importance of art in feminism and how it is used to empower women. Art has a political importance as it allows people to convey messages and feelings that can create change and contribute to society. Other areas of my coursework taught me to implement emotional value and aesthetics into my artwork. I did this by studying other artists, working towards a final piece that fit with a theme chosen by myself.

Media theory taught me about postmodernism, which I think best describes the current times, where we tend to view everything through the media and where “fake news” seems to have taken over. Media theory also teaches you how to appeal to audiences by discussing different psychographics and other demographics that define different types of people. I was also taught the different areas of film in detail; I would go on to use this information to create a full length music video as my coursework complete with audience research.

If you are looking to construct powerful statements with art and anything media related (such as film and journalism) that can move others, A level art and media studies will refine and better the quality of your art and will build a strong understanding of the areas of media you choose to study.

Gigi