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Hana Kořánová from the second year of the bachelor's programme Didactic Illustration at the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (FDU UWB) has always been inclined towards artistic self-expression. Every time she read a book, she would come back to it in her drawing. The field of study at FDU, which she is currently studying, suited her perfectly. Read our interview with Hanka. Maybe you will find that you too have certain aptitudes that you can further develop at FDU:

• What surprised you more on your first day at university—the difficulty of the subjects or the price of lunch in the cafeteria?
  More like the price of lunch in the canteen, but it depends on the particular meal. I try to eat vegetarian meals, which tend to be fewer in number. But for example, I just had a delicious lechon in the cafeteria.
  
  
• If you had to describe your field as a movie genre, would it be a thriller, comedy, or sci-fi?
  I think it would be a fantasy and a historical novel at the same time. At Didactic Illustration, we do mostly non-fiction and often delve into history, not only in terms of illustration technique, but we generally deal more with older themes that we're trying to update and popularize. For example, the recent publication Hrdinky (Heroines), which tells the stories of many important Czech women, was a great success. And we are also working on other projects.
  

• What's your best survival trick for exam season?
  My rehearsal time is mostly spent cooped up at home, drawing and working on my clause. That's when a glass of wine helps me the most. A glass or two (laughs).
  
  
• What was your biggest "I see" moment during your studies? Is there something you wish you had known in your first year?
  It wasn't one moment, but rather a realization that we study at the university only because we want to study, and if we don't want to, no one is keeping us here. That we are here on our own responsibility and no one is going to nag us to hand in our homework every day, it's just up to us. Sometimes it's hard to make yourself work, but on the other hand, it's preparation for life. It's a lot different than high school, but I think you get used to it quickly.
  
  
• If you could give your first-year self one piece of advice, what would it be?
  Socialize as much as you can. I studied at another university before UWB, where I was still very anti-social (laughs). Here, I'm trying to enjoy myself as much as possible.
  

• Imagine you have 30 seconds to convince a prospective student to choose your faculty. What would your "ad" sound like? Although Sutnarka is a relatively young faculty, it does not mean that it is inferior to other Czech art schools, on the contrary. There are experienced teachers here and we often collaborate with foreign artists. The teaching at FDU is really high quality.
  

• What’s the biggest myth about university studies that you’d like to debunk?
  The one that this is the best time of your life. I haven't lived my whole life, but older people always tell me that a person's twenties are the best. But it seems to me that we're all so confused and dealing with so much complete crap that isn't important at all. We realize it ourselves, but we're not stable enough at that age to act accordingly. But maybe one day I'll prove all these people right, who knows.
  
  
• How many hours of sleep a week do you consider a luxury during the semester and do you think it has affected your work?
  About a week before the clauses, it's about 5-6 hours a day. I sometimes get the best stuff when I'm in a pretty beat up state, but it's rather sporadic. So I guess it hasn't affected my work in a negative or positive way. I just have three coffees in the morning and it's good.
  
  

Studying during the day or late-night cramming?
The nighttime shenanigans. Sometimes it's hard, sometimes I fall asleep, but mostly it's manageable.

Cafeteria or instant noodles?
I usually cook at home, sometimes the instant noodles.

Front row in a lecture or in the back by the power outlet?
In the first row, because I usually forget my glasses and can't see the board, so the first row makes sure (laughs).

Group projects or doing everything solo?
You're probably sleeping alone. Especially in high school I was too responsible in group projects, where I organized everything and in the end I did the projects by myself, the others just drove. So now I prefer to do everything myself.

Oral or written exams?
Written. I don't like oral exams. When I write, I have more time to think about my answers. But in an oral exam, the examiner can guide us when we don't know and help us.

The ideal vision is ahead of schedule, reality is last minute.

You can apply for a total of four follow-up Master's programmes at the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art of the UWB until 30 April. Don't wait and start here. FDU also offers four bachelor's degree programmes, where applicants could apply until the end of November. Didn't make it? Don't despair - ArtCamp Summer School will help you prepare for talent auditions and build a portfolio that will score well in the next fall admissions.