The thing that helped me the most when coming to university was doing a Foundation Year Course before my Undergraduate Course. To any students that are considering going to Loughborough University but are unsure, I would highly recommend applying for one of their Foundation Courses to see if university life and higher education are right for you. If not, you can then seek other options instead of being tied to a further 2-3 years that you may not enjoy.

I think that there is a myth that Foundation Courses are easy and aren’t worth considering. However, I received three A* grades in my A Levels and I still found my Art Foundation Course to be challenging and enjoyable. I learnt many skills too that I have brought into my degree work as well. It is an option that I would recommend to anyone looking to come to Loughborough University but who is unsure if university life is right for them.

I then chose to study Graphic Communication & Illustration because I like creating work that communicates with people. I don’t like creating work for myself, I prefer to answer more rigid client briefs where I need to achieve specific aims. As I have progressed through my course, I have worked with numerous Students’ Union associations too which has also shown me how much I like working with clients to visualise their ideas.

I like that on my course, I feel as though I am a part of a community rather than a course. I have always felt that Art education is a little different in that we often work in more collaborative spaces - there is more of an emphasis on sharing ideas and working together to achieve a common aim of solving a brief.

There is not only a good atmosphere between students but with staff as well. I like that the tutors know who I am and what my strengths and weaknesses are. I have known some members of staff since Art Foundation Year and they have been able to see me grow as a creative individual. They give me advice tailored more towards my strengths and push me to expand my existing knowledge.

My favourite project was one I completed last year where I had to create a series of three posters that highlighted an issue in an LEDC. My posters where exploring the issue of malaria and how people could protect themselves against it.

I enjoyed this project because it was the first time that I ever completed a piece of graphics that was more ‘socially-beneficial.’ A lot of the work that I do now is more in line with this, this summer I have been learning about inclusive design and how I can make my graphics more accessible to people with disabilities. I look back to that project as the origin of my passion for work like this.