With the demand for creatives on the rise, here are our tips to prepare you to start your creative degree.
The transition from college to university is one of the scariest you’ll face, but that needn’t be the case! When it comes to preparing yourself, it’s hard to know what to do other than stare at the ceiling and count the days. Are you creative degree ready?
The lessons we have learnt ourselves are ones that you don’t have to! Buckle in, prepare for great tips and some unusual ones too, and let us walk you through your preparation.
Lifestyle
OK, college/sixth form was easy, right? Stroll in halfway through the day, one afternoon lesson, and off we go. Well, things are about to change when your creative degree. Expect long lectures that stretch your knowledge and sometimes your patience.
It’s also best to expect long sleepless nights, whether that’s revising and actioning what you’ve learnt or crawling out of the local Spoons. Our advice…Coffee. Lots of it, immeasurable amounts.
Options and boundaries
So you’ve probably never had the opportunity to branch out into so many options before. Your degree will highlight countless different skills, and you will have the chance to explore them all. So, do it!
Don’t just pick one particular skill because you feel comfortable, branch out in your creative degree as much as you can. When getting a job post-university, candidates with multiple talents are more likely to stand out to potential employers.
We also advise following each rule to the letter… That’s a joke, obviously! Whilst you will see those bold lines of do’s and don’ts at university, we advise pushing the boundaries within your work.
Whilst you train and learn, you don’t have the added pressure of a client breathing down your neck and restricting your work. So, here’s your chance! Think outside the box; in fact, make it a circle and think outside of that. It’s when constraints are broken that the best art is created. Have fun with it.
If you are a recent university graduate and are looking for some advice, we are here to listen and help where possible. If you are looking for some practical experience within the workplace, there may be space for you and your skillset in the Create8 team.
Be honest with your emotions
University is all about growth on countless levels. We learn to level out the previously raging hormones and enjoy the experience that unfolds in front of us.
One of our key tips for this period of time is to keep asking questions. You should constantly be asking why certain things work and why others are perceived as not right. As well as building an understanding of the constraints of design, you will also learn to gauge people’s opinions towards certain styles, specifics and choices within your work.
As well as championing you to ask questions, we also stress that you must be prepared to take feedback and, of course, criticism…
If you aim to get the most out of your creative degree, understanding that not everyone will like your work is part of the parcel. It’s also essential for your career further down the line. Once you begin working in the creative sector, you will need to know that client responses to your work will often differ. You will have to be prepared for people not to appreciate your designs, expect changes and tweaks! Prepare yourself at university, and it’s a lot less ego damaging.
People and places
We know it sounds ridiculous, but when you are at university, you will often forget you’re there. One of the key opportunities of university is what surrounds us every day.
So look into what is on offer, there are often loads of brilliant extra courses that you can get involved in to increase your knowledge and skills. We even saw a Quidditch match once, (which was invented in Manchester, in case you didn’t know!) Skill-building extra courses are preferable, but if you want to play Quidditch, we aren’t here to stop you!
The most commonly overlooked things about university are the brilliant facilities surrounding you! Whether that’s the quality of the equipment in your creative department or the literally thousands of books you can pick up from the library. Once these facilities are gone, you’ll want to use them, so make the most of them now before you regret it.
Finally, take advantage of your tutors. They have a vast amount of knowledge in your sector and will be more than willing to share; after all, that’s why they are there.
We suggest speaking to your tutors outside of lectures. That way, you can tap into their know-how and pick up extra information which may not be readily available in the course materials. The hunger for knowledge also makes you memorable; trust us, that is invaluable. Who knows when you might need them in the long run.
Have fun
University is a journey you’ll never forget. Learning new things daily whilst your thirst for knowledge is at an all-time high, piecing together all of the skills you learn to make you a creative force to be reckoned with.
There’s something magical about the whole experience and you should enjoy every moment. Hopefully, with this blog, you’ll prioritise your career whilst having a great time along the way.
Squeeze every bit of juice out of your university experience, don’t leave anything out. You’ll be glad you did.
At Create8, we specialise in various different facets of the creative sector. Each member of our team brings something entirely different to the table, but they also bring a wealth of varied knowledge.
As an employer of newly qualified creatives, we know what it takes to stand out, and we see the slight differences between someone who loves what they do and someone who simply does it as a job.
If you think you could be an asset to our team, or you want some more advice on strengthening your opportunities within the creative sector, get in touch with us today!
Take a look at some more of our blogs for helpful tips, tricks and advice:
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