After completing my BA, I found myself increasingly drawn to the more scientific aspects of design, which motivated me to pursue an MSc within the same area. Given my positive experience with the high standard of teaching and support at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ during my undergraduate studies, it was a natural decision to continue my education there.
Having completed my undergraduate studies at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ before progressing to postgraduate studies, I attribute nearly all my design skills, beyond basic sketching to º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ and its design department.
My final Project focused on emergency communication within disaster prone areas. The goal was to utilise LoRa radio transmission to create an expandable text-based network to be deployed in the event of a major disaster, at minimal cost and power requirements. I became interested in disaster relief while completing my undergraduate project based on farming in disused urban spaces, and after discussing issues with a civil engineer writing a paper on the issues related to infrastructure damage due to natural disasters.
Often when considering the impact University has, first thoughts go towards the qualification or the facilities, but personally for me it was the people I met during my time, and thanks to º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ. Friends on the course help inspire and drive me to develop new skills. Friends outside the course helped me unwind and make the most of the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ experience.
But one of the largest impacts on my future was a lecturer informing me on a sponsorship opportunity for my masters. Without them I’d likely not have applied, let alone get awarded a studentship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. An opportunity that has granted me training, financial support and fantastic networking opportunities with other skilled designers.
Postgraduate studies were very similar to undergraduate for me. I had access to the same facilities, societies, and sports clubs. However, the main differences lay in the expectations and the cohort.
In undergraduate, most students came from similar backgrounds, while in postgraduate, there was a mix of individuals with extremely different backgrounds. Some had degrees in engineering or physics, others were proficient in business, and some even worked on their own startups. As for expectations In postgraduate you are expected to produce a higher standard of work in a shorter timeframe. You are expected to know the basics (though there are short catch-up courses) and be able to continue to develop/ and advance those skills.