STUDYING FOOTWEAR AT LEICESTER COLLEGE- REFLECTIVE STATEMENT

My second year is close to the end, and there is no better way to explain how good it has been studying at Leicester College and being part of De Montfort University than writing a blog.

ST. MARGARET CAMPUS

Studying at Leicester college has been the best opportunity that I could have. I remember my first time when I visited Leicester College in St. Margaret campus. I had an appointment with the footwear department tutor, in order to start studying the first year 2016/17. The lecturer showed me all the work from other years and the progress of the students. The works were amazing; I wanted to be able to make the same projects as them. Likewise, she made me feel special and I loved the way she talked about the course. I have never met a person liker her, I felt like she wanted me to be part of footwear at Leicester College. That was all I wanted.

However, at the beginning of the first year, I could not understand some projects very well and it was a big challenge to me as English is my second language. However, my tutor found different ways to explain each project to me, making them easier to understand. I am very grateful to her for understanding and persevering with me.

In addition, during both years writing has been the most difficult part as I am Spanish student. However, Leicester College has supported me a lot, giving me extensions and help.

Making presentations was a huge challenge, as I did not feel comfortable talking in front of a group of students, but at the end I have improved my confidence when talking in public.

Manufacturing a shoe has not been the biggest challenge for me, but it was making me stressful when I was wrong with the patterns. The lecturer always helped me when I was worried.

During these two years, I have grown as a person and as a designer. Leicester College has developed my qualities and taught me to be professional, perfectionist and accurate with my work. Moreover, I have learnt how to create a collection, a style prediction book and my own patterns to produce a shoe. Also, careful research has helped to improve my design quality and also my writing. However, my drawings have not improved as much using illustrator and Photoshop because this module does not have a lot of hours. For this reason, my colleagues and I had extra sessions with Rob, and he helped us a lot. Nowadays, CAD is very important for the footwear industry so the students should have more hours on this.

All of my class has found the second year more difficult than the first one. During the first year I had a larger period of time to produce each project and also had more hours to be able to check the projects with my tutor. However this year we have had least hours with her because of being a small group. Also a lot of essays and evaluation have been done and I am still having some writing problems, but now I feel more comfortable than before with the writing. Likewise, in my second year I have been struggling to hand in all my projects on time.

Even though this year has been the complicated, I have learnt a lot. For example: the ability to produce a collection in a professional manner, where I could demonstrate it in HB shoe project and researching and designing a collection. Producing a blog of the second year will show our talent; proving our ability to use appropriate written, visual and oral presentations; marketing reports, researching and presenting case-study assignment and critically analysing the marketing strategies of our brand; design and manufacture packaging and label sock; and being professional in layout.

Finding work experience is essential in the second year, but get an internship was very hard. Nevertheless, my tutor helped me by giving me details and contacts of few work experiences, therefore I could find internship in WBYS. I did just one week, but enough to demonstrate them all my knowledge to me, and I realize how much I had learnt when studying in Leicester College. I made a collection of men's dessert boot in just three days and the owner and manager director of the company were very pleased with my work. In addition, they sent my collection to the factory to get a sample done. So maybe next year, my designs will be in the street. Everything is possible.

Overall, I have spent an amazing time in Leicester College. In footwear department we are like a big family and for that reason I will miss everybody next year. I will never forget these two incredible years studying at Leicester College.