I chose to do a Fashion Design degree at the University of Brighton because I wanted to learn a new skill and channel my creativity into something productive. I wanted to work towards a brief and have an end product. I studied an Art Foundation Diploma after I finished my A levels. I had to taken a loan for college tuition and later paid it off with ivas. This was a year for me to find my feet and try and figure out which direction I wanted to go in. Fashion Design fell into my lap, it was new and exciting and I wanted to give it a go.  I was hesitant to do a Foundation as I wanted to go off travelling with my friends before heading to university. I was happy to do an academic degree, but that would have been totally wrong. I have always been creative so why settle to study something that I ‘thought’ I should study or that would impress my parents’ friends or my friends’ parents. That’s the wrong reason to go to university, don’t do it because you think it will look good to others, do it because you want to go.

You want to grow, experience a new place, meet new people and to learn! Because it’s your choice, you don’t have to go and it’s expensive so make sure you’re going to do something that you enjoy, or at least you think you’ll enjoy, that’s what I did.

I took a risk, I had only dipped my toes into Fashion Design on my Foundation, so going to university was like jumping straight in at the deep end. But I stayed afloat, I thought I was sinking a few times and had to come back to the surface to take some deep breaths to get me through. But I have finished my second year with a collection of new skills under my belt and a strong sense of motivation to get me through the next step, which is a year in industry. I’m sure I’ll need a few more deep breaths along the way, but I’ve got people around, helping to keep me bobbing along.

Millie, 2nd Year BA(Hons) Fashion Design with Business Studies

Millie is one of our Unibuddy’s who can provide advice on studying at Brighton