THIRD YEAR FASHION DEGREE... FROM HOME

March 18, 2020

THIRD YEAR FASHION DEGREE... FROM HOME

As many of you know, a select few universities have been closed due to the current climate. Thankfully, my university remains "open", however, it isn't possible for us to work in our studios anymore, meaning we have to create a six outfit collection from the comfort of our teeny tiny student flats... fun!

As of this afternoon, the government have decided to close all schools in the UK and have previously advised that all universities swap to online learning where possible. Many students I know have packed up and gone home to their families as they are able to access most, if not all, of their resources online and many have the luxury of handing in their final pieces of work in through university portals. In this sense, I'm sure we can agree, the government has done the correct thing, however... let's now consider those not taking academic subjects. For my final hand in I must submit:

6 fully made outfits (e.g one 'outfit' may be a jacket, shirt and a pair of trousers - 3 garments)
3 professionally presented and re-worked portfolios along with illustrations
A tech folder
A sketchbook that holds all of the research and design development
And a few other little bits like business cards and branding products etc...

So tell me... how are we, as non-traditional degree students, being looked after under these new recommendations? But this is another battle to fight.

As with anything, we stay positive. I, along with all my fellow students, packed up my car to the brim with fabrics, toiles, a sewing machine and a mannequin and set up my own studio at home... in my living room. I thought I would put this blog post together with what my plans are for the foreseeable future in hopes it can keep everyone a bit more sane...

1. My 'Studio' Space - Keep it contained!

I, like many other students, live in a shared flat. I have one bedroom and am lucky enough to have a living room. This is a shared space and where I (used to) go to relax and unwind from uni. It is now pretty much taken over by my uni work.

As it is crucial to have down time, especially with such a high pressure degree, I aim to make sure to keep my uni work in one part of the room and to keep it as tidy as possible. I know if I start leaving sketch books open or the sewing machine out, I'm not going to stop thinking about my work and I'm not going to get a chance to wind down.

2. Set Yourself Goals and Limits

With so much work to do, we naturally tend to plan our time quite well anyway, especially when it comes to the time we have at university. The same goes for at home, but now it is just as important to set yourself a limit too. At Uni, I would normal arrive, have a cup of tea, look through my tutorial notes and settle for a while between 9:30 and 10:00, then I start by setting myself goals and get to work. At 1:00pm - 2:00pm I go and have something to eat for lunch and have a scroll through my phone and then back to it until around 4:30pm or wherever I naturally conclude a task around that time. And I plan to do exactly the same at home. I will not be working through the night on something because its on my mind and I will also not be staying in bed in the morning just because I can (this is going to be tough to stick to). It's a give and take relationship which can be really hard when working from home but is crucial, particularly for your mental, and physical, health.

3. Help Each other Out!

Just because you're alone at home doesn't mean you're alone. Luckily, my year is really helpful and we all have each others' backs but I aim to keep this going even if we're not able to see each other. Make sure you stay in contact with your tutors and also your fellow students. Don't be afraid to ask what you might think is a 'silly question' because lets face it, we all need to be reminded how to put an invisible zip in sometimes. Make time for yourself and for others, be there to help each other and don't struggle by yourself. I hope to stay in contact and help as many people as I can and I hope they do the same for me.

I hope everyone gets through this final year well and everyone is able to make their dreams a reality (even if it means sewing it on a domestic machine)