Sonia Nosova

Graphic Design

I already experienced studying graphic design in my home country

And I wanted to develop myself even further. I chose Oxford as a destination for personal reasons. Brookes was my first and my only choice to study graphic design. As an international student I needed to complete a foundation diploma before starting the course to meet the requirements. So, I finished the foundation and then started graphic design.

What I was amazed about on this course

There are so many different opportunities, not only to develop your skills in digital, but you can practise some printing, bookbinding, or letterpress techniques. You can also try various software which links to the graphic design field, but not directly at times. My favourite modules were the ones with open briefs, where we can choose media we like and develop our projects according to our interests in Graphic Design. Also, I like that tutors supported us with our choices and then never put pressure on us to do something else.

They know your strengths and where you need to improve

The cohort is quite small compared to other courses. A favourite part of studying is that on the course, the tutors have a personal approach to everyone. We can communicate with our tutors any time and I always find support from them and feedback if I need it.

I was worried about coming to a foreign country and finding friends                                                                             

sonia-on-campusThere’s a good proportion of international students, and I’ve never felt alone. At first there was a bit of a language barrier, but it easily improved in the first months. I also quickly joined some societies. They are a good place to meet like minded students. And there are many societies to choose from; so you can continue with the hobby you used to do at home.

I know that not everyone chooses to stay here, but I'm going to stay here

I hope to find a job linked to my study area as soon as I graduate to gain more experience in a working environment. Hopefully it will go well as I want to have some work experience before 
taking a postgraduate course. That’s my plan.