things I wish I knew before starting my fashion communication degree

sharing the mistakes I made so you don't do the same

I studied Fashion Communication and Promotion, a subject I was very passionate about. I was so excited to start the course, little did I know that by the third year I would be leaving every video call with my teachers, crying in frustration and questioning why I was still on that course. There were moments where I felt really good about the work I produced but most of the time, I felt like I was drowning in unrealistic expectations. If I could go back in time and give my past self some advice then this is what I would want her to know.

research your university and read reviews

I didn't have much choice over what university I attended. I had to stay local so I could live at home because of my health and I wasn’t ready to leave my family. When I came across the Fashion Communication and Promotion degree that was starting at the local University, I thought it was a perfect fit for me. Fashion is something I have always been interested in and my goal was to be a fashion writer. When I applied, I was over the moon that I got accepted straight away.

Sadly, the course was under-promoted. When we started the course there were 10 of us. In the second year there were 5 and then in the third year there were 3. My enthusiasm for the course had started to fade during the second year and it was during this time that they said they were going to scrap the third year (the year that would make the degree go from a foundation degree to a full BA) because it wasn’t viable going forward with so few students. Thankfully we managed to carry on and finish the degree but not without a massive struggle.

Out of the 4 teachers we had, there was only one that we felt we could truly rely on. She always did her best to support us, even when she was on maternity leave.

The end of the second year and the start of the third year was during the pandemic which only added more stress. In third year, the only way I managed to make it through the year was because of the support I had from the two other students on my course and the one teacher that we relied on.

While at the time I couldn’t see myself going further afield for university, if I was able to have gone to an arts based school, then that would’ve been a better choice. Going to a University that isn't well equipped or prepared for the course you will be studying for three years probably isn't going to end well or be the best experience. When we had finished our third year, we all knew that they wouldn't be running the course anymore due to the issues we had faced and we were right.

high chance you will lose your passion for the subject

While this doesn’t always happen, there is a very high chance it could. I believe that if my experience had been better, then maybe I wouldn't have lost my passion for the subject. The pressure of producing work in order to be graded mixed with the stress of wanting to achieve the best result, takes the joy out of creating. The process of creating something is fun but when you have to do an in-depth analysis and prove how you got to the final project just sucked all the fun out of it. After I had finished my degree, I was so burnt out that it took a few years for me to rebuild my love for writing and fashion.

it will be disheartening at times

During each module we had the ability to explore our creativity and it was interesting to explore different ideas. While I understand that teachers are there to guide you and give you constructive criticism in order to help you achieve the best outcome, at times it felt like we had to do things the way SHE would have done it in order to get the best mark. There were quite a few times when she would suggest changes to me that I felt didn't fit in with what I was doing but because I didn't want to be marked down, I made the changes. This left me feeling unhappy about my work and I didn’t feel like my work was authentically me. Which has led me to question that if we have to be creative in a certain way in order to get a good grade (which in hindsight is what we want and what we are made to want), then in some way, can we be authentically creative?

I know that is a somewhat cynical question but I know it's purely down to the experience I had. I may have had a rubbish experience but there’s alot of people who have done creative degrees, had a great experience and had the chance to explore their creativity more freely.

go in with an open mind

While I went into the course thinking that I wanted to focus on fashion journalism, I ended up becoming more interested in the marketing and branding side of fashion. There were a few modules where I could explore my creativity and try new things, one of these was in visual merchandising. I created a punk inspired Vivienne Westwood display and this was by far my favourite project. It goes without saying that you won’t enjoy every module and that's perfectly normal. Just don’t beat yourself up if you get a grade lower than expected. If you don’t enjoy a topic, it's highly likely you won't be as invested in it as one that you do enjoy.

I struggled with quite a few modules and my grades varied, but the important thing is that I gave it a try. It isn't something that I enjoyed but at least I have the basic knowledge of those areas. It’s all about exploring and experimenting.

I don't regret my choice to do a degree in Fashion Communication and Promotion. I do wish the circumstances were different and I could have gone to a better University. From this course I met the woman who hired me as an intern during my last two years. This internship gave me two years of writing/content creation/social media experience which I am very grateful for. I managed to achieve a first class degree and I received a first on my dissertation which is still one of my biggest achievements ever after being told I would never be able to go to university due to my autism (oh boy, were those specialists wrong).

Thank you for reading this post! I have been wanting to write about my university experience for a while but it was just hard to know where to start. It has been a few years since I graduated and I have finally come to terms with the way things turned out. If you are considering doing a creative degree, then definitely do your research first! 💌

Cover Photo by Ginevra Austine on Unsplash