Induction Week for Graphic Design
As freshers week at Coventry University has been so fun and memorable, I thought a blog post would be a good way to ensure I can remember everything that happened. I will divide the days of the week up separately, to make sure I don't miss any details!
Monday 25th September marks the first day of University for me at Coventry. Because I am living at home, I didn't know many people who would be on my course, or even going to the uni. This made me nervous as I wasn't sure if people would have already made friends, leaving me to eat lunch alone. However, everyone on my course was really friendly, and were aware of other students being nervous. This made meeting new people easy, as everyone recognised they were in the same boat. The morning consisted of meeting the lecturers and team for the Graphic Design Department at Coventry. We also had an induction, welcome talk and an optional tour. We were given (a lot of) time for lunch, where I met my first friend and went to eat with her. We then both explored the freshers fare in the Coventry Cathedral ruins, where I was given so many freebies and goodie bags I could literally hardly carry them all. (This was on top of an Art and Design goodie bag I was given from Coventry Uni, containing sketchbooks, memory sticks, folders and a heavy duty carry case!) After lunch the whole class (of around 80-100 students) and lecturers were taken to Coventry's Fargo Village, which is known as "Coventry's Creative Quarter". Here, we were given the freedom to grab a coffee and get to know other people on our course. The afternoon was really chilled and enjoyable, and broke tension when speaking to new people. This is where I met the bulk of (what was to be) my new friendship group!
On Tuesday, we were asked to come in wearing the t-shirts we made for the summer task. This was another ice breaker as we had to ask other people what their t-shirt meant. The specification was a black and white design, with the front holding only pictures, whilst the back had only 3 words. Everything had to describe what we wanted to get out of our University experience. It was again, another fun way to get the group speaking to one another about our own personal goals. There is a photo of us all with our t-shirts below.
After this task, we were asked to write our very own "dream" brief. This, I thought, would be a lovely task to show off my Graphic Design skills for something I was really passionate about. However, once we had written the briefs, Paula, our first year tutor, collected in the sheets and gave them out randomly to other students in the class. We were then given 2 days to design something to meet the given brief, and it all had to fit one one side of A5 paper!
The rest of the day, however, was spent attending talks for the Add+vantage scheme, and going to the society fare. While there, I registered interest in loads of societies and now have decisions to make about which to join. (It is so difficult, as I signed up to so many!)
Wednesday had talks about Academic Support, the Student Union team, and a book pick up from the Library. After that, the rest of the day was dedicated to project time and the sport fare. The library session was great, as it was a collection for books for the course (every student, no matter what their course was, get this scheme) and the books are absolutely free, and are handy to the course you're doing. The fare and advertisement for the sports teams was also equally as good as the society fare. I also registered my interest for cheerleading and gymnastics, which are things I would like to pursue during university. I am excited to receive more information about these clubs, and hope I get a chance to join!
Thursday morning was when we were given a chance to show off our designs. The way the class was intended to work was that each brief and design would go back to the original writer, however with some people suffering from Freshers' Flu, this didn't work so smoothly. However, everyone got their designs looked at and "marked" by other students, and was an example of the critique sessions we would be completing when designing at University. The afternoon was mainly taken up by registering our Add+vantage modules, as they are both compulsory and on a first come, first serve basis. I managed to register for a placement in a Primary School to help children with literacy skills, as teaching is something I am considering for after my degree. The scheme is in place to boost employability, and allow you do something that links into your degree or not. It can also go towards careers, or can just be a fun opportunity to do something you may not get the chance to otherwise. I am happy with my module and am exited to start!
The university also hosted a session during the afternoon hours, where students got to cuddle and stroke some animals. Below are some pictures of the animals we got to hold and look after.
There were also snakes, bearded dragons and a tarantula, alongside the animals pictured that I held and cuddled.
Finally, Friday consisted of a Trip to Oxford. As there is so many photos from different museums, this will be my next post. However, I will say, we were set a series of tasks to complete whilst there to make the day both fun whilst still relating to our degree. I will hope to sort through all the photos and upload this soon!
Thank you for reading my blog and continuing my journey with me. Take the time to do things you enjoy, and try new things occasionally. I found myself showing an interest in societies I never thought I would. These have me thinking and reflecting upon myself and the type of person I would like to become. Always remember to have fun and stay curious!
Katie Xx
