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Hi, my name is James and I am currently studying on
the MA Design with Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education at Kingston University.
I am in the last four weeks of the course so mildly panicking!
But I am here to talk about why I took up the course.
Thinking back, I basically graduated from Goldsmiths
10 years ago in graphic design and I've been working
as a designer for 10 years in the areas of branding,
publishing and also involved with architecture practices.
I was fortunate enough to go on a teaching course
organised by the Design Council, which was a week long.
I really enjoyed it and thought I'd like to do a bit of
teaching to complement my design practice.
So hence the reason for applying to the course here at Kingston.
Why Kingston? Kingston has got a really good reputation
for graphic design so I was keen to study somewhere like
that and also it has a good architecture school;
and as I understand it this is the only course where you
can do a PgCert and an MA at the same time.
So that was my reason for coming here.
I came to the course practising as a freelance designer
as well, so for the first couple of semesters I was able to
combine a bit of professional work with doing the course
full time. It was quite a lot to take on but it is achievable;
and then I think getting on towards this part of the course,
where we are in the last few stages, actually just
concentrate solely on getting the final module out of the way.
I have met some really interesting and quite varied people.
There is a lot of people from all different ages doing the
course, different backgrounds, international students.
I think that is probably one of the strongest aspects of the
course - that you get to meet artists, designers from all
different areas - which is really invigorating if you've been
working professionally and perhaps with
the same people for a long time. It is quite good.
Yes, those relationships have been quite good.
You sort of spur each other on.
Once I've finished at Kingston I'd like to continue my
professional design practice but I'd also like to supplement
it with some teaching; and that sort of process is
already happening in that I've managed to get
a part-time role at City University so I am teaching
evening classes there.
I think one of the best aspects of the course is that
when I came here I was a little bit hesitant about teaching
and I think one of the best aspects of the course is
giving you the confidence to teach, if you like;
and the way they do that is you get four observed
teaching sessions throughout the year.
So you've stood up in front of a class, you've taught a session -
and somebody is sitting there monitoring you, if you like;
and they can feed back and give you helpful hints and tips
and say you are doing this well or you could do this better.
And I think that's really important if you've never stood
up in front of a group of people and taught before,
to get to have that sort of 'practice run' if you like a few times.
It helps to build your confidence.