Alexandra Field

Name: Alexandra Field

What was it about Northumbria that made you decide to study here?

As someone from the North, I knew I wanted to remain in this region for university which ultimately helped to narrow down my choice of university’s. I had always enjoyed my visits to Newcastle prior to uni as I felt it was a fun city to be in and had a good vibe to it, which led me to consider Northumbria as an option. Upon visiting the university on an open day, I was impressed by the facilities and in particular the high standard of work produced by the interior design course. This then inspired me and made me want to be able to achieve the same level of excellence that I had seen when visiting.

What was it like studying at Northumbria?

Studying at Northumbria was a lot of fun and overall a very positive experience for me as I thoroughly enjoyed my 3 years there. The university offers excellent facilities, a supportive community and the courses are well-structured. As well as this the university's location in Newcastle means there's always something fun to do as there are always social events and activities going on making it an enjoyable place to study and live.

What impressed you most about our academic staff?

What impressed me most about the academic staff was their enthusiasm for the subject and how they encouraged each student to find their own creative style to reflect personality throughout our work. Their genuine enthusiasm made it a positive learning environment to be in and it also helped inspire us to work our hardest. As well as this I was impressed with the support, time and guidance we received over the 3 years as it really helped each student to realise their potential and achieve their creative goals making us all more confident designers.

How connected was your course with industry?

My course definitely felt connected with industry as each module on the course taught us skills that we would benefit us when getting a job. The course also set up opportunities to speak to professionals as we were given the chance to present our work in London to designers where we could receive feedback on our work to learn how to improve it and ask any questions we had to gain an insight on what its like working in industry. As well as London the uni also offered trips to places such a Manchester and New York to visit existing design studios and learn about what they do there.

How did studying at Northumbria help you achieve your career goals/give your career an edge?

I think studying at Northumbria has given me the edge in achieving my career goals as the university has a strong focus on employability. During my time at Northumbria studying interior design not only did they teach me how to be a designer but also an employable one. As well as this Northumbria's connections with industry professionals and guest lectures exposed me to current trends and practices in the field. These interactions not only expanded my knowledge but also helped me build a professional network early in my career.

What was the best thing about your course?

For me the best thing about my course was the ability to be as creative as I wanted. The degree taught me how to use a range of different software such as SketchUp, Photoshop and AutoCAD which allowed me to bring my ideas to life and visually communicate them in a way I had never been able to do before. I also enjoyed that the course was very hands on and there was always opportunity's to get involved and stuck in at the studio as we had our own space, and of course the people made it a pleasant space to be in as everyone was always so lovely.

What aspects of your degree course best prepared you for the transition from a student to a professional designer? 

Towards the end of my degree the course really began to prioritise the importance of portfolios to showcase out skills, creativity and previous projects we had completed to appear more attractive to potential employers. The course also taught me effective time management and organisational skills as we had to manage multiple projects with strict deadlines. This experience is crucial for transitioning from student to the professional world, where wasted time can be costly. Additionally, while studying we were given the opportunity to collaborate on projects and to work as a team. This helped to develop teamwork and communication skills as understanding how to work effectively with others is essential in a professional design environment.

If you had to give a first year student one piece of advice what would it be?

One piece of advice I would give to a first year student is to manage your time well. At first the work load may feel overwhelming as you are also trying to make friends, have a social life and adjust to life in a new city, but effective time management will make everything feel much more do able and less overwhelming. This will help you to achieve a healthy work-life balance making your university experience much more enjoyable.