“With the support and guidance of my teachers I came to thrive. This course has pushed me greatly and I’ve come out of it better than when I started. I will look back on my time here fondly,” says BTEC Digital Art, Animation & Games Design student, Maya, who gained D*D*D equivalent to 2 A* grades and one A at A Level. Maya is taking a gap year before continuing her studies at University for the Creative Arts on their BA (Hons) Comic & Concept Art.
Why did you choose your course and Kingston College?
Kingston College has a good reputation for creative studies, and for me it's also close to home. When I went to an open day, my impression was that Kingston College was a welcoming place with lots of talent. I chose my course because it aligned with my interests and covered a wide range of skills required for digital art professions, such as using industry level software and learning to generate ideas.
What attracted you to studying a BTEC rather than A-Levels?
Personally, I perform much better with coursework than exams, as I prefer to learn via practical work rather than memorising theory. The coursework was also structured in a way that would allow me to apply my learnings to a professional environment. Additionally, BTEC courses are much more specialised and tailored to a particular career path, so I would be able to focus on what I’m passionate about, rather than trying to manage multiple subjects with generalised content.
What are your plans after you finish your course?
After completing my course, I plan to take a gap year to take a break and further develop my skills before going on to studying BA (Hons) Comic & Concept Art at the University for the Creative Arts. I hope to pursue a career in concept art for animation.
What have you enjoyed most about your course?
I’ve enjoyed quite a few things, such as the freedom to explore my ideas and being surrounded by people with similar aspirations and interests, which helped me to feel more comfortable in my environment.
What skills have you developed during your time here?
At the start of my course I was really only familiar with traditional art and some basic photoshop knowledge, but throughout the two years I’ve grown comfortable with using various adobe software, learned how to animate, develop ideas, 3D modelling and applied the knowledge to my assignments.
How have you grown as a person during your time at Kingston College?
My time at Kingston College has helped me grow my confidence and willingness to ask for help. I was very anxious when I started at Kingston College, it being a new environment and none of my friends were attending with me, but with the support and guidance of my teachers I came to thrive. This course has pushed me greatly and I’ve come out of it better than when I started. I will look back on my time here fondly.
