Carla
Newman

What is it about NTU that made you want to study here?

"After visiting and attending open day’s couple of other universities, it became apparent very quickly that NTU offered the best services and facilities, not to mention it’s outstanding reputation for my chosen course, it was just a bonus that it happened to be in my home town."

What do you enjoy most about your course at NTU?

"The close-knit feel. I have gained fantastic relationships with both peers and tutors alike. It challenged but motivated me every single day to be the best possible designer that I could be, for the better of myself."

Can you tell us about your favourite memory from your time on your course?

"It might sound basic, but the IAD studio holds some of my fondest memories at NTU. Having pretty much lived in there for the past year, especially in the last few weeks, I’ve laughed, then cried, then laughed some more again in there. We set up camp right until the last moment in preparation for the degree show… It feels like home and the support that we had in there was more than you could ever want. It allowed us to socialise, bounce off one another, help each other out, and really experience what interior architecture and design was all about."

Has the course included any speakers / lecturers from industry – if so can you talk about one you really enjoyed?

"We regularly received talks from people within the industry, they were particularly motivating and offered a level of insight into the industry that was really helpful and eye opening."

What do you think about the course staff – include lecturers, tutors, administrators and technical staff within this. How do they support your learning and University experience?

"The course staff are great, none alike whatsoever, but in the best way possible. The course staff teach you to be the opposite of clones, and really celebrates everyone’s differences through their creative work, this is evident throughout our final degree show.

Whatever you put in reflects what you get out, and that is the same with the tutor’s too!"

What do you think about the facilities available to you on your course, and at the university?

"The facilities in the studio’s and workshops are great, they really allow us to flourish within our projects, no question is too major, and they are really accommodating to all needs. Having spent a lot of time within the shop, I can confirm it is one of the best the market should offer with competitive pricing too.

The help that is available within the library should be celebrated louder, the staff offer an array of services and I have found them a great help, especially in my final year whilst preparing for my dissertation. The SU is great for both a Saturday night out, or an extended relaxed working space."

What do you like about studying and living in Nottingham – how does the city support your creative practice?

"This has worked particularly well for me, being a student that is from Nottingham and decided to live at home during my time at university. It’s well connected transport links to the campus, and its location in the city centre in general is fantastic, it certainly does not limit my studies."

How do you find the student community within the School / wider University?

"I have certainly made friends for life within the Student community. With such a demanding course, you’re naturally exposed to working with a large amount of people at once, the social spaces that are provided to cope with this are great and they really enable us to get the best out of our university experience."

In a nutshell, why would you recommend your course / NTU to someone looking to study in that area?

"I would recommend our course for a number of reasons, some including, the support that is available for a young designer to really expand their knowledge, without limiting their personal interests and creativeness, the opportunity to gain a year’s experience during placement before heading into their final year of studies and the facilities available for not just the course in particular, but throughout the whole campus, not to mention the brilliant overseas trip that was made available to us."

Have you completed any work placements and if so can you tell me a little bit about them – where you went, what you did, and any skills you’ve gained that will help you when you graduate?

"I attended a year’s work placement at The Yard Creative, Battersea, London.  The opportunity really allowed me to excel as a young designer. The exposure to all stages of a projects, from concept right through to completion was a level of experience that is just not possible to gain at university alone. I learned important life skills of a 9-5 working job, but also skills that I could not imagine facing final year without, especially in terms of materiality, software, trends and where to begin when tackling some of the problems you are bound to face when designing."

If you had to sum up your course in 3 words, what would they be?

"Stimulating, encouraging and imaginative."

Find out more about studying BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design at NTU.