Hear straight from our graduates.
As for preparing its students for working in the design industry, Shillington probably beats many 3-year university courses.
Designer, Open Water
Dominika Stanczyk
Can you tell us a bit about your Shillington experience, how did you find studying on the part-time course and do you have any tips for juggling other responsibilities alongside the intensity of the programme?
I won’t lie, my 9 months studying at Shillington were probably some of the toughest months of my life! But also, the most fulfilling, life changing and exciting ones. The two tips I have are discipline and down time. Despite many warnings that things will get busy, especially around the portfolio time, the intensity of the course was more than I expected. There basically is no time to say ‘I’ll do this later” because there are always at least 5 things that you need to do later, or better, now. Equally, I think I would have gone mad if it wasn’t for my CrossFit training which I’ve kept up throughout the course. There was often not a lot of time to squeeze it in but it’s so important to have some way to unwind, take your mind off your projects and get those endorphins flowing!
What were your favourite aspects of the course?
Tough question! I think the teaching approach at Shillington is fantastic. The tutors get really involved, they put a lot of emotion and personality into the teaching. I think I was expecting to be taught in a very dry and ‘distanced’ way; to be ‘talked at’ and left to my own devices to come up with ideas and projects- it certainly wasn’t the case. The tutors’ help and support is very personal and throughout the course you really get that feeling that they basically… care.
Also, there’s this whole culture of teachers and students staying in touch after the course is finished, which again, is so natural and human and yet so absent from many educational institutions. Another aspect of the course, which I think is fantastic, is the very effective way of teaching all the new software. I think the shortcut quizzes are GENIUS (sorry Shillington students-to-be!) and give you that little extra edge for when you start in your first job after the course.
Now that you’re part of our Shillumni network do you have any words of wisdom for current students?
Learn those shortcuts, read your hand-outs, believe in yourself and every now and then, give yourself a pat on the back for having the courage to take yourself on this journey. It’s worth it!
Visit Dominika’s website and read her full interview on the blog.
Rachel Urquhart
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Lori Beth Kaye
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Ray Wong
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Keiran McCann
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Emily Campos
UX Designer, Wix
Jaira Adlawan
Senior Visual Designer, Sephora
Ani Monteleone
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Hamish Snow
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Eleanor Robertson
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Gerald Torto
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Linda Gao
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Ella Donald & Charlotte Carnegie Brown
Co-Founders, Studio Duzi
Will Batrouney
Graphic Designer, Ignite Online
Sinead Murphy
Freelance Graphic Designer
Bianca Oggiano
Designer, Design Haus Liberty
Christopher J Porter
Designer, I See Sea
Dominika Stanczyk
Designer, Open Water
Katie Lodge
Business Development Manager, Frost* collective
Amee Wilson
Art Director, Clemenger BBDO
Jordan Demetriou
Junior Designer, Principals
As for preparing its students for working in the design industry, Shillington probably beats many 3-year university courses.
Designer, Open Water
Dominika Stanczyk
Can you tell us a bit about your Shillington experience, how did you find studying on the part-time course and do you have any tips for juggling other responsibilities alongside the intensity of the programme?
I won’t lie, my 9 months studying at Shillington were probably some of the toughest months of my life! But also, the most fulfilling, life changing and exciting ones. The two tips I have are discipline and down time. Despite many warnings that things will get busy, especially around the portfolio time, the intensity of the course was more than I expected. There basically is no time to say ‘I’ll do this later” because there are always at least 5 things that you need to do later, or better, now. Equally, I think I would have gone mad if it wasn’t for my CrossFit training which I’ve kept up throughout the course. There was often not a lot of time to squeeze it in but it’s so important to have some way to unwind, take your mind off your projects and get those endorphins flowing!
What were your favourite aspects of the course?
Tough question! I think the teaching approach at Shillington is fantastic. The tutors get really involved, they put a lot of emotion and personality into the teaching. I think I was expecting to be taught in a very dry and ‘distanced’ way; to be ‘talked at’ and left to my own devices to come up with ideas and projects- it certainly wasn’t the case. The tutors’ help and support is very personal and throughout the course you really get that feeling that they basically… care.
Also, there’s this whole culture of teachers and students staying in touch after the course is finished, which again, is so natural and human and yet so absent from many educational institutions. Another aspect of the course, which I think is fantastic, is the very effective way of teaching all the new software. I think the shortcut quizzes are GENIUS (sorry Shillington students-to-be!) and give you that little extra edge for when you start in your first job after the course.
Now that you’re part of our Shillumni network do you have any words of wisdom for current students?
Learn those shortcuts, read your hand-outs, believe in yourself and every now and then, give yourself a pat on the back for having the courage to take yourself on this journey. It’s worth it!
Visit Dominika’s website and read her full interview on the blog.
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Freelance Graphic Designer
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