Formative Report

Where have I come from?

I first decided that I would like to take media seriously in year 11 of school. During year ten I found out that I was quite good at art work, especially pencil work. I spent a lot of time and effort in my art + design classes than any of my other subjects, especially towards my GCSE’s as I really wanted a good grade in this subject. I was quite worried towards the end of year as I thought that I didn’t put enough effort onto the other lessons and too much effort into my art work. My art work was actually lowered due to the fact that I had hardly any colour work in it. I still managed to get a good grade in art and design and still get the other relevant grades to get onto the next step. Throughout year 11 I became interested in PC’s and how they work.

After a while I began to lose hope of taking my art work further into college as I thought that the lack of colour in my work mite make things harder for me. I decided to take on a computing course instead so I could learn more about how they work. I was particularly excited about the second year of the course as it had a web design unit. Although I learned a load from this course which would help me in many jobs, it wasn’t the course that I thought it would be. I continued it anyway to see what the opportunities would be available after I had finished it.

As the first year progressed I started to use my spare time for drawing again. I began to search and experiment with programs that would bring my artwork and technology together. I had asked a friend to help me with this problem and he found Macromedia Flash. I began to use this program and started taking tutorials off the internet seriously. I had finally found something that brought my two hobbies together. It was also fun to use, although quite frustrating at some points.

So when the end of the AVCE course was coming near and we had to decide what to do next in life, I decided to look for a course that would take computers and designing into account and to explore software such as flash more thoroughly. For these reasons I chose this course, the HND in Interactive Media. The course also was designed to make people think for themselves, as well as learning professional and team skills. It was also based on web design, another thing that I had been craving to learn.

Where am I now?

On this course I am hoping to expand my imagination, as well as to learn new programs such as Dreamweaver and Photoshop. I also hope the course will help me polish up my “Flash” skills and go into more depth on design work. I would also like the course to be as enjoyable as possible. When I started the course I was quite nervous, but as the lessons started I was relieved to find some students that I already knew.

Where am I going?

The next step after this course I am still unsure of. There are several options available and they will probably depend on the grades I get from this current course. Most likely I will be going to university after I receive my grades. If I don’t get the grades I need then I will probably go into a job based on web design etc. after iv completed university I will be looking for a job or experience on web design or flash animations. My true dream would be to go back to university and take a course on games design/ 3D designing using programs such as 3D studio max. I didn’t get the grades I wanted to get onto the games design course so I chose Interactive media as backup which is what I am taking now. Truly by the end of my college/university life I would like to be in a well paid job with lots of experience to offer and with an enjoyable background.