The Best Things About Studying at Falmouth

This article was written by Costume Design for Film & Television BA(Hons) student Natalie. 

Being at university is a unique experience, it can feel as if it’s going past you in the blink of an eye. Sometimes it can be nice to look back on elements of your university experience and inform others about what it's really like to study at Falmouth. So, without further ado, here are my top 5 favourite things about studying at Falmouth.

Coming in at number 5, the campus. As a Costume Design student, I am based on the Penryn Campus, the larger of the two. Not only do I study there, I also attend societies there, such as badminton and, in first year, I lived in Glasney Student Village. Campus has a lot to offer, such as “The Stannary”, which is our Students’ Union venue, a hub for events and societies to gather, as well as a place to eat throughout the day. Not only does it offer hot meals downstairs, it also has a bar, the Sustainability Café (which has lots of good vegan options!) and other pop-up food stands. The close proximity of all the buildings on-campus allows it to be walkable. Plus, buildings like the Sports Centre, the Shop and “Koofi”, our on campus pizza place, are integrated amongst the academic buildings, to create a more varied environment. Another thing I really like about the campus, is the amount of outdoor study spaces we have. There are benches dotted all around campus, there is the Italian Garden and there are also hammocks put up in the walled garden throughout summer that students are free to use.

In 4th place, we have the variety of clubs and societies offered on-campus and around Falmouth. All clubs and societies integrate both Falmouth University and University of Exeter students, providing a large, diverse group of people, as well as a large, diverse range of societies, which can all be found listed here. Whichever societies you think are for you, they are a great opportunity to meet friends, attend events and become part of the university community.

At number 3, we have the support and tailored careers advice offered by tutors and course leaders. Due to the smaller nature of lots of the courses at Falmouth, it is not uncommon for Costume Design students to receive 1:1 feedback on a regular basis. The high amount of contact hours with the team allows you to not only get to know the people on your course very well, but also your tutors. This means they can offer you unique careers advice and they can recommend job opportunities tailored for you via their industry links. Additionally, I feel comfortable going to them whenever I have any concerns about my assignments or general careers advice. Overall, this creates a friendly environment and helps mitigate stress.

In at number 2, we have the fact that Falmouth is a very creative university, filled with many very creative people. What I mean by this is, there is always an abundance of people willing to work with you on projects inside and outside of your course. For example, want to make a short film? At Falmouth, there are people capable of writing scripts, casting, production design, costume design, directing, acting and post production. Throughout the process, you can also gain access to the wardrobe store, filming equipment, studio spaces and editing software. These kinds of resources can be translated and provided to all different creative fields and provide the perfect environment to build an amazing portfolio of work. Also, whilst doing all of these projects, you will meet lots of talented people, who will later become industry links and may help you by recommending you to jobs in the future.