Meet Neha Goswami, a third-year student on BA (Hons) Graphic Design, who came to AUB as an international student from Malaysia. Here, Neha reflects on her first two years, what she’s learnt about design and herself…
Can you tell us a little bit about who you are, where you’re from, and how you came to be at AUB studying Graphic Design?
I was born in India, grew up in Malaysia and came over to AUB as an international student. As a child, I’d always loved doodling and playing around on PowerPoint in ICT class to make the coolest slideshows for class projects. It was only in Year 13 that I found out it could be a career – design!
As you get settled in to your third year here, we’d love to know how you’ve found those first two years studying Graphic Design in the UK.
It’s definitely had its ups and downs, but I’ve been really grateful for the experience both getting to study in the UK and pursuing design; and for all the things I’ve learnt throughout the years.
I’d never formally studied Graphic Design before, so I didn’t know what to expect. But the course has really allowed me to be experimental and push myself in various ways; and it’s taught me that design is more than just making things look good visually, it’s more about the thinking, strategy, and the purpose before making it look good.
Was the experience as you expected?
Having never studied design before, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d thought it might be lots of theory and note-taking, but the course was very hands-on from day one; and we were always encouraged to keep making and experimenting.
My highlights so far have been my time in second year, where we were introduced to the working world, various agencies and networking opportunities. I’d never known how to bridge the gap between study and entering the workforce, and wasn’t very confident in approaching people, so I would say second year really pushed me out of my comfort zone, and through it I discovered a different side of myself I never knew I had!
Were there any unexpected challenges?
During my first year, one of my lecturers mentioned that “you can be a good designer, but you can still be unemployable” and that really stuck with me throughout.
As I’d never been to the UK before prior to this, I had no idea how challenging the job market would be. Facing constant rejections with applications (even for just part-time jobs locally) really discouraged me, and I felt there was no way any company or agency would take a chance on me as an international student.
I was constantly comparing myself to others, and this really skewed my way of thinking. But thanks to the help and support of my lecturers, they helped me shift my mindset towards the job hunt; and motivated me to step forward and put myself out there by engaging with events, opportunities, and the wider creative networks outside of AUB.
How did you find the networking events in the second year?
After the studio visits offered to us in second year, I learnt about The Arena, and joined their speed mentoring events, as well as their Match 22 mentorship programme. By engaging with the wider industry, I was able to feel braver approaching more people; and the constant pitches we had in second year built up my presentation and networking skills which really helped a lot.
I wanted to put the things I’d learnt about networking to practice so I’d started applying for internships online for the summer. With the Level 5 Design Networking Event approaching, I decided to practice my networking skills by going to the BU Creative Networking Event, which I had been to in my first year but didn’t know how to make the most of it.
This helped me prepare better AUB’s Design Networking Event, as I knew roughly what to expect. And it was one of my most memorable nights! Getting to meet lots of design companies both locally and London-based and getting feedback on my work was such a rewarding experience and I’m really grateful for it. I still always get the nerves, but they’re not as bad as before, which I’m really happy about.
My biggest takeaway from the networking event was that I needed to learn how to ask – and needed to learn the art of asking. I was always shy and nervous about reaching out, and being direct about what I wanted, but listening to advice from those working in industry taught me it was best to be direct about what I was looking for to open up those doors.
It was really daunting and super scary at first, but I discovered that true growth only came the more I threw myself into the deep end. And thanks to my lecturers for believing in me and my skills, I was able to feel more confident to take the next step forward!
We heard you secured an amazing paid internship at Battenhall in London, we’d love to know more about your experience there?
My time at Battenhall was truly rewarding, and I enjoyed every moment of it! It was my first time working at an agency in the UK, so everything was very new to me! I was able to learn so much more about how the creative process works in industry, what working with a big team was like, and all about agency life.
I loved the fast-paced nature of it and was always looking for ways to get involved in various projects during my time there! I’m also really grateful I got the opportunity to meet so many talented designers who I really look up to, and learnt a lot from them, and everyone else in the agency too.
The biggest learning for me was definitely my communication skills and gaining the confidence to ask questions whenever I was unsure about things. I learnt about the importance of being clear and professional when in a position of responsibility on tasks. This really helped me improve my team-working skills for uni projects and group work.
Being at Battenhall, I got to explore things I’d never had a chance to in uni – from video editing, to content creation, UI/UX and more, and I was able to broaden my skillset and find new areas I wanted to explore further in my personal work. I’d never thought communications or working in social media could be a job (let alone for me, as I am quite introverted!) as I’d only ever thought of design as branding, packaging and advertising; but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it’s lit a spark in me to pursue this further.
We’d love to know if you have any advice for someone thinking about studying Graphic Design, or for someone struggles with confidence?
Regarding Graphic Design, I would say it’s best to come in with an open mind and be willing to learn and try out new things! Sometimes things won’t make sense in the moment, but each experience or class will teach you something in hindsight that will make sense in the long run! And, that design is more than just about making things look pretty, but also about your ideas, the purpose, strategy, reasoning.
My biggest advice for growing your confidence would be to always push yourself out of your comfort zone! True growth only comes when you’re uncomfortable. And that rejection and repeated failure is part of the journey. You learn the most from your failures, so even though it’s demotivating, it’s important to fail as well, as it builds resilience.
I found that exposure therapy really works; repeatedly exposing yourself to things that scare you, stress you out or make you nervous (in my case, it was rejections from internship applications, networking events and approaching people). This reduces your fear (kind of makes you numb to it) and helps you build confidence, resilience and a more positive mindset, as you would have done it many times before, and know what to expect.
Persistence is key so don’t give up chasing your dreams; if you put in the work, keep showing up and keep engaging with industry, something will click somewhere!
Want to see more of Neha's work?
Discover more from Neha via her website, on Instagram or via LinkedIn.
