10 Ways To Prepare For Your Fashion Design Course

Don't Go Blindfolded

So you've finally got accepted to a fashion course at university or art school. You now have a few months before your course begins and then you'll be wrapped up in the freshers weeks and settling into your studies and life away from everything you've been used to so far in your life. Making the most of your course depends on your attitude toward your studies and what you aim to achieve as much as t does to the quality of the fashion course offered.

The best applicants are those who are equipped with the basic skills and knowledge to succeed from their first day of fashion school. They don't start their course as if blindfolded. They've already prepared themselves as much as they can.

When you get to know as much about your program and college as yu can before you attend for the first day will allow you to sail through the course orientation basics, such as classroom location, facilities etc. 

Here are our top 10 tips for fashion course students taken from interviews from successful fashion school graduates.

1. Choose Your Attitude

How you treat your time at college/university will depend on your attitude toward what you want in life and your dreams of being a fashion designer. If you truly want to achieve a great success then you need to be committed toward this. This means choosing an attitude toward your studies that supports your ambitions and dreams. Being positive, pro-active, helpful to others, making the most of the opportunities around you to progress, these are all characteristics that will help you on your path.

But this means choosing that attitude, choosing to be that person even when you don't feel like doing so or when your peers are pulling you in another direction and distracting you.

2. Be Portfolio Focussed, Not Party Focussed

Consider your time studying as an opportunity to collect material for your portfolio, not to collect images of your social life to share on your social media apps. Prepare your mind-set so that you are truly focussed on learning and not partying. Yes, a social life is important but not to the extent that it interferes with your portfolio development. No employer will be impressed with how many parties you've been to or how many likes you get on images of you being drunk in the student bar.

3.Talk To Students Past And Present

A great way to prepare for your time on your course is to speak with current students on the same course and recent graduates. They can give you a real insight into the course, the tutors, the facilities and extra-curricular activities. All you need to do is to ask the Admissions Office to put you in contact with several students or graduates.

4. Prepare Your Reading List

Find out what reading material will be recommended and used on the course and then access this before hand. Get a head start on these resources.

5. Practise Your Sewing Skills

Every great designer needs excellent sewing skills so get yourself a sewing machine and start to learn the basic skills you'll need to use it competently. Practice makes perfect so start doing that before you get to use it n your course.

6. Sharpen Your Software Skills

You'll be using different software on your course so if you're not familiar with Photoshop and Illustrator try to get some basics skills established so that when you join your course you don't struggle with using these apps.

7. Prepare Your Budget

Most students are going to university without wealthy backgrounds where finance isn't an issue. For most they'll need to manage their finances carefully, possibly working within their course term time to provide some cash to help with expenses. For most people this means manging their finances carefully so I'd recommend that you prpare yourself a budget of what income you'll have and what your expenses will be and how you are going to manage any shortfalls. There's lots of information and advice onthis subjec that can be found on various university and charity sites. For example here's one where you csn download a PDF giving advice about living on a student budget.

8. Look For Extra Curricular Activities

Look or things todo outside of your studies that wil helpo develop your skills and knowledge and further your rounded education. Ask the course Admissions Officer abiut what's avaialble.

9. Get Some Internships Lined Up

Internships offer you exceelnt opportunities and can be springboards for your career. Don't wait until the last minute to develop these. Look now for any opportunties and start contacting the relevant people and get involved.

10. Set Up A Blog

A blog is a great way to share your experiences and record your life on your course. If done well it should serve to pospective clients and employers how competent you are and how serious your about becoming a fashion designer. You can use it to share your wor and promote you as a designer to be followed and watched.

Action To Take

So from the list choose what you'll do to prepare before you get to your fashion design course and take action today.