Lindsey Sampson

My name is Lindsey, I am 41 years old, I am studying BA Hons Graphic Design & Illustration at University Centre South Essex (UCSE) which is part of South Essex Colleges Group (SECG) and this is my story.

After the pandemic, and the birth of my son, I saw an opportunity to reinvest in my career. Reflecting on my passions and considering my options I chose the BA Hons Graphics design and Illustration course.

Prior to joining UCSE, I completed an NVQ in fashion and textiles as a teenager, after completing my course I decided that I had fallen out of love with education. Within my 20 year educational gap, I have travelled extensively and have held careers in retail management, hospitality and catering and health care.

I chose to study here as I attended an open day to explore my options within the creative industry. I had the opportunity to speak to the course lead Steve Page. He proudly displayed previous students work and from that moment on I knew that I wanted to take the course.

That summer I signed up to the Transition to Higher Education course run by Maria Cruickshank to sharpen my skills and challenge my ability to achieve the level of dedication to a university degree. This course cemented my confidence to achieve my goals. I also met other students like me who were returning to education.

The college have helped me prepare for the workplace and have a helpful team for careers development. Our course had several sessions structured into our timetable to gain advice from the career team.

The best thing I have found about doing higher education is that I am constantly challenging myself to expand my skills as a creative individual within a supportive and nurturing environment. I am looking forward to graduating and gaining a career that I will love.

I have access to leading industry equipment and software. The incredible teaching team lead by John Chandler are patient and supportive is another fantastic benefit of the facilities and incredible staff.

All my lessons have been fun and challenging. I am especially fond of theory lectures within the pod, as I have heard from creative leads from across the Art & Design department. 

I would recommend UCSE as the staff are friendly, helpful and supportive. The resources provided for each lesson are always available.

My greatest achievement so far is that I worked hard and won the SECG Christmas card competition in 2023. This was a fun opportunity to share my work and promote Christmas joy on behalf of the university.

I have learned so much from my teachers and peers over the time of my course. The one skill I have sharpened the most is my critical thinking. As a design student you learn to analyse the world around you and appreciated the beauty in advertising, branding, social media posts and imagery that support literature.

After completing my course, I would aspire to achieve a career within creative research or theory.

Thank you to everyone at UCSE who has made my journey one to remember.