Speaking From Experience - Content

INTRODUCTION

• Course structure and work load is very different to most university courses
• you will dedicate every last minute and spare thought to it - you will find you see it everywhere
• It is a caffeine driven course
• There are a number of things that a student on any other course can get away with such as being late, going out all the time, missing lectures, but unfortunately graphic design students can't - it could do a lot of damage to your success and completion of the course. 

ESSENTIALS / BE AWARE OF

• phone - so people an ring and wake you up
• 85% attendance rate
• the wrath of Fred - keeps you motivated
• Apple Mac
• barocca - its a life saver
• sausage sandwiches
• bakery 164
• All nighters
• Pillow to sit on through all the lectures
• spare change for endless cups of coffee
• stamina
• CAFFEINE
• appreciation for sandwiches - you will be living 
• No project is every finished - there is always room for further development
• starting anything requires energy - you just have to find it
• there is always someone better than you
• Know how to relax when you leave college
• work under pressure/stress of deadlines

DO'S & DON'TS
DO

• Make note of EVERYTHING - briefings
• manage your time
• BLOG everything as you go along, never leave it until the last minute
• make lists
• set a series of alarms in the morning 
• find a balance between work and play
• drinking as much caffeine as humanely possible
• come in early and stay late
• take a taxi occasionally so you have more time in bed
• make the most of your wednesday lye-in
• go out - but leave the big nights to the weekends 

DONT

• Go out every night
• smoke weed during the week - say good bye to your concentration/motivation
• turn up late (after 9.30) or skip college 
• go shopping instead of doing work
• get hooked on a tv series (greys anatomy) because it will take over your life
• Lye-in on normal days, you will regret it later
• piss off Fred
• leave everything until the last minute
• use the snooze button
• Ignore emails
• Catch a taxi after 9.10 - you will be late and it will be expensive because of traffic

HOW TO MASTER A HANGOVER

BEFORE YOU GO OUT

• have a decent meal - preferably; carbs, dairy or fatty foods as it will line your stomach
• avoid drinking cheap drinks e.g. cheap wine

WHEN YOU ARE OUT

• Dont drink dark coloured or high sugar drinks e.g. beer, dark rum, red wine, whisky, alco-pops - your hangover will be a lot worse
• drink glass of water for every drink
• dont mix drink and drugs 
• "beer before whine your fine, wine before beer you are queer!"

WHEN YOU GET BACK

• drink a pint of water before you go to bed
• try and sober up before you go to sleep
• eat something
• part of a hangover is shock so wrap up in duvets and listen to mellow music
• paracetamol/alka-zalta before bed

IN THE MORNING

• paracetamol
• drink orange juice - will clench your thirst
• BAROCCA
• tonic water helps to settle your stomach
• FOOD - bananas, tomatoes, honey, porridge, lemons (and fatty foods)
• coffee/tea

OTHER TIPS

• to make sure you get in for 9.30 you could sleep outside college
• do work while drunk - work and play at same time and will let your 'creativity flow'
• set an alarm 3 or 4 hours before and just keep hitting snooze until you are able to get up
• sleep in your clothes and leave until last minute to get up = more sleep
• call a taxi before you sleep for 9 so they ring and wake you up
• have 4 pro plus before you get out of bed

WORK VS PLAY
It is difficult but possible to keep some sense of a normal student life while on a graphic design course, even when you have deadlines coming up.

HOW TO KEEP A SOCIAL LIFE AND KEEP UP WITH WORK

• Go out/pub/club once or twice a week but leave the big nights until the weekend
• Go out/see friends outside the course at least once a week - gives you a bit of a break
• Have coffee, lunch, dinner, shopping, cinema with friends in spare time e.g. breaks and evening 
• See/speak to other friends outside course more than twice a  week - harder than it sounds
• Manage your hangover - then you can do both
• Go in early and stay later - more work is done
• keep your work and your social life separate - do as much work as you can at college then go out in the evening and have a break
• Do all the work when you get it - then you wont have to work solidly and play catch up
• BLOG as you go along 
• Be realistic - you can only work so much - you need to go out and have a break