George

"When I first considered going to University it felt like a daunting prospect. There was so much choice, with so many destinations to choose from, with so many variants as far as the course I wanted to do went. In all honesty I felt a little lost. When I arrived at Goldsmiths I finally felt as though I had some clarity, and my confusion began to fade. At first there wasn’t anything particularly tangible that drew me to the college, but unlike the other universities I visited Goldsmiths it just gave me a feeling; it felt like the right place for me.

Now I look back on my time there so fondly and feel lucky to have experienced a university with a distinctive character. Goldsmiths provides its students with the tools needed to approach the world with a critical mind and a creative hand. Whatever your discipline you feel connected to something credible with a progressive cultural identity. It equips you for the working world with your personality in mind, and doesn’t just role you off a modular production line. Goldsmiths provides you with a fluid theoretical framework, thereafter it is up to you to develop your own academic and artistic pathway.

My final year project was a documentary shot in Northern Québec, Canada. Our film revolved around the effects of modernisation on the environment and how that affects indigenous culture. We stayed with native Canadian Cree for two weeks shooting our documentary, but it was not until I faced this challenge that I realised how well equipped I had been by the university in the build up to my final project. As a group our course had prepared us through a balance between theory and technical skill. Shooting live action in -30 is tough, but we were encouraged by the university to be ambitious and do something different, and that will always remain one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Since finishing a course in Media and Communication in 2011 I have gone into television production, working for ITV and the BBC amongst others. Getting into these industries isn’t easy, but I feel that Goldsmiths has given me a certain distinction and has aided me in my transition into the working world. In my opinion to do this successfully you need to be able to think critically and be creative, but on your terms. This personal development has been key and my spent at university has a lot to do with that. For me being able to critique your opinions and consider your own views objectively is the fundamental dynamic of progressive thought. Goldsmiths has increased my ability to do that, as well as provide me with the technical skills for that progression to transcend out into the world through my use of a camera."