Sofia Collins-Redrado

What made you want to apply to your course and to Leeds? Are there any experiences or events that led you to consider studying your course?

What attracted me to the course more than other courses was the integration of design practices. Most universities offer Fine Art, and I knew I wanted to study a subject more focused on the design element. I really liked Leeds as a student city (I applied to three different courses at Leeds). My brother had also gone to Leeds, and he had really enjoyed it so that also influenced my decision. Whilst I was making applications for university, I was doing an Art Foundation. With the help of my tutors, we came to a decision that this course was aligned to what I wanted to study. 

What aspects of the course do you enjoy the most? 

I enjoyed being able to express myself through art, especially in my final year. I feel as though third year has been more independent and I have been able to research and create pieces of work more fitted to my interests. This is also a reflection of my growth as a design student and how I have applied what I have learnt in different areas of practice. 

How do you think the skills and knowledge you’ve developed at Leeds will help with your career plans?

Attending a research-based university has helped me to develop presentation and theoretical skills as well as practical ones. In the realm of design, eing able to talk about your work in an appropriate manner is very important and I think that tutorials and group criticals have given me this skill. 

What advice would you give to incoming students who are about to start their own university journey?

Don’t close yourself to new things. Change can be hard but trying new things and meeting new people is a great way to grow as a person. I would also say that attending different workshops is very useful and reaching out for help.