Lucy Wiseman

Twenty-year-old Lucy Wiseman knew she wanted to go in a creative direction after school. Now, having completed the HND Textiles course at NESCol, she’s preparing to hone her skills further at university after the summer.

Lucy initially thought she wanted to study illustration, but she lost her passion for drawing and felt like her work wasn’t at the right level for further education.

Her aspirations changed in her final year at Bridge of Don Academy, when she decided to take the Schools-College Fashion Business course at NESCol as part of her school timetable. Lucy enjoyed this introduction to fashion, particularly the practical elements, and she wanted to get more involved.

With her new love of fashion identified, Lucy applied to study at both college and university after school. However, despite having the required entry qualifications, she ended up withdrawing her application for university, deciding that she needed more time to work on her skills.

She said: “I felt that I was not ready for university and worried that I would be struggling too much as I had no experience or knowledge of fashion and textiles.

“I was more comfortable and happy going to NESCol where I was able to learn the basics and expand on that before going to university.”

Lucy learned a lot during the two years of her HND and felt that her work evolved as her skillset grew.

She said: “By the second year, my work had drastically improved and looked much better. I had challenged myself more and gone above and beyond for my projects.

“The biggest highlight has been being able to compare my work from when I first started to my latest piece, and seeing how much the College has helped me take my work to the next level.

“I highly recommend this course for people who want to start learning or expand their skills as it is pretty niche and difficult to learn in school or as a hobby.”

Lucy enjoyed learning in College and felt supported by her classmates and lecturers.

“It is a friendly environment where most people and classmates support each other. The lecturers are fab; they are very supportive and patient when it comes to helping us understand and do the work. They are always there to help anyone from any level.”

Lucy’s time at NESCol has given her the opportunity to grow and the space to decide her next steps.

She said: “With the help of my classmates and lecturers, I have applied to study fashion at Heriot-Watt University, which I think is my best option.

“NESCol has helped me figure it out and get ready, without feeling too rushed to go to university.”