Tell us a bit about yourself Emma!

Well I am a fairly positive person. I am a family person and love chilling out with them and walking my little dog! I am extremely hard working (at least I think so) and I love history (I would have studied History at University had I not done fashion).

I have been working at magazines for just over a year interning, having been lucky enough to get paid for ten months at Glamour magazine. I am now at Easy Living working as the Junior Fashion assistant.

What made you choose to study ba (hons) fashion culture and communications (part time)?

I knew that getting a job within the fashion industry was never going to be easy, so when I found out there were part time courses available at LCF I was extremely intrigued.

I decided that rather than study full time, I would prefer to study and try and gain as much professional work experience as possible. As I want to work in fashion styling, I began searching for work experience at magazines as soon as I started my course at LCF.

How have you find the course in terms of fitting in with your life?

I really didn't realize how much work would be involved. The first year was totally fine, but when I started working at Glamour, my responsibilities were increased and therefore I found myself struggling with my work. As we study at weekends, you make sacrifices with your personal life but that's fine because I'm happy going to college on Saturdays as you really get so much from the lectures.

How does LCF help part time students?

I think it helps that the lecturers completely understand that most of the students are in full time employment and that sometimes we are unable to make lectures etc. There is also a great degree of special projects and seminars for Part Time students so I have never felt that I was not a part of LCF because I am not there full time.

Can you give us a bit of an overview of the course and some of projects you've worked on?

The course is great because the units we study are so varied. This year we have studied the history of couture, styling for print publications, photography, sustainable fashion and more! The projects have been amazing; one I have particularly enjoyed is the sustainable fashion project. We had to produce a print publication and video promoting sustainable fashion. This project was a huge part of our final grade for the 2nd year and required a massive amount of time and effort. It was a group project so you had the support of your peers, although group projects can be extremely stressful! It turned out well though and I actually learnt a lot. I now feel that I am trying harder to do all I can to try and be sustainable.

Is there scope within the course to tailor it to the direction you want to go in?

Yes definitely. The course is very varied and diverse. We study numerous topics and have a selection of great lecturers. I also feel that the fact we have a lot of time to study alone means you are able to learn more about what interests you personally and look at it more closely.

What are your hopes for after completing your degree and do you think your degree will help you?

My plan is to keep working in the magazine industry and work towards becoming a stylist. I am assisting on shoots now, managing the fashion cupboard at Easy Living and I am extremely lucky to be actually getting paid! My course will help me I think, as we study fashion in a different way to what I actually do at work. I love knowing the history and the ideas behind fashion. In magazines we shoot what the editors love and create stories, but at LCF I get to look further into what the ideas actually are!

And finally, what tips would you give to students wishing to study part time at LCF?

I would advise them that the work load is similar to a full time course. By the second year I had the same number of contact hours as my full time student friend. I would also say that being part time gives you an amazing opportunity to gain professional experience within the fashion industry and to work towards the job you want even before you graduate.

I can't express how happy I am that I decided to study part time. I love that I work full time and am still learning. It's always a big achievement when I pass a unit because I know how hard I've had to work to get there. Even when I'm exhausted after work and really can't be bothered to write an essay or take pictures. it is all worth it!