As a distance learning school our students reside all over the UK and indeed the world, but as our In Studio courses gain popularity, more and more international students are making the trip to Nottingham to study with us in the flesh.
To find out a little about the benefits of doing the In Studio course, we asked two recent international students who are doing the Diploma in Professional Interior Design why they chose to study here.
From Louisiana, USA – currently living in Saudi Arabia
1) How did you find out about the course?
Online searches. At first I looked at courses in the USA and found that some Interior Design diploma’s were cheaper than NDA’s, however, none of them offered a route whereby I could progress onto do a Bachelors degree, which is something I think is very valuable.
2) Why did you choose to study In Studio?
The drawing aspect scares the hell out of me; my hand writing is wavy and my drawings skills are terrible. So it was really important for me to be in a classroom where I can receive tuition instead of relying on myself, which I would be if I were studying at home. What also really attracted me to do the In Studio course was the fact that the one day workshops I was interested in ran the week before the Diploma, so I could do those and the diploma during one trip to the UK.
3) How did you become interested in Interior Design?
I love to decorate, to transform something or someplace. I’ve designed and had made a variety of items ranging from sofas, bedspreads and curtains to chandeliers for friends and acquaintances. I’ve not been paid for anything I’ve designed so far, so I hope that with the confidence I gain from the course I will be able to turn my passions into paid work.
4) How are you finding the course?
It’s going very well, at first I was very intimidated by the drawing class, but after two days I learnt so much and the teachers are so kind and approachable that I began to relax and gain confidence in what I was doing.
5) What are your hopes for the future?
I don’t like to speculate, but I would say that drawing is my weakest skill and if by the end of this diploma I feel I have made good progress with it and I have confidence to do the degree, then I probably will.
Sophie Borg
From Malta, Southern Europe
1) How did you find out about the course?
There are no Interior Design courses in Malta, so me and my father, who is an Architect searched for courses online. When we found the NDA my father asked his Interior Designer what he thought about them and he recommended them.
2) Why did you choose to study In Studio?
Staying at home studying on my own wasn’t really appealing, I thought I would learn more by being around others and being able to ask questions directly to my tutors in class.
3) How did you become interested in Interior Design?
I am influenced by my father, who as I said is an architect; we have moved house 14 times and I have been close to many of his projects which have inspired me. So interior design has always been a part of my life and something I am interested in.
4) How are you finding the course?
So far so good, for me the technical drawing is the hardest but with my fathers architectural firm I’m sure I will be able to get a lot of practise if I need it.
5) What are your hopes for the future?
I go on to do the Bachelors degree as soon as I finish this diploma, which was one of the main reasons I chose to study at NDA as I can progress through the course much faster than in other Interior Design degrees.
