Back to Cardiff

I completed today what could be my last shift at Co-op, Copthorne. It has been a testing five years of clock watching, but it has always been waiting for me at the term breaks offering a chance to earn back some money. The connotations of laziness and immaturity that go with the title of 'student' meant that returning to work replenished that feeling of usefulness that comes as a result of this. While it may not have been the most desirable part-time job available, I feel that I am privileged more-so than my course mates who stew through the four week breaks in what must be a glimpse into the lives of the long-term unemployed.

Despite the benefits of the zero hour contract, I find that I have less time to participate in preparation of University set work. The time-management requires leaves few hours for recreational activity, however I am aware that the professional calender certainly does not accommodate regular month long breaks. Maybe this is another way that the job has benefited me as I prepare to become a full-time employee in design. During my studio placement, I found that the hours whizzed by, and it was the evening before I knew it. I was very aware of the difference between the busy haze of the office and the dull repetition of Co-op that seems to encourage every second to stretch itself to its absolute limit. This appreciation of time helped me achieve the outcomes that I did on my placement.

Now that the final term is dawning, I need to focus on switching back onto to the flexible work hours that university brings. I need to concentrate on hitting the ground running in order to give the final studio project the best chance of being a successful one. I was aware that after a four week full-time schedule at Co-op over Christmas knocked the wind out of my sails in the wake of the D&AD briefs. There is no doubt that my work suffered because of it; D&AD disappointingly yielded by far my weakest work this year. I can realise the positives from that result and take the lesson into the final module.