At first, Tevin wasn’t sure if he wanted to study at university, get an apprenticeship or enter the workforce. But when his younger sister told him about UAL and all the creative courses on offer, Tevin felt excited by his options. He researched the available subjects and decided on BA (Hons) Advertising at London College of Communication.
“I’ve always known I wanted to study something creative. UAL gave me the ignition for my fire.”
Having the space to experiment in his work and have one-to-one or group tutorials has been valuable for Tevin in learning more about his own practice. Getting feedback in different formats allows Tevin to see what works best for him.
“The different work spaces across UAL give you a chance to expand your creativity.”
Recently, Tevin was working on an ad against smoking. He created a campaign using images of a person facing a dead body, to represent the infamous “smoking kills” slogan.
“Having a dead body in the same image with the person, and staring eye-to-eye with it, gives a powerful representation of the damage caused by smoking.”
Studying at London College of Communication, Tevin appreciates the amount of support given to students, especially while he's on his final year.
"There are a lot of opportunities for critique on my ideas. You can see what’s working and what isn't, with professional help from experts."
As someone who is naturally quite shy, Tevin first found the amount of presentations on his course overwhelming. Eventually, he began to feel more comfortable and now feels confident discussing his ideas with new people.
"The course slowly moulded me into a confident person. I know when I graduate I won't have any problem speaking to anyone about anything."
Studying in London is great for networking, giving students opportunities to meet people within your industry. Tevin appreciates London as a great source of inspiration and culture.
“Places such as Borough, Brick Lane and Brixton are all diverse areas with amazing people who are willing to share their culture with you.”
I would advise new students to enjoy the opportunity and take advantage of every available resource at the university.
"I have always strongly believed 'the best things in life are on the other side of fear.' Stay focused and experiment a lot."
Tevin Akinyemi
BA (Hons) Advertising, London College of Communication
Images © Alys Tomlinson
