Corey first heard about SERC while he was studying at Blackwater Integrated College. Hearing positive things about his local SERC Downpatrick Campus from the careers officer at Blackwater, Corey decided to continue his education at SERC after completing his GCSEs. His journey at SERC began with the Skills for Life and Work course, and after completing that, he moved onto the Level 2 Traineeship in Retail. Having an interest in film from a young age, he then decided to enrol onto his current Level 3 Creative Media Practice course.
Corey says, “I’ve fallen in love with this course, I thoroughly enjoy all the work and projects we do as part of it. We cover lots of different areas of media on the course, from shot composition and graphic design to Photoshop and Premier Pro. My favourite part of the course is photography, I bought my own camera recently and it’s been fun practising what we learn in class on my own time and getting some great shots. We can use the college’s own resources for our work too, though, so you don’t have to have your own camera or equipment and they've always been really helpful when I need to take out anything for work on a project.”
“It’s really interesting watching films while studying media now because you will learn film theory in class and then see it used in a film or see some behind the scenes footage on how they set up a scene and think ‘oh that’s why they did that!’, it makes watching films a lot more educational in a sense.”
“The tutors at SERC are wonderful, they are very hard working and clearly passionate about what they teach. They know how to motivate you to do your best and get you out of your shell, especially if you’re more introverted.”
“Before I started this course, I had no idea what direction I wanted to take in terms of a career, I was mostly studying just to get experience and qualifications under my belt. As soon as I started this course, I realised I want to work in media, maybe helping to promote companies, doing professional photography, or creating short films. I’d consider going to university too to further my media studies - this course is a good jumping off point to pursue all these areas so I’m excited to see where it’ll take me.”
Corey concludes, “I’d highly recommend SERC. Look at what courses you are genuinely interested in, maybe some that align with hobbies you already have, and study what you love. SERC has a fun learning environment that can really help inspire you, because it surrounds you with people that are also passionate about what you’re passionate about. It's a great place to study.”
Come along to our Full-time Open Evening, 4pm - 7pm on Thursday 5 March, at Bangor, Downpatrick, Lisburn and Newtownards Campuses. Real Learning for Real Life #BetterOffAtSERC.
