University Leavers
Leaving university and entering the real world of industry can be both exciting and daunting. That's why we continue to support our graduates in the next phase of their lives and careers.
The information contained here will give you practical tips and useful advice on making the transition to life after university. You'll find career and postgraduate study support alongside 'need to know' information designed to make leaving university as seamless as possible.
Your studies and wider experience have already equipped you with the skills and knowledge you need to forge your way in the creative industries. And, when your self-assurance wavers, Falmouth will always be here for you. Support from our employability team is available to graduates for life. Our alumni network is also a lifeline for those looking for a new community of creatives after graduation.
Top tips for all graduates:
- Make the most of university facilities and Cornwall before you leave
- Keep in touch with tutors and coursemates and work on your social media profile
- Take your time - give yourself space to learn and adapt
Health & wellbeing
If you've been receiving support from our Counselling, Health and Wellbeing team, please discuss your future support requirements with your Counsellor or Wellbeing Practitioner as they can liaise with your doctor if required. You can continue to access our self-help resources relating to emotional and physical health while you have access to the intranet. Also, as a graduate, please be aware that depending on where you live, you may need to register with a new General Practitioner (GP).
Leavers' Guide
Alumni support from RealWORKS
Falmouth University RealWORKS Service continues to support your professional development after you have graduated. Many of our services and events are still open to you as a recent graduate. As a Falmouth University graduate you are able to use many of our professional and high quality online resources for life; these include an AI CV builder and review tool, interview simulator and networking tool, jobs search and more.
- Search for graduate jobs and opportunities
- Connect with students and other alumni
- Access thousands of tools and resources to support your career or start-up.
- Keep in touch with the University
Visit our RealWORKS page to find out more about our employability service.
Creative Cornwall
From community arts organisations to internationally acclaimed designers, content creators working on global projects to humanoid robot developers and world renowned theatre companies; Cornwall is a hive of creators making a buzz in their respective fields. So while many of you will have your sights set on new cities, why not consider sticking around and joining our creative community?
Business graduates receive £200k funding for TeX Innovation
03 March 2022
Two graduates from Falmouth's Cornwall Business School have secured £200k funding from the National...
Drawing inspiration from Illustration graduate Sophie Melissa
17 February 2022
Creating content for Vogue, Liberty London, Penguin, Harper Collins, Hardie Grant, WIRED and...
Graduate creates powerful advert for Oxfam
26 November 2021
Prior to COP26, Animation & Visual Effects graduate Tim Wheatley created The Cycle of ...
No Time To Design: in conversation with Tom Brooks
28 October 2021
The Falmouth graduate has designed the logo for the latest instalment of the James Bond series. T...
Graduate wins Cannes Young Lion Award for suicide prevention campaign
08 September 2021
BA(Hons) Creative Advertising graduate Sam Rhodes has won a silver Can...
Cowabunga! Illustration graduate scoops collaboration with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
02 September 2021
Illustration BA(Hons) graduate Lily Stock has won the Prospect 100 Global Desi...
Animated antics: Avy meets Aardman
25 August 2021
Final-year Animation & Visual Effects student Avy shares her Aardman Academy experience after se...
Illustration student to Lloyds Banking Group Design Lead: Meet Ross Breadmore
Falmouth films shortlisted for BAFTA Student Awards
14 May 2021
Animation Case Closed, directed by Lucy Gatenby, and short documentary Man Beast & the Heart to ...
Graduate lands Google doodle
01 March 2021
Falmouth graduate Elin Manon has collaborated with Google to create a 'doodle' for St David's Day. H...
Graduate lands exhibition at Selfridges, Oxford Street
12 January 2021
Press and Editorial Photography graduate Marco Kesseler will have his Sony World Photography awarded...
Graduate success: JAMZ
22 December 2020
Creative Events Management graduate Zac Hancock has taken huge strides since graduating and establis...
Creative collaboration: Jessica Kielstra & Nina Forbes
17 December 2020
Jessica Kielstra and Nina Forbes graduated in Creative Advertising in 2020. They've formed a creativ...
‘It’s a New Life Tomorrow’ selected for Cornish Film Festival
17 November 2020
Illustrated film, ‘It’s a New Life Tomorrow’ by Falmouth graduate Avy Brown, was selected to m...
Graduate illustrating the Telegraph
05 October 2020
Jake Hawkins graduated BA (Hons) Illustration in 2019. We caught up with him recently to find out wh...
Graduate Illustrates Book Seven in Series
03 July 2020
Owen Davey graduated Falmouth in 2009. Since then he has been a professional freelance illustrator, ...
Grads Second in Young Lions Comp
20 May 2020
Congratulations to Creative Advertising graduates Max Simmance and Jake Smith who came second in the...
Graduate is Outspoken
13 March 2020
Creative Advertising graduate, Bethan Harris Brown, has co-created We Are Outspoken and podcast seri...
Alumni Winners in Cornwall’s 30 Under 30
09 March 2020
Cornwall’s 30 under 30 for 2020 have been announced. Congratulations to the Falmouth alumni who we...
Four BAFTA Nominations for Alumnus
04 March 2020
Alumnus Rex Crowle is up for four awards at this year's British Academy Games Awards.Knights and Bik...
Hands-on Experience for Graduate
31 January 2020
Architecture graduate Freddie Hutchinson is working as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant at Foster an...
Graduate Champions Sustainable Building
20 January 2020
With plans to start her own practice in Cornwall, to revolutionise architecture in local c...
In the Bag: Graduate Lands Job at British Tea Estate
10 December 2019
Will Dorrell graduated from Business & Entrepreneurship last year and is now working at Tregothn...
The Hilton Christmas Illustrator
05 December 2019
Rupert Skelton has gone from strength to strength since graduating from Illustration this summer.&nb...
Communication Design Grad Presents AI Research at MIT
29 November 2019
MA Communication Design graduate Sekyeong Kwon recently presented a paper at DeSForM19, the conferen...
Graduate Enlists Falmouth Talent to Bring Research to Life
19 September 2019
Music, Theatre & Entertainment Management graduate Ellie Ripley has been working with fellow Fal...
Advertising Graduates Gain Extra Qualification
13 September 2019
Five BA(Hons) Creative Advertising graduates have received the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM...
Graduates' Cornish Projects Shortlisted for Coveted Architect Awards
02 August 2019
Nina Jones and Will Bingley, who graduated with BA(Hons) Architecture last month, have been shortlis...
Graduates Take Home Cornwall Business Award
01 July 2019
BSc(Hons) Business & Entrepreneurship graduates Harry Deacon and John Lakey have won the Circula...
Illustration Alumnus Part of Team That Has Won $100K in NASA Competition
12 June 2019
A degree in Illustration can take you much further than book covers, editorial pieces and product de...
Graduates Up for Business Award
15 May 2019
After great success being named finalists at the Groundwork Community Award in 2018, BSc(Hons) ...
Top Ten Tips from Comms Design Graduate
26 March 2019
Since graduating from MA Communication Design in 2017, Samuel Cooke has worked at two different crea...
Successful Comms Design Graduate Thriving in Falmouth
21 February 2019
Since graduating from the MA in Communication Design in 2017, Bethia Naughton-Rumbo has be...
"A Perfect Blend of Logic and Creativity"
08 February 2019
Architecture has always been in Jessica Fairlie's blueprint but discovering what she loved didn't al...
Illustration Graduate Commissioned by VOGUE
11 December 2018
Sophie Melissa, 2017 BA(Hons) Illustration graduate, has been commissioned by British VOGUE to ...
Illustration Graduates Listed at Blue Peter Book Awards
14 November 2018
Two Illustration graduates, Lauren Humphrey and Joe Lillington, have been recognised at the prestigi...
Graduate Presents AI Research at Games Conference
24 October 2018
Our Games Academy students work in ways that mirror real games studios and work on projects col...
Advertising Award for Illustration Graduate
21 August 2018
Illustration graduate Charlotte Jones has triumphed in the You Can Now (YCN) Student Awards, scoopin...
Advertising Partnership Featured in Magazine
14 August 2018
Following their success at this year's D&AD New Blood Festival, Creative Advertising duo Gabby C...
Illustration Graduate Publishes First Book
31 July 2018
Illustration graduate Ella Kasperowicz has written and illustrated her own book entitled #SquadGoals...
Adland's Dynamic Duo
23 May 2018
Creative Advertising graduates Ben Fallows and Matt Deacon are regarded as two of the brightest youn...
Award-winning Illustrator goes Global
23 May 2018
Every artist has a dream. For actors, it's their name in lights on Broadway, for writers, it's toppi...
Going solo?
If you’re planning on setting up your own business after graduation, Launchpad has a few tips and insights to help you on your way.
Whether you have a product, a novel, an EP or a creative service you want to pursue, taking your idea to market rests on developing a standout pitch. This pitch will go to everyone from investors, bankers and suppliers to licensors, community gatekeepers and agents.
What do our Launchpad investors look for in a pitch?
- Market gap – Is there a need for this product?
- Revenue – Will somebody pay for the product
- Plan – What are the build and route to market plans
- Team – Do I believe that they can deliver the plan
- Traction – Is there evidence of the above?
You should be able to condense your pitch into a 30 second speech – aka, the elevator pitch. This should succinctly cover who you are, what you do, where you add value and what you’re asking for. Don’t forget, you should always tailor your pitch to who you’re talking to. A pitch that will win over an agent may not convince an investor.
Find out more about Launchpad
Housekeeping
In the run up to leaving university make sure you find some time to take care of your finances, your accommodation and, most importantly, your wellbeing.
Student loans
In your final year
- If you have received less Maintenance Loan this year, this is because you cease being a student on 28 May 2021.
- If you think you’re getting the wrong amount of loan you need to request a change as soon as possible. Any reassessments will need to be completed by May.
- Your final loan instalment should be paid to you on 12 April.
Repayments – HOW
- Student Finance will start to consider your income from the April after you graduate. As such; you should not see any repayments leaving your wages prior to this point.
- Starting work for an employer? You’ll probably be taxed via “pay as you earn” (PAYE) which will also automatically calculate any loan repayments due.
- Self employed? You’ll need to do your own tax return once the tax year has finished. This process will also calculate the amount you need to repay for the given tax year.
- Going abroad? You’ll need to complete an ‘overseas income assessment form’ if you’re planning on leaving the UK for more than 3 months.
- Advanced Learner Loan? This may be cancelled if your previous course was classed as an ‘Access to HE course’.
Student loan repayments – WHEN?
- From the April after you graduate you’ll be liable for loan repayment if you earn more than the threshold in any ‘pay period’. This is, before tax:
- £511 per week, if paid weekly, or
- £2,214 per month, if paid monthly, or
- £25,000 per year, if self-employed
- Whilst you earn less than this; you won’t make repayments.
- The above thresholds are reviewed in April each year and may change in line with average earnings.
- Normally any outstanding loan will be written off 30 years after it becomes eligible to be repaid.
Repayments may work differently if you’re from Scotland, Wales or NI.
Finance after graduation
- You will cease to be a student when the summer term ends on the 28 May 2021.
- After this point you will be expected to either find paid employment or access benefit support via Jobcentre Plus.
- The property you consider your ‘main residence’ will be liable for council tax from 31 May – even if you intend to start postgraduate studies in September 2021. This will include houses considered as a ‘student house’.
- If you have extensions for work beyond 28 May you may be exempt from council tax for this period. Please see the Students' Union for advice on how to demonstrate this to Cornwall Council.
- Postgraduate study? A Postgraduate Masters Loan is available.
Accommodation
- Leave your accommodation as it was when you moved in
- Pay any outstanding rent and bills
- Transfer or cancel any services, such as wifi, that you may have set up
- Update your address with your bank, subscriptions, GP and anyone else that sends you post
- Make sure to discuss the return of your deposit with you landlord or letting agent
- Ask your landlord for a reference
- Remember, as a graduate you are now liable to pay council tax
For further advice, contact:
Wellbeing
- Make sure you’re registered with a GP local to where you are going to live. Your current GP will hand over all your medical records to the receiving practice.
- Keep taking any medication prescribed for mental health until informed not to by a GP or registered Mental Health Professional.
- Ensure you have a prescription that covers the transitional period.
- If you are receiving support from local mental health services and will need ongoing support, tell them about your move and they’ll provide a discharge summary to your new area.
- If you are concerned about yourself, a fellow student or friend – tell someone.
Before you leave…
- Pay any library fines or course materials debts
- Return hired course equipment or library books and recover any deposits you’ve paid
- Collect personal items or course work you’ve stored at the University
- Clear studio spaces or lockers and check with tutors where to dispose of rubbish
- Get contact details for your tutors and course mates
- Make the most of Falmouth University’s world-class facilities before you leave.
If there’s something you’re not sure of go to The Compass online or in-person and the friendly team will point you in the right direction:
E: studentservices@fxplus.ac.uk
T: 01326 370460
Tell us your story
We're showcasing graduates who are doing really incredible things. This could be anything from awesome work experience and amazing jobs to interesting collaborations.
If you'd like to shout about what you've been up to since leaving Falmouth, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us at alumni@falmouth.ac.uk