The Difficult second year blog?

They say good things come to those who wait. Unfortunately the prolonged return of my blog isn’t one of these. So once again I apologise if you’re unlucky enough to be reading my blog for a second year.
Anyway… After a long summer break and a few months back at Uni, I feel I can gauge how the first year went better. When I started the course I had just finished my A levels and only Fine art foundations. I researched the course before I applied so I knew what was in store for me in regard to what I needed to be able to do by the time my three years were up. I didn’t realise until around the end of the second week on the course what I had gotten myself into. Not to be one to turn down challenge or an opportunity to work in an area I love so dearly, I said early on I was going to commit and do whatever it takes.
After months of grafting away I felt i was getting the hang of things, from having no experience on 3ds max or Photoshop to producing the occasional piece of work that my peers liked was a massive landmark. At the close of the first year I had done extra work in all areas to ensure I would be back for the next year, so I returned home and got myself a job working for Jemlar racing simulations at Silverstone circuit, living at home isn’t cheap!
I aimed to get a head start on the second year by learning Zbrush and practising my newly acquired skills. The reality was that I worked 9-5 labouring for the first couple months off the back of the course and was exhausted. When work eased up I managed to get the occasional sketch in, but there are more distractions at home than at Uni in my opinion.
So after working all summer I returned to sunny Leicester to work some more. The first couple of projects I have done have gone a lot better than I could of expected giving me new energy. I think a lot of it is down to just knowing the software better and general experience in modelling. All throughout the first year I was in ore of the third years and what they could manufacture, I never felt I could be at the same level as them ever. However, I now feel that if I can continue to put the amount of effort in I did in the first year I will progress furthermore and hopefully to a level near them.
I have no goals in the second year other than to develop in all areas again. I don’t want to close any doors by aiming for one thing too early and personally I would prefer to be a more rounded artist as a foundation and push on into other areas from there.

So concludes my first blog of the year, i have lots more to do so brace yourself.