Having graduated in the late 1980s, I can appreciate how graphic design and its associated industries have evolved over the past 30 years. The shift from analogue to digital was, at the time, unwelcome for many sectors of the industry as century-old craftsmen and their guilds were in fear of their future existence.

Like me, you might have an ‘academic superhero’, a sort of ‘scholarly pinup.' This may be a very engaging lecturer or a particular author whose thoughts and ideas always struck a chord with you. Mine is Mikhail Bakhtin, a very influential 20th century Russian critical theorist.  

As part of #LibrariesWeek, we asked our friends and colleagues to tell us what they love about libraries. They did not disappoint! 

Hazel Bowley, Academic Skills Tutor  

The first time I tapped-out during a fight, my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach, a purple belt, locked me in a triangle choke, controlling my movements like a lion chewing on a sofa cushion. As he cinched his legs around my neck, he levered my head into the meat of my shoulder which began constricting the blood flow from my carotid artery to my brain. I was folded and compacted and compressed indiscriminately, and before I reached out with my one free hand and tapped on his thigh to signal my defeat, I remember thinking: how could one person exert so much pressure?  

We are used to the internet understanding us. I read somewhere that Siri’s most-frequently asked question is ‘what’s this song?,’ and I’d guess that most of those inquiries are answered swiftly and correctly. Most search engines will even check and correct our spelling too, which is great for those of us who continue to struggle with touch-screen typing. To my sausage-thumbed question ‘Whp wroite Nores of anative soin/?’, Google breathes a tolerant sigh and fetches me James Baldwin’s Wikipedia page.  

So, I could be getting a bit ahead of myself here, but feedback is probably the most useful aspect of your studies (I know, probably too enthusiastic, but stick with me). Submitting your work and receiving feedback can seem like a scary process at first, but it will highlight your strengths and more importantly, areas that you may need to work on - something that is hugely important for you as a writer. After all, we are all here to develop our academic voice, aren’t we?!