How Francesca Puts Fun First While Studying (And Still Works Towards Her Dream Career)

"It definitely feels more like fun."

This post is presented in partnership with LCI Melbourne.

Let’s face it: studying isn’t always that enjoyable.

When you sign up for a tertiary education course, you know that you’re going to spend a decent chunk of time doing assignments, group projects and exams.

But if you’re studying towards some of the most exciting careers imaginable, your education experience can actually be super fun and rewarding. That is the reality for LCI Melbourne Bachelor of Design Arts student Francesca Napier, who picked a course that prioritises her passions. As Francesca tells Student Edge, LCI feels like her second home; one she's happy to spend most of her time at.

"I get to LCI at around 9am, and I’ve got an amazing visual communication class," she says.

"A lot of the time we just sit down and have a big conversation to begin with. It’s more of a home environment than a study environment."

Majoring in filmmaking and photography, with a sub-major in visual arts, Francesca is eager to work in the creative industries.

"I’ve grown up around art. To me, being able to study art is a great privilege, because I’m studying ways to look at the world," she explains.

"I’m so interested in all aspects of creativity. I’ve been painting since I was seven, and I’m currently a music photographer, but I also love film photography and documentary filmmaking."

Fortunately, Francesca has the opportunity to explore a whole range of different subjects through her degree.

"You find that nothing fits in one box," she says.

"In my documentary unit, I’m doing a piece for my visual arts class. I’ve been piecing together little films and doing interviews."

Pictured: Francesca Napier (supplied).

It’s important to be passionate about what you’re studying. However, turning your passion into a career comes with its own set of hurdles.

"One could argue that it can be stressful to be creative for a purpose," she says.

"I think that’s something I had to get comfortable with: making work on the go and forcing myself to come up with ideas for a class.

"But at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve progressed to places that I wouldn’t have gone if I was at home exploring filmmaking and photography by myself."

Even though playing with purpose can be tough at times, Francesca still believes the fun outweighs the stress.

"Every class feels like more of a conversation, and a way to open dialogue between students to inspire one another," she tells us.

"There’s about six of us in the class and we all feed off each other. It definitely feels more like fun."

While some of us shiver at the very thought of a group assignment, Francesca believes collaborating with other classmates is part of what makes her degree so enjoyable.

"I worked with a group of students on a video piece, and we all helped each other out. Somebody helped me do animation for it, and another person wrote the music. It was amazing," she says.

"The way classes and assignments are structured encourages you to communicate with your lecturers and classmates.

"It makes me think about things I usually wouldn’t consider doing in my life."

Currently in her second year, Francesca is set to graduate at the end of 2020.

"I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do as a career, but I just know I want to have all mediums at all times."

Learn how you can 'play with purpose' just like Francesca at LCI Melbourne here.

Header Image: Supplied