“I thought I was only going to get a pass, I did really well.” – Charlie. “I thought I was going to get a pass too, I got a Merit as well.” – Chloe.
Courses studied: Games Design – Level 3 Diploma, first year complete
Former schools: St Ives School and Hayle Academy
What’s next: Charlie and Chloe both progress into the second year of the Games Design diploma. Charlie hopes to go on to Falmouth or another high-ranking university to study Game Design, with ambitions of working at a games company and eventually founding his own studio. Chloe is continuing into further study in Design.
Their story: Charlie and Chloe were interviewed together on results day, both having just completed their first year of Games Design at Penwith Campus, and both with the same story to tell: results that beat what they thought they were capable of, in another year of strong outcomes continuing Truro and Penwith College’s 30-year legacy of transforming lives across Cornwall.
“I study Games Design, I have a Level 3 Diploma, I’ve just done my first year, and I thought I was only going to get a pass, but I did really well.”
“I also did a Level 3 Diploma in Design, and I also thought I was going to get a pass.”
Both achieved a Merit, comfortably ahead of where they expected to land.
Charlie, who joined from St Ives School, says it was the standard of equipment and the level of support that set the College apart from his previous experience.
“I really liked the equipment they had, and I was really surprised at the level of the computers. The student support and help stuff was really well done, better than secondary school, I’d say, at least. I went to St Ives, and it was good, but there was nothing like we had here. The support was definitely there, but it wasn’t as much as it’s been here.”
For Chloe, who joined from Hayle Academy, the decision to choose Penwith Campus came down to practicality as much as passion.
“It’s closer to me, I wouldn’t have to spend two hours on a bus getting there every day. And also just having the courses I wanted.”
Once on the course, both found their own creative footing. Charlie’s highlight was his Final Major Project, a demo RPG called Zawid, built entirely from scratch.
“I think it was probably the FMP, the final bit, it’s just a lot of fun, going all the way from scratch and having all that freedom. I made a demo of a game called Zawid, where you go around a land learning different magic spells and stuff. It’s an RPG game, similar to a really niche game called Bard’s Tale, and also quite similar to D&D, Dungeons & Dragons.”
Chloe, meanwhile, found her place in the art side of game development, building a point-and-click adventure for her own Final Major Project.
“I did a bit of game development, it didn’t go as well as I wanted it to, but I made a game. It was a point-and-click, but I didn’t get very far on it.” “I like the art bits.”
Both are now progressing into their second year of the diploma, with Charlie already looking ahead to university and, ultimately, a career in the games industry.
“After this course I’ve got my second year coming up, and then after that I’m hoping to get into either Falmouth or another high-ranking uni for game design. The long-term goal is to eventually get into a games company, and then maybe eventually set up my own.”
Chloe is continuing into further design study, with no shortage of ideas for what comes next.
“I’m going to do design as well. I’ve got loads of ideas that I can’t fit into one thing, so it’s difficult to say.”
Both have the same advice for anyone considering joining the College who might be feeling nervous: pick a course you’re genuinely interested in.
“If there’s a course you want to do and something you’re more interested in, even if it’s not A Levels, you don’t have to not do it. You can do it and you can have fun, and I’d say that’s probably more important than doing something that is going to be a well-paying job in the future. It’ll all open doors.” For Charlie and Chloe, results day was proof that the course, and the College, brought out more than either of them expected of themselves, and the start of a shared next chapter as they head into second year together, two more students to find their place within Truro and Penwith College’s three-decade track record of transforming lives across Cornwall.
