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Results day didn’t get off to the best start for Matt Wilson, after he discovered that his college lost all his work, leaving him with no grades and costing him his place on his degree course.

After a couple of anxious days, ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Leicester (²ÝÁñÊÓƵ) offered him a place on Product Design through Clearing, and he’s never looked back.



“I have had the best time at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ,” said Matt, who lives in Northampton. “I’ve had nothing but good experiences here.”

He has now graduated and walked straight into a job with Arnold Engineering Plastics in Moulton Park, Northampton, an established company which works with industrial, commercial and retail clients across nine different manufacturing divisions.



Matt completed a placement at Arnold Engineering during his degree and they wanted him to join full time when he finished his studies.

He recommends doing a placement to any design student who wants to get the edge. “In the final year you could apply the skills that you picked up and use the extra experience from the workplace.”

Arnold Engineering Plastics does point of sale work for multi-national cosmetics brands as well as undertaking bespoke work for clients.

For Matt, it’s the perfect job because it combines useful, practical design with the detail and flair that he enjoyed on his degree course.

“I like logical design, design that has a purpose, that is useful but still looks good,” he said. “The facilities at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ were the perfect place to explore and try making different prototypes. You are expected to use as many different types of materials as you can and the lecturers would encourage you to try out new ideas.”

As well as trying new ways of working, Matt also gave a new sport a go in his first year, becoming one of the few male cheerleaders on ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ’s award-winning ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Saints cheer team.

“Before I came to uni I was a gymnast, but when I got to university there weren’t any athletic clubs, so I tried out for the cheer team. It was tough, it’s a lot more physical than people think, but it was good fun and I made a lot of new friends through the club.

“I’m in touch with everyone I was friends with at university still, we’ve been messaging throughout lockdown and covid, and everything that has happened. We are planning a big celebration once we can.”

And he has this advice for anyone thinking of coming to university this autumn: “I think people are a bit scared – don’t be. You are going to meet some hilarious people at uni, and have a great time. There’s so many opportunities.”