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My Name is Namahina Sousa and I am currently a student at Kaplan International College following the pathway of (Foundation in Arts and Design) . I am Angolan and I did High School in Portugal,Lisbon.

Coming from a developing country I strive to be an innovative individual that does things for my community, having a passion for creativity and combining that with logical thinking I am convinced that architecture is the pathway for me. I am currently enjoying the Arts and Design course as I am being able to improve my artistic skills and focusing with a depth of the little details.

The course allows me to develop crucial skills that will be needed when pursuing the architecture course; such as drawing and visual culture knowledge. I aim to go to the University of Westminster and desire to work in the field of architecture.

The word architecture has always inspired me and made me feel as if it is an area in academic life and in the real world a path I would like to follow. I have always been fascinated by structures that escape the norms of what a traditional building is, structures such as the Colosseum,Eiffel Tower, Guggenheim museum and Heydar Aliyev. All these structures have a feature in common which is their unique features that wouldnt be found in a traditional building that was only made for functionality. The architects behind these works created pieces that also serve as a tourist attraction as well as a historical piece for instance the Colosseum.

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Living in the UK has been a completely transformative experience that has helped me grow both personally and academically. When moving I had to immediately step into a more independent routine that required me to adapt to important life skills such as budgeting, cooking and managing my time effectively. One of the biggest changes was balancing out coursework with daily responsibilities and habits, but with time I started to become more used to being self-disciplined.

I also learned how to use public transports and I have visited different cultural spaces in London such as art exhibitions and local markets. I have experimented new foods and met new people from various backgrounds has improved my perspective and helped have confidence when socialising.

One thing I tried for the first time was attending Westminster university tour where I got to see the space in which I will study once I start my course in architecture and this expanded my interest in the course and the university as well. Adapting to life in the UK has made me improve my problem solving skills and influenced me to be more independent.

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My best piece of academic work so far has been my project proposal which is the first step to the project I will be completing based on an architectural structure that incorporates nature, such as an outdoor patio. In this work I discussed my interest and provided a brainstorm to my ideas on how I want my final piece to look like. I provided a quick sketch and brief research on architects that I can be inspired by when designing my project.

I was given a positive feedback and it helped me understand that I have to make many sketches and brainstorms so that I can better record the process and think of ways of improving in the future.

In the module 317 We took a trip to the Tate museum and one of the pieces that I was very interested in I took a picture and added into the piece of work attached above. This module has shaped my way of thinking, it has shown me that architecture goes beyond beautiful buildings and structures, there are many more factors that come with it. There is the social, environmental and economical factor that comes with architecture. Although creativity plays a big part logic is also an aspect I need to consider when pursuing this dream of being an architect.

Module 316 contributes to my critical thinking skills as we have to research and analyse pieces related to our pathway and in my case that would be research and analysis on buildings and structures. Techniques, skills and the history of the building is what I have to investigate.

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My skill to communicate written and orally has improved throughout my time at Kaplan. This skill was applied when making a satisfying presentation for my 316 module. When presenting I was confident, used a clear tone and had a persuasive tone and language since I knew a lot of the subject. This task helped me realize how much I feel comfortable speaking english and how my english has been improving since moving to the UK.

My communication skills have also improved due to group tasks assigned. My ability to listen to others has improved and so has my ability of sharing my ideas and perspective.

I frequently make an effort to make sure that everyone feels valued and that we work together as a group to achieve a successful outcome. From these experiences i've learned that it's very important to adapt my speech patterns according to the context, whether it's a professional presentation or an informal group conversation.

I have gained beneficial habits such as reading in English, viewing documentaries, and participating in class discussions to help me communicate better in English. To improve my writing, I also utilize language apps and internet tools like Grammarly. Gaining confidence and fluency via practice with classmates has also been very beneficial.

I like going to art shows and public parks outside of class where I can meet people from other backgrounds. I get to practice communicating in real life and gain confidence in social situations thanks to these casual discussions. All things considered, I believe that since coming to the UK, my capacity for effective and clear communication has significantly increased.

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I like going to art shows and cultural gatherings outside of class where I have the opportunity of  meeting people from other backgrounds. I get to practice communicating in real life and gain confidence in social situations due to these casual discussions. All things considered, I believe that since coming to the UK, my capacity for effective and clear communication has significantly increased.

My ability to work with design software, especially Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, is another expertise I've developed. I can somehow more accurately and professionally convey my ideas graphically thanks to these tools. They were difficult for me at first, but with practice and internet guides, I've gained a lot of confidence in my ability to use them for my assignments in module 317.

My sketching and drawing skills have also improved, specifically as a result of exercises that we have done in the 318 module. We have done many tasks where we were asked to make various drawings and sketches. Not really focused on our pathway in the beginning but towards the other cycles the drawings started to be more directed to our pathway. These abilities have improved the ability to express my ideas visually and are crucial for architects.

Last but not least, class discussions and group work have improved my ability to reflect and offer helpful criticism. Learning to assess both my own and other people's work has improved my growth as a creative thinker. In addition to my academic studies, Kaplan has helped me in developing personally in areas that are essential to my future profession in architecture and design.