I would say that I whilst I felt quite close to employment, and probably would have gotten an OK-ish job, it would have taken a long time. A longer time. I was, in reality, a million miles away from finding the job I wanted, and the course is solely responsible for the way in which I now think and approach work and for the opportunities now available to me.

I learned how much work it is to work in this industry. I learned that, not only am I capable, I am only too happy to embrace the workload. I am probably not so different, I have just realised my potential. The school gave me a massive kick up the backside.

Before the course I had a vague notion of becoming an advertising creative. Now I know it’s the only thing I could ever do. The course has provided me with the tools, the confidence and the industry contacts that I’ll need to start my career.

I was staring into the abyss. 32 years of age, no career really to speak of, only a disastrous stint at an agency on an account management training programme. Now I am exactly where I want to be and i can’t wait to get started.

My ideas are a lot more coherent and thought-through; rather than just being clever lines and puns, I’m thinking strategically, and so much more aware how to make my work emotional and memorable.

A year ago I was an Account Manager at a tiny, unknown agency, with no prospects of promotion or advancement. Now I’m a copywriter in a world-renowned, award winning London ad shop.

Four words: I am now employable.

I feel like I’ve had my Blinkers removed, and I can see the world from lots of new and different angles. When I’m presented with a problem now, I can break it down, analyse it, experience it from my view and that of others, construct a viable and meaningful solution and then execute it from a number of approaches. When I began at the school I could only jump to the first surface execution.

They pushed me, they broke me, they mixed me up and threw in a few extra bits, then they put me back together piece by piece, to create a brand new version of me, with go faster stripes.

I think you can always push it further, but maybe if I’d have pushed myself further I would’ve had a breakdown. I’d say I’m more up for things now, more focused toward opportunities, I work harder, I’m more interesting, I might even be more dateable. The things SCA has given me I’ll be forever in Marc’s debt for.

The school has given me all the tools I need to succeed. Sometimes I may struggle to locate where said tools are, but that’s my fault. The school bombards you with briefs, which means that when you enter agencies you can easily cope with the workload. That’s a major advantage SCAers have over their competitors.

The course is a journey, whilst an incredible fun one, its incredibly intense. You learn a lot about yourself, it pushes you to your limits and then breaks them. But you come out stronger as a result.

But most of all Marc has curated an incredible team of mentors and every year selects an incredible spectrum of students. You spend 9 months together, in a close environment. Learning from one another and learning about one another and for me this is what changed me the most. If we are a product of our peers then i’m so happy to have spent 9 months with the most talented and friendly bunch of people, as they have helped who i am today.

Without SCA I would still be working in Boots, crying next to the suncream aisle.

Academic learning at University shuts down a huge part of our brain, the creative part. This year I discovered the enormous potential of creative problem solving – it was an awesome feeling.

In the year before SCA I applied for a hundred jobs and didn’t get one. Then a month before finishing the SCA I get a permanent offer from my number one choice agency.

SCA is a boot camp for your life. Not only does it teach you the best tools for advertising world, it also gives you the tools to be successful in life. It’s the hardest thing I’ve done but definitely worth it!